Permaculture design - topics

The parable of the chicken  - a tale of two chickens, two  systems
Lessons from the parable of the chicken –  work and pollution – natural systems –cycling – yield and polycultures
Analysis of inputs and outputs – the importance of observation
Observation - walk and debrief
Ethics of Permaculture - relate to resource use and design  - sustainability – doing more with less – community based futures
Polyculture vs miono-agriculture and the importance of gardening
Design framework Observe -Analyse-Design-Implement
Analysis and placement exercise – work flow - “a farmyard somewhere” (group exercise)
Classic homestead pattern – (site analysis) - work and material flow – zoning
Systems and Design  – elements / relationships  /functions  - group exercise
Observation and Pattern – observation walk/exercise
Sector analysis
Design framework OADI -  permaculture design defined in outline  - the nature of permaculture design
Permaculture design – full definition
Permaculture design – working with both material and conceptual components
Design framework revisited – BREDIM  etc
Design tools - Relative Permanence
Yields, elements, functions and events – community woodland exercise
Design objectives – some suggestions - discussion on a “low carbon” future, biomimicary etc
Directives – e.g. one function served by many elements
Risks and events – observe and predict (e.g. in the communtity woodland exercise)
Classic landscape profile – aspect – surveying - choosing sites for construction and buildings -  terracing
Observation exercise – spirals
Observation exercise - branching
Limiting factors in design
Design methods – random assembly
Summary of design methods  - incl “options and decisions”, McHarg, “incremental design” etc
Design as a system
Design and planning – uncertainty and ambiguity in planning
Thinking and working at scale - bioregions - chunking exercise
The Client and the Brief  - managing the client
Design project – project selection and brief  
Design projects – tutorials
Design project presentations

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