Permaculture Design Process

PART- 1 (PHONE/ ZOOM CONSULTATION)

It is sometimes confusing and overwhelming how much information is available online about climate, topography, soils, prevailing winds and sun angles worldwide. As a land or homeowner, we invite you to mail us your address, pinned map location and a simple brief of the property boundary lines, along with what your desire or vision is for the property. We then do our rough research and design analysis.

On a follow-up free Zoom call, we will share what we have concluded regarding the greatest opportunities and challenges for your property related to your vision. We will also field any questions you might have as well. Our goal is to give you the assistance you need to continue to move forward on your property design.

Steps-

If you want us to create a site analysis report or digital framework design for your property, we can move forward from this call and plan further. See Framework Design Below.

PART -2 (PERMACULTURE DESIGN- SITE ANALYSIS, VISIT & WALKABOUTS)

After we are done with the Client Interview/ Zoom call, we do a rough site analysis where appropriate.

Then, we visit the site, walk the property with the owner and explore what permaculture design strategies and techniques would be most applicable. This is a verbal assessment with recommendations and rough sketches when/where necessary. Some valuable resources are always provided and recommended reading and website links are supplied.

What is included in the walkabouts?

Creating Site analysis.
Client Interview.
We create a rough base map.
Property walk- verbal assessment + rough sketches.
We Provide resources- readings, website links, Suppliers, etc.

Note- You book a site-visit appointment first. Additional travel expenses + Food and stay are to be arranged by the client depending on the project.

PART-3 (PERMACULTURE DESIGN FRAMEWORK/ ZONING)

Our framework designs/ zoning includes the best recommendations from our initial site assessment whether from an online/phone connection or an actual site visit (Walk-About). Our goal with these framework designs is to give you as much information as possible for the least amount invested.

What is included in the design framework?

Site Analysis- The site data is gathered from the internet and the client. It includes- climate, water patterns, soil, ecology, hazards, etc.
Sector Analysis – Sun angles & sector legend map.
Thorough Base map of the property.
Zoning map (Zone 0 – 5)
Detailed Micro-climates that are present at the site.
A base water layer – might include swales, rain gardens, Hugel kultur, cisterns, etc.
A base plant layer – guilds, food forests, production areas, overstory, understory, etc.
A base hardscaping layer – paths, fencing, pergolas, raised beds, greenhouses, etc.

PART-4 (FULL PERMACULTURE DESIGN SERVICE)

A full permaculture design requires a more in-depth study of the site and more detailed conversations with you (the client) as we explore and discuss the best-suited options for you. It also includes more design time for the thoughtful consideration and integration of key, and secondary, design elements. The goal is to create a functional, productive and beautiful site with a high probability of successful implementation by you.

Besides all of the site data analysis and the base map layers, a full design usually includes:

Specific plant lists with quantities needed including noted suppliers and their prices.
Specific tools, equipment and structures to consider for implementation, use and maintenance.
Implementation task lists that include a practical time frame or timetable.
An estimated cost analysis for the full implementation of the design (BOQ) might also include the cost of earth moving and landscaping.

PART-5 (Assistance in Design Implementation and Maintenance)

This can be as simple as working with you to find a contractor who will implement the design, train the right people and answer the inevitable multitude of questions that come up when implementing a design.

Our role will also include site visits to oversee the installation of the design, working with contractors/installers on your behalf, ordering supplies and plants, troubleshooting challenges as they arise, organizing and overseeing the care and maintenance in the early months/years, assessing the results, fine-tuning the design strategies and possibly staying on with the project until everything is running as projected.

Our preference is to train and work with you directly or with someone you have hired to do all of this because somebody eventually needs to understand each element of the design for its long-term care.

We do not take on many of these projects (we are selective as we balance everything else, we are doing) but if we do, we will give you and your project our full attention as if it were one of our own.

We typically provide project management quotes to our Full Permaculture Design clients when requested.

FAQ’S

Note: The amount you have invested in any of the above design services is deducted from the price of a Full Permaculture Design if purchased later.