Design Studies - A framework for sustainable whole systems design A whole systems approach, considering the interrelatedness of both problems and solutions, can help create more sustainable designs. Still, designers often apply exclusively reductionist approaches to generate designs. One way to address this issue is to reduce ambiguity in the whole systems approach. This paper describes research to define and unify elements of whole systems design. Elements were identified through a methodical review of sources describing theories, perspectives, and practices from multiple design disciplines. Highlights ► A unifying framework for sustainable design is needed for practice and education. ► A systematic approach can help develop this framework with input from many disciplines. ► The framework developed has 20 elements categorized as processes, principles, and methods. sustainable design; systems design; design model; design methods; design theory
Een energieneutraal huis kost maar €38.000 De hoge kosten van energieneutraal bouwen worden vaak aangevoerd als reden om af te zien van deze milieuvriendelijke ontwikkeling. Maar een energieneutraal huis hoeft helemaal niet duur te zijn. Dat toont het Franse architectenbureau Multiple Studio aan met hun Popup House: een ruim, goedkoop energieneutraal huis. De architecten van Multiple Studio ontwikkelden een PopUp House dat je helemaal uit elkaar kunt halen en geheel kunt hergebruiken. Een verwarming is overbodig door het gebruik van unieke isolatieblokken. Volgens de Dutch Design Studio is het bouwsysteem kinderlijk eenvoudig. Energieneutraal huis is op te leveren als Passiefhuis Alle blokken en platen worden direct op de juiste maat besteld. Een energieneutraal huis staat in zijn geheel uiterlijk binnen twee weken. Afhankelijkheid van de aannemer De Dutch Design Studio signaleert overigens ook enkele nadelen aan het Popup House.
Tagari Publications - Publishers for the Permaculture Institute, Tasmania A View from Sierra County: Sustainable Sunday: High Altitude Gardening I love the high country! I spent 13 years of my life living full-time above the snow line in the Sierras, and never tire of the mountains. I do have to admit that this year's record-breaking snows in our region are daunting, and make daily life a lot more complicated. Such weather also reduces life down to essentials. Many believe that it is impossible to deal with the short growing season, intense sun, and other challenges of living at higher elevations. Here in the Sierras, those elevations range from 4,000 to 10,000 feet above sea levell, and the frost-free season can be less than 90 days. First, I want to share a video clip, taken by one of DES's (that's Dear Eldest Son's) friends, of the extensive balcony gardens he created in Kings Beach (North Lake Tahoe - 6200 ft. elevation) last summer. There are several important things that Keith is doing right here; you will notice that all of his plants are in containers, and are watered by a drip irrigation system.
What Permaculture Isn’t—and Is Permaculture is notoriously hard to define. A recent survey shows that people simultaneously believe it is a design approach, a philosophy, a movement, and a set of practices. This broad and contradiction-laden brush doesn’t just make permaculture hard to describe. It can be off-putting, too. Humans are a problem-solving species. Thomas Kuhn, in his masterwork, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, uses the word “paradigm” to mean the viewpoint that defines the problems to be solved in a particular field. “Paradigm” has been trivialized through overuse and I’m sure that Kuhn is spinning in his grave. Permaculture and other ecological approaches are attempts to articulate this new paradigm, by framing the problem and offering tools and strategies to pursue its solution. So, why, then, is permaculture so confusing to define? In the 18th Century, combustion was explained by something called phlogiston. In the 1770s, cracks began to appear in phlogiston theory.
About Permaculture » Holmgren Design The Origin of Permaculture Permaculture is a word originally coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the mid 1970′s to describe an “integrated, evolving system of perennial or self-perpetuating plant and animal species useful to man” Mollison, B. and Holmgren, D. Permaculture One published by Corgi 1978 and since published in 7 languages (now out of print) What is permaculture? A more current definition of permaculture, which reflects the expansion of focus implicit in Permaculture One, is ‘Consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature, while yielding an abundance of food, fibre and energy for provision of local needs. The Design System More precisely permaculture is a “design system based on ecological principles” (see below) which provides the organising framework for implementing the above vision. The Movement Permaculture Ethics & Design Principles
Eco Treasures - Home Practical Permaculture Research Institute Punk Rock Permaculture E-zine One Path to Veganic Permaculture Permaculture Permaculture is a branch of ecological design, ecological engineering, and environmental design that develops sustainable architecture and self-maintained agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems.[1][2] The term permaculture (as a systematic method) was first coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in 1978. The word permaculture originally referred to "permanent agriculture" [3] but was expanded to stand also for "permanent culture," as it was seen that social aspects were integral to a truly sustainable system as inspired by Masanobu Fukuoka's natural farming philosophy. "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system." - Bill Mollison [4] History[edit] Core tenets[edit] The core tenets of permaculture are:[9][10][11] Theory[edit]
These mini, man-made ‘glaciers’ are helping Himalayan farmers High up in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, India, a local scientist named Sonam Wangchuk is creating artificial glaciers to help farmers facing the growing problem of acute water shortages. Over the past few decades, glaciers in the region (and in areas around the world) have not frozen sufficiently during the winter months, meaning there is less ice and therefore less meltwater. Many mountain communities rely on glacial melt-water during the dry spring and summer months – including farmers in villages in Ladakh, at around 3,500m above sea level. The decline in glacial meltwater is attributed to climate change, and according to the European Geosciences Union more than 70% of glacier volume in the Everest region of the Himalayas could be lost by 2100. Wangchuk – who also teaches at the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh Alternative School – initially started his project in the classroom. Image: Rolexawards.com Share Written by