Design!

As many of you know, for my permaculture class, I have been doing a design project. Permaculture has a whole design process to create spaces that are productive, beautiful, and regenerative.

The site I chose for my design is our new house site in the Quaker Intentional Village in Canaan, NY. (Interested? Check out www.qivc.org)

The permaculture design process is cyclical and goes like this:
1. Articulate Goals
2. Analyze and Assess the Site
3. Design
4. Implement
5. Evaluate
6. Start at the top again.

Below, I'll share with you the evolution of step 3-Design.

First, looking at our goals and what already exists on the site, I made a (very) rough sketch:


Next, my dad found a great simple areal map, which I copied and used as my Base Map. Using the Base Map, I did a series of Over-Lays using trace paper, to map out aspects like wind, water, animal, and human patterns. It was then time to brainstorm, so I did a series of totally different schematic designs with magic markers:


Then, in consultation with my dad, I picked out the best and most attractive aspects from those designs and began to sketch out a design we would actually use:


Taking these sketches, I started drawing out designs without the Base Map, working on perspective, using pencils this time.
Draft I:



Draft II:
Draft III:

Please excuse the blurriness of the pictures, I'm still learning to use my new (!) camera.

I am now working on my final design. I will post it when it's done.