Project 3: Final Permaculture Design

What you'll create

A permaculture design and report for your whole site, shared as a presentation of up to 15 minutes. This is the third and final project of your Permaculture Design Course. Completing it earns you your Permaculture Design Certificate - the first part of the Permaculture Educators Program.

Why this matters

This is where all your design thinking comes together. It's remarkable to look back and see how much you've learnt about your place, and how deeply you've thought about its design and long-term development.

You've already done much of the groundwork:

• your intentions and design goals

• your site analysis (Project 1)

• your zone and sector plans

• your Zone 1 design (Project 2)

Now you'll weave these together into one whole-site design, refine it, and share it.

Working at your scale

Include as many zones as apply to your site. A small urban block might hold Zones 0 to 2, while a rural property might reach Zone 5. Design for the place you have.

What to include

These steps help your design grow from first ideas into something grounded and well tested.

1. Make a concept plan

Create a concept plan for your whole site, including each zone that applies.

2. Review your design thinking

Revisit your earlier sketches and plans. Look for places to refine and improve them.

3. Walk it

Walk your site with your design in hand and check that it makes sense on the ground.

4. Share it and listen

Take someone on a walk around your site and explain your design. Ask for their feedback, then refine your design in response.

5. Check the ethics and principles

Work through each permaculture ethic and principle and note how your design brings it to life.

6. Finalise your design plan

Add detail to your plans and annotate them well. Where you can, add sketches and elevations of key areas and features.

7. Add colour

Hand-drawn colour is perfect. One simple approach is to print or photocopy your plan and colour it with watercolour pencils or paints. Photocopied and laser-printed plans hold their lines under watercolour, while inkjet ink tends to run.

8. Create your planting plan

List the plants for each area of your design, either in a document or as annotations on your plan.

• note where you'll source your plants

• include a seasonal planting chart for your area

• optional: research the fruiting seasons of your fruit trees to create the longest possible continuous harvest

9. Make a resource list

List the materials, plants, tools, skills and help you'll need to implement your design.

10. Estimate a budget

Estimate, as best you can, what it will cost to create your design. A broad estimate is all that's needed.

11. Plan your implementation timeline

Propose a sequence of actions to bring your design to life, showing what comes first and how the work unfolds over time.

12. Reflect on your design process

Reflect on your journey. What did you discover about your place and yourself? What surprised you? What would you do differently? How has your way of seeing changed?

Present your design

Share your design in one of two ways:

• At a Project Studio: present your design live.

• As a recording: create a presentation with a voice-over, up to 15 minutes long 

Suggested presentation outline

Follow this order to tell the story of your design. Timings are a guide to help you stay within 15 minutes.

• Introduction (1 min): design location, designer's name, who the design is for, and your design goals

• Site analysis (2 min): base plan and key findings from Project 1

• Sectors and zones (1 min): sector plan and zone plan

• Preliminary design (1 min): bubble diagram and element assembly

• Whole-site concept design (3 min): annotated concept design for each applicable zone, with sketches and elevations

• Zone 1 (2 min): annotated Zone 1 design and detailed kitchen garden design from Project 2 (or another detailed area)

• Planting (1 min): plant lists for each area, plant sources and seasonal planting chart

• Ethics and principles (1 min): how your design embodies the permaculture ethics and principles

• Implementation (2 min): resource list, budget estimate and implementation timeline

• Reflections (1 min): what you learnt through your design process

What to submit

• Upload your  presentation with voice-over and supporting files. Share only a link to large files or videos (via google drive, dropbox etc), rather than transfer the file itself.

Upload your Final Design Project here

Checklist

Your design is ready to submit when:

• it covers your whole site, with each applicable zone designed

• your design clearly responds to your site analysis, sectors and design goals

• your plans are clear and well annotated, with a north point, bar scale and key

• you've shown how each permaculture ethic and principle shapes your design

• your planting plan suits your climate and includes plant sources and a seasonal planting chart

• your resource list, budget estimate and timeline show a realistic path to implementation

• you've shared your reflections on your design process

• your presentation covers each part of the outline within 15 minutes

After you submit

We review your final design and respond with feedback. Once accepted, you'll receive your Permaculture Design Certificate as a printable PDF. 

Need help with your project?

There are many ways to find support and ask questions:

• Ask at a live session

• Ask in the HIVE global learning community

• Email morag@permacultureeducationinstitute.org