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COURTYARDS, GARDENS, RURAL LANDS, OR BALCONIES

Earth Care, People Care, and Return the Surplus are 3 ethics of Permaculture.

​

It means caring for the people and the planet are overlapping concepts, and re-investing any production surplus

within the system is a simple and effective strategy to support both, at near-zero costs.

 

The humanized environment can be truly sustainable again at almost no cost.

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Natural Garden
Sef-sufficient Landscape
 


TABLE OF CONTENT:
 

01.

The Perfect Set

Enhance Performances, Living Buffer

Functions, Costs, Resources

02.

Climate, Site Analysis and Observation

Purpose, Yields, Work and Time

Resilience, Evolution, Order vs Caos

03.

Principles, Landscape and Society

Soil, Water, Trees, Life

A Different Angle

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Blackheath
Landscape Project, In Progress
for MKD

01.

THE ROLE
OF GARDENS

The Perfect Set

Enhance Performances, Living Buffer

Functions, Costs, Resources

  "Today, we mostly consider lawn as the simplest and most obvious way to fill (or not) our front or back yard.

  What we often fail to understand is that a perfect lawn is the single most expensive long-term landscape option available."

 

  For most of our history, private gardens have been mostly productive or functional spaces. Land was a precious resource that could grow much-needed food or allow people to execute any day-to-day activity, particularly in urban areas.

Decorative plants and flowers were usually exceptions to fill leftover corners or little representative spaces. Only the rich and powerful could repurpose important productive land as entertainment areas. Until some European gentleman decided to show off his wealth to the neighbours covering his precious front yard with nothing but grass.

 

  Today, we mostly consider lawn as the simplest and most obvious way to fill (or not) our front or back yard. What we often fail to understand is that a perfect lawn is the single most expensive long-term landscape option available. 

So first, let's explore together the great potential of your outdoor space, and then we can help you find the best solution(s) to make good use of it, or at least, reduce the maintenance cost to a minimum.

THE PERFECT SET

  The design process of any property should aim to achieve the best balance and continuity between the indoor and outdoor spaces. As living beings, we unconsciously appreciate natural light, fresh air and constant connection with nature, or any representation of it. 

It's then clear that any design must consider this in/out relationship, beyond the mere legislative requirements, and get the most out of the two worlds to bring the best possible experience to people who will spend time there. 

 

  Every sqm of the site land has a commercial and potential value. Too often we design and build to maximise the indoor space area and not to maximise the overall site potential, leaving the landscape to fill in the gaps, with little to no value or function.

 

  The standard process usually starts with a floor plan showing only the required setbacks and mandatory constraints of the site. The buildable area is then filled to the limit to maximise the number of rooms and sellable sqm. The outdoor space is now a leftover buffer between the proposed construction and the boundary: this unplanned area is then filled with additional amenities or necessary infrastructure. What is usually left to the user or designer is to beautify this chaotic space with plants and a variety of finishes, to make it tolerable to the human eye. 

 

  The alternative way is to understand first the characteristics, qualities and potential of the site in its totality. When the key features are assessed, it starts a careful placing of simple volumes to find the ideal balance between indoor and outdoor elements and related functions. The aim is to create mutual beneficiary connections between every element and space, to unlock the full potential through quality and efficiency, based on required functions, people's needs and wishes, environmental data and selected construction solutions.

All required services and amenities should be included in the design from the beginning, keeping an eye on construction solutions, costs, and maintaining a degree of flexibility. The result will be a comprehensive, efficient and organic project that can bring the site to its full potential.

​

  Please remember: the natural world doesn't necessarily follow what is written in a report or our plans. It's usually a constantly evolving creature that changes and adapts over time. Not all changes can be foreseen and planned, but we can include in our design an adequate buffer to mitigate the consequences of any change and potentially turn them into a positive feature.

ENHANCE PERFORMANCES, LIVING BUFFER

  Please consider your garden as an extension of your building design. It's not just empty space but a potential 4D living skin that can work at your service.

 

Your garden can:

_Boost your design features: screening from the hot summer sun and winds, or opening up to a beautiful view and the winter light. 

_Mitigate thermal peaks and their consequences: a densely vegetated area can significantly reduce the heat-island effect and winter frosts. Thanks to the capacity to retain water, absorb or release moisture in the air, provide stable and healthier living conditions.

_Protect from the occasional downsides of living within an urban area, like providing adequate privacy or screening from noises.

_Include strategically and harmoniously the required building services, like inspection holes, meters, pipes, draining or ventilation systems.

_Provide resources and perks, like herbs, fruit, veggies, and flowers. Can include pet animals' inclosure, needs and subproducts within the garden life cycle. Be a safe island for native species.

_Riporpose or absorb organic wastes, turning them into a resource, saving you time and money.

_Create a beautiful and peaceful scenery for your domestic everyday views.

​

​Don't stop designing at your doorstep, there is great potential in your garden.

FUNCTIONS, COSTS, RESOURCES

  A garden can be a flat grass patch, that requires watering, mowing, weeding and occasionally re-seeding. It doesn't produce anything, it doesn't home any wildlife or provide for a house pet. It doesn't provide any privacy and shade, or protection from the wind, thermal peaks road noises. It doesn't absorb and repurpose any organic waste or water from the property. It doesn't provide any visual relief from the densely built forms of the modern urban environment. In the building-land relation, it doesn't give anything and costs you money and time to maintain. Not a great deal.

​

  If we start to add natural elements that can provide additional functions, and services or generate goods and resources, we might bring balance to this relationship, so the building and its occupants can start enjoying the perks of this fruitful relationship.

There are tens or hundreds of opportunities in every garden, most of which do not require building additional structures, but make good of what the land is already providing. The more functions you can pile up in the landscape design, the more positive relationships we can generate.

 

  The aim is to find your own balance between input and output, to reach the desired outcome, and long-lasting resilience.

A mature, resilient, natural system is stable and generally, self-efficient. It requires the minimum input and is capable of adapting to seasons and climate changes. It means less time, energy, resources and money required to maintain it.

 

  We should stop viewing our gardens as decorative desktops, and start considering all the things they can be and all they can offer to us and to the more extended urban environment. â€‹

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Crescent Head
Entertainment Terrace, In Progress
for MKD

02.

HOW IT WORKS
 

Climate, Site Analysis and Observation

Purpose, Yields, Work and Time

Resilience, Evolution, Order vs Caos

  "The design process starts by analysing the climate data, the broad area analysis and site conditions: information is key to any successful project".

 

  The design process starts by analysing the climate data, the broad area analysis and site conditions: information is key to any successful project.

  Once the context is clear, it's time to identify the client's requirements, wishes, constraints and budget: a clear strong vision is needed to guide the design. A feasibility plan will define what shall be done first with the available resources and what can be implemented later on.    Any natural environment, as well as the people that interact with it, changes over time. Flexibility is required to adapt to the always-evolving conditions. Resilience is the goal of a long-lasting, low-maintenance and efficient garden.​

CLIMATE, SITE ANALYSIS AND OBSERVATION

  Good design starts with taking the time to research and understand the specific site conditions, climate and natural dynamics. This specific knowledge will guide us through every stage of the design, to achieve a more efficient, effective and resilient outcome. It will also pick the best solutions to every issue or situation that will potentially be met through the process.

​​

  Climate is inevitable. You can try to ignore it or work against it, but it is a long-lasting, work-intense and expensive battle that we'll eventually always lose. A bit of advice: don't try to fight it blindly, but learn about it and work with it. 

The research journey starts with identifying the climate zone we are in, its characteristics, season rotation, temperature variations, rains and wind distribution during the year. As well as potential weather extreme conditions, and associated risks.

Knowing what to expect and having clear data and trends will create a resilient and rich garden, and set strong foundations to mitigate the effects of possible extreme weather events. 

​​

  Site Analysis is a standard component of any architectural or landscape project. Unfortunately, often it's treated simply as a box to tick. Does your council have a vision and/or guidelines for the building and landscape design of your area? Does your proposed design fit well within the existing streetscape and council regulations? and the most important: why are things done in a specific way? which is the ultimate goal? can we do it better? 

​

  Personal observation is the most specific and accurate type of analysis, but it may require time. Observing the land, weather, flora and fauna, over an extended period can tell us a lot about the property and all its pros&cons. Unfortunately, we can't just always wait years before starting designing and working on a property.

 

  What we can do it's find the right balance between gathering information, maintaining a degree of flexibility, including redundant solutions to identified and potential issues, and being open to changes. Nature will find its way and its balance: we need to be prepared and capable to fit in.

PURPOSE, YIELDS, WORK AND TIME

  Is my garden an escapable liability? Can it be, at least, low-maintenance or self-sufficient? Can it be productive and become an alternative resource or source of income? A garden can be so much more than a nice and expensive space filler, but it's important to clarify first your expectations and the level of involvement and work you wish to have.

 

  Finding a purpose for your garden is the first step. Is it purely decorative? Is it a functional space, where you can play, relax, work or, I dare, park your car? Is it a productive garden, where you can grow herbs, fruit, vegs and small animals? Is it a regenerative oasis, for yourself the indigenous flora and fauna? It can be one or all of the above and much more. 

​

  How much time and work are you willing to spend outdoors? Some people would live in the garden, some others just want a nice green view outside their window, and most people are somewhere in this range. 

Choosing and placing functions is the first step. Selecting appropriate species and wisely locating them is the second one. Considering the amount of maintenance they require over time is essential. The amount of time and energy you are willing to spend in the garden is the starting point of any design. 

​

  A domestic garden can be an extremely productive environment. The space limitation can help shift the focus on density and opportunities. There are wonderful examples of urban productive gardens that provide a variety of yields all year round. 

  If you prefer to set up your garden once and just have something nice to look at walking in or out of your house, a low-maintenance native garden can be the answer you are looking for. Local species don't need your attention to thrive. 

​

  How the garden will potentially evolve over time is also an important element to consider. A lawn might need to be re-seeded, weeded, and watered constantly through the years, while a native meadow will naturally adjust to the changing seasons and climate conditions.

  Some trees can grow quickly and take out space and light to other plants, and portions of the garden, cross boundaries, and take out views. Some have very disruptive roots, and some produce beautiful flowers but also drop tons of leaves everywhere. A garden (and a house) without trees is more exposed to the elements and generally requires more work and maintenance.

​

  Designing a garden can be as complex and exciting as designing a house to live in. As with any house, a garden has great potential. As with any house, a garden will require some of your love and attention. What makes a real difference is functionality, running costs and potential yields.

RESILIANCE, EVOLUTION, ORDER AND CHAOS

  Resilience is a key feature of any project, including any urban landscape design. Resilience is the capacity to overcome difficult conditions or unexpected negative events. We are looking for a garden capable of dealing with the local weather and its fluctuations over an extended period. It will need to store the required water for the drier season and drain the excess water during the wet season. It will also need to resist most common pests, generate its nutrients and regenerate itself if any major weather event should occur. 

 

  It must be said that any garden or land regeneration project will require some degree of maintenance and assistance during its lifetime, particularly over the first year from the establishment. 

  The garden will require time to settle in, find its balance, fill every niche, develop strong bonds between its components and adapt to the specific climate and site conditions.

 

  Changes won't stop after a period of settlement: every landscape naturally evolves. Some plants may die off and get replaced by new ones. The local fauna (insects, birds, worms, etc... ) may move in permanently or just stop by for the season: they will also have a great impact on the overall balance. â€‹â€‹â€‹

​

  It's easier now to understand that having constant and full control over a natural landscape might be a long-term, labour-intensive and expensive exercise. Sometimes we just need to let it be and give it time to find its way. Assisting and steering the growth and evolution of a garden it's easier and cheaper than trying to make it look exactly as we want it.

  It's a thin edge we walk between order and chaos: it might feel a bit uncomfortable and messy at times, but it's just the way nature works until it finds its balance.

 

Once again, it is all about efficiency.

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Bayside
Permaculture Masterplan
ATD

03.

Principles, Landscape and Society

Soil, Water, Trees, Life

A Different Angle

  "Permaculture (permanent agriculture) is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and resistance of natural ecosystems."

 

  "Permaculture (permanent agriculture) is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and resistance of natural ecosystems.

  It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.

  Permaculture design is a system of assembling conceptual, material, and strategic components in a pattern which functions to benefit life in all its forms."

 

Bill Mollison, "Permaculture, a designers' manual"​

PRINCIPLES, LANDSCAPE AND SOCIETY

  The leading 3 principles (ethics) of Permaculture are:

_People Care, providing for food, shelter, energy, resources, and other non-material needs.

_Earth Care, preserving as much of the natural environment and regenerating degraded areas, protecting life in all its forms.

_Return the Surplus, re-investing wastes and excess resources within the natural ecosystem. 

​

  For millennia people, as any other living creature, have been living in symbiosis with their environment. Hunters, gatherers and farmers were well aware of the importance of preserving the natural balance of each ecosystem because their lives depended on it. 

  Caring for the people and the planet are overlapping concepts: often our day-to-day life doesn't show us this connection, but it's still there, and we depend on it. How we source what we need, makes a difference: it affects our future capacity to provide for ourselves.

​

  To preserve this balance, taking only what is necessary to us it's not enough: we need to re-invest any production surplus (or waste) within the system. This is a simple and effective strategy to support both natural and anthropocentric environments: careful design and planning can promote resistance, through sustainable strategies and efficient processes.

​

  The humanized environment can be again truly sustainable at almost no cost.

SOIL, WATER, TREES, LIFE

   If we want to create a healthy and resilient garden, we want to be sure that every component is carefully considered and that they support each other without your constant input.

​

  We can start with the essentials:

_Soil is literally the foundation of the garden: Which type is it? How much organic matter and nutrients are present? Does it drain water quickly, or tend to get soaked? Are there any pollutants or chemicals? 

  It's important to understand that not all soils are equal and can support the desired plants. If in most cases they are just fine, sometimes they do require serious preparation. This can happen quickly and/or over time, depending on the site conditions, available resources and scope of work.

 _Water is essential to life so we must implement strategies to be sure that is always available to support flora and fauna through the seasons. When, how much and often does it rain? Can I collect and store this water? Is it enough to support our garden and household or should we consider bringing in more? Are we at risk of logging or flooding, and can we drain the excess water away from the most sensitive areas? 

  Just tapping into the Main is the standard and most practical solution. Discharging all wastewater or stormwater to the local network or sewer is the easy answer. But these are solutions that all come with constant and growing costs: depending on the network exposes us to price fluctuations and possible service disruptions. 

  Design for self-efficiency protects us from growing costs and potential external issues. Relying on the local network only as a backup or top-up solution is the smarter choice that makes us independent, with the peace of mind of external support if the unexpected should happen.

_Trees (as well as shrubs, bushes, grasses, vines, and flowers) are the main characters on your garden stage. In the end, it's all about plants, how they look, and what can give us, physically and spiritually. 

  A beautiful and lush garden is often connected to a regenerative and relaxing experience. A productive garden is often a rewarding and educational escape from the hectic modern life. 

  In an ideal environment, plants grow quickly and healthy. They give us produce, flowers, shade and store water and nutrients to keep in balance a strong and resilient garden.

_Life in a garden goes beyond plants. A wide variety of animals populate every level of your healthy garden. A garden without any animals or insects is fragile and it's doomed to fail.

  Birds, crawling and flying insects, worms and lizards, and even small rodents of seasonal native visitors are all part of a complete and long-lasting ecosystem. We should favour their presence, not fight it. Every animal, every insect has its place to fill in this complex, always evolving puzzle. If remove one of the pieces, you will have an incomplete and unbalanced system, that will require constant external input to be kept in check. 

 

  See your garden not like a list of individual items but like a rich and collaborating community, where every member has their place in space and time. No niches will be left vacant: if not planned, nature will fill those gaps. Work alongside it, and it will be a great experience.

A DIFFERENT ANGLE

  Let’s stop for a moment: let’s put aside all the reference images, the wishes we have for our garden or land, all the possible items that can be installed or what your neighbours have done right next door.

​

  Imagine what your land would naturally look like: which kind of trees, shrubs or bushes would grow here. What kind of ground cover would we have: would it be an open meadow, would it be wet layers of organic deposits like leaves and branches, or maybe would it be just sand and a few stones? If we are lucky, your look would still look like that. In most cases, the developer or previous owners cleared the land to leave just grass.

​

  That image you had in mind of the natural landscape covering your land, that it’s probably how your land would look again in 100 years if we just leave it to itself. That is the direction the natural forces are pushing towards, trying to reinstate a natural and resilient balance in a depleted system.

​

  Would you spend your lifetime working against these forces that had ruled over our lands forever, or you rather try to understand them, stir them, use them to your advantage and fit right in with your own version of the natural landscape? We can spend our life fighting a never-ending battle for the garden or, just go with the flow, stir and push only when necessary, to enjoy what the land can naturally offer.

  I hope you can now see things and places from a different angle and understand that there are more valuable and interesting alternatives to the standard “lawn + edge”.

​

Observe, understand, choose, act!

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