Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide: Aranya, Patrick Whitefield: 8601404349867: Amazon.com: Books-
Are you excited about permaculture but unclear how to put it into practice for yourself? In this unique, full colour guide, experienced permaculture teacher Aranya leads you through the design process from beginning to end, using clear explanations, flowcharts and diagrams. It is based on course worksheets which have been designed, refined and tested on students over time. Linking theory to practice, he places the ethics, principles, philosophies, tools and techniques directly into the context of the process itself. While written for anyone with a basic grasp of permaculture, this book also has plenty to offer the more experienced designer.
This guide covers: Systems and patterns ~ Working as part of a design team ~ Land and non-land based design ~ Design frameworks ~ Site surveying and map making ~ Interviewing clients ~ Working with large client groups ~ Identifying functions ~ Choosing systems and elements ~ Placement and integration ~ Creating a design proposal ~ Project management ~ Presenting your ideas to clients ~ and much more.
A great reference for anyone who has done, or is thinking of doing, any kind of permaculture course.
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Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide Paperback – September 3, 2012
by Aranya (Author), Patrick Whitefield (Foreword)
4.1 out of 5 stars 48 customer reviews
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Permaculture Design offers the reader a full look at the design process from team formation and management to client interview to data gathering to analysis. It goes on to give guidance for presenting proposals, managing implementation (including time management), and evaluating results. Filling an important and largely empty niche, it deserves to be in the hands (or in the back pocket or handbag) of every serious designer. The book is a major addition to the permaculture literature by a deeply insightful and generous author. Highly recommended."--Peter Bane, author of The Permaculture Handbook
"Teaching/learning how to do permaculture design work takes a lifetime and, as we usually only have people for 2 weeks (and there is plenty else to do) that's a big challenge. Generally we can only provide a broad-brush overview of a design process and then a sketchy (but useful) go-though to ground the information. That's usually much more than a person knew about before they came and yet there are a million questions that the novice so rightly needs to ask. Here, in this packed volume, there is a wealth of techniques and strategies for the newbie and the not so newbie alike. I am enjoying the read and I am recommending this book to all my students at Gaia University. Thanks for gathering all this together Aranya and thanks for explaining it all in your clear, informal and yet complete style."--Andy Langford, permaculture teacher and founder of Gaia University
"For most people, taking the permaculture design course is a major life event. It opens the door on a new way of looking at the world, a new way of being in the world. It affects you on so many levels that, however well you took notes, inevitably some of what you learnt passes you by. That's why Aranya wrote this book: so that people could go away from the design courses he teaches and have a reference to the design methods he'd taught them. In effect it's a toolbox of permaculture design methods. Some people keep their tools in a higgldy-piggledy pile, chipped, blunt and uncared for. Others keep them in perfect order in a neat box, each one in its place, oiled, sharpened and ready to go. Aranya is one of the latter and this book reflects the keen clarity of his mind. Open its pages and you can put your finger right on the design tool you need, from triangulation to the enticingly-named desire lines. It's all there, described and illustrated, clearly and comprehensively."--Patrick Whitefield, author of The Earth Care Manual, and How to Make a Forest Garden
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About the Author
Aranya has been experimenting with what permaculture can do since his design course epiphany in 1996. In the years that followed he designed a collection of gardens, along with a few other non-land based designs, writing them all up to gain his Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design 2003. Since that time he's followed a teaching pathway, that now involves delivering on average ten two-week design courses a year. Along the way he's met many amazing people that give him hope for the future and who in no small way have influenced the content of this guide. Aranya is also a long-term barefooter, certain that this helps him be more aware of nature, stay grounded and walk lightly on the Earth. He is the author of Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide.
Product details
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Permanent Publications; Reprint edition (September 3, 2012)
Language: English
48 customer reviews
4.1 out of 5 stars
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Top Reviews
CelVel
1.0 out of 5 starsNOT the "step by step" practical guide that I was looking for.... very disappointedAugust 26, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This is definitely NOT what I thought it would be. The only diagram/layout is the one on the cover. This book is about a lot of esoteric babble that goes off into tangents about balancing your life, and blah blah blah. I just wanted something that showed me where to put which plants to achieve a certain effect. (IE: here's a "step-by-step guide" to making a shade garden.....) yeahhhhh, THIS is not the right book for me. I will be donating it to the local library. :(
32 people found this helpful
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danny
5.0 out of 5 starsStep by Step Indeed!August 14, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Permaculture Design by Aranya fulfills the purpose that the author intended for the book: to be a straightforward guide that you can pick up and read just the section you need or all of it. Each chapter is well-written and uses plain language anyone can grasp. The parts, chapters, sections organization of the book makes it easy to find what you're looking for, and I appreciated the many online resources provided as well.
The book is a bit of a slow read if have already read Permaculture: A Designer's Manual by Bill Mollison, and that would indicate Aranya took sufficient time to explain the basics to someone with no prior knowledge of permaculture. There is redundancy in the book, but again, this book is meant for anyone to be able to read in any order, so yeah, I think the author's objective for the book was accomplished.
I did learn some new things from this book, too, so I find my time and money was well-spent on this book.
4 people found this helpful
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Montims
5.0 out of 5 starsAn excellent guide for the beginnerJuly 2, 2015
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This is an excellent guide for the beginner - permaculture design can be daunting, but this talks you through each step, in a clear and humorous way, with lots of examples.
3 people found this helpful
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Rai R
5.0 out of 5 starsOur friend loved the book and read it in a dayJanuary 25, 2017
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Our friend loved the book and read it in a day! He is excited about how detailed and well laid out the information was put.
One person found this helpful
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jeremeyweeks
5.0 out of 5 starsA nuts and bolts book about permaculture designJanuary 3, 2014
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So many permaculture books don't get specific. This book is all about prepping your design for the customer. It shows techniques, helps you manage your team and gives lots of resources.
This book should cost a lot more.
3 people found this helpful
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Vincent VPK
5.0 out of 5 starsWill Save you over and over again.January 26, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I can not say enough about this handy small paperback (to be carried about) that this generous man put together to provide us with a "map" to the permaculture design process in a logical thoughtful manner.
This book is meant to be used out in the field and crimped up....a working tool and having taken a design course is worth every penny and more. I bought several copies and plan to share them with other...you will too.
It is top quality heavy gloss paper (FCS sustainable certified) with color photos.
Aranya provided an index to other references and even a website of his own that provides larger pictures in the book, along with much more.
One of the best Permaculture books I have (along with Peter Bane's new book, "Garden Farming for Town and Country". Buy both at the same time and also view these two on Youtube for a at home permaculture course.
8 people found this helpful
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Terra Kosako
4.0 out of 5 starsA good book to have on the shelf for referenceAugust 29, 2018
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A good book to have on the shelf for reference ....
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Steve
5.0 out of 5 starsThoroughly enjoying this textMarch 23, 2013
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I have just finished a six week introductory course in permaculture. This text is an excellent follow up to that experience. Aranya has distilled much of what I was exposed to making for a efficient reference tool. This text has served as an excellent resource as I start implementing the concepts I learned in the course.
I highly recommend it for those starting out as I did. My sense is that it would useful to experienced practitioners as well.
