Guide 1 of 12
What Is Permaculture Design?
Meet permaculture as an ethical design discipline for observing relationships, working with whole systems and making context-aware decisions.
Read What Is Permaculture Design? →A guided place to begin
Cornerstone Series
The Cornerstone Series moves from permaculture as an ethical design discipline through observation, analysis, frameworks, living systems and action learning. Each guide stands alone, while the complete sequence offers a coherent route through the Academy’s approach.
12 published guides
Guide 2 of 12
Permaculture Ethics in Practice
Apply Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share to decisions, trade-offs, limits and responsibilities.
Read Permaculture Ethics in Practice →Guide 3 of 12
SADIMET: A Practical Permaculture Design Process
Move iteratively through Survey, Analyse, Design, Implement, Maintain, Evaluate and Tweak.
Read SADIMET: A Practical Permaculture Design Process →Guide 4 of 12
Choosing a Permaculture Design Framework
Select, adapt or construct a framework without surrendering ethics, evidence or review.
Read Choosing a Permaculture Design Framework →Guide 5 of 12
Reading a Site Before Designing It
Use site observation, sector analysis, Zones 0 to 5, PASTE and DAFOR before intervening.
Read Reading a Site Before Designing It →Guide 6 of 12
From Vision to Action with SMARTER Goals
Turn purpose into commitments that remain open to evidence, evaluation and review.
Read From Vision to Action with SMARTER Goals →Guide 7 of 12
Principles, Patterns and Systems Thinking
Use principles as questions and understand how relationships produce consequences.
Read Principles, Patterns and Systems Thinking →Guide 8 of 12
Needs and Yields Analysis
Connect elements, expose hidden demands and test whether useful outputs can meet real needs.
Read Needs and Yields Analysis →Guide 9 of 12
The Design Web
Explore Looby Macnamara’s connected, non-linear framework for reflection, integration and action.
Read The Design Web →Guide 10 of 12
From Survey to Design at Vila Pinheiro
Trace survey evidence, sectors, zones and constraints into a phased design without confusing proposals with results.
Read From Survey to Design at Vila Pinheiro →Guide 11 of 12
Designing for Mediterranean Water, Drought and Wildfire
Connect seasonal water, soils, access, fuel management and life safety in one maintained design.
Read Designing for Mediterranean Water, Drought and Wildfire →Guide 12 of 12
Designing an Action Learning Pathway
Turn live questions, evidence, reflection and integration into the next responsible step.
Read Designing an Action Learning Pathway →Vila Pinheiro
From the field
Permaculture design becomes useful when ideas meet a real place. These resources follow observations, design choices, trials and continuing work at Vila Pinheiro, the Academy’s living classroom in Central Portugal.
They show what was noticed, what was tried, what changed and what remains uncertain—evidence and questions for your own thinking, not universal instructions detached from climate, people or place.