Route comparison
Online vs in-person PDC: which route fits you?
Both routes can support serious learning. The better choice depends on your time, location, learning style, budget, and the kind of accountability that helps you complete meaningful work.
Choose online when flexibility is essential
An online PDC can work well when you need to study around work, family, seasons, or an existing land project. It gives you time to revisit material, observe your own context, and build a final design progressively. The trade-off is that you need a steady rhythm. Flexibility helps only when it is paired with structure.
Mă-Kè's online route is designed around a recommended 16-24 week pathway, tutor feedback, assessments, and a final design presentation. It is not intended to be a loose library of content.
Choose in-person when immersion matters
An in-person PDC creates a concentrated learning environment. You share discussion, observation, practical activities, questions, and design work with other learners. At Vila Pinheiro, the landscape becomes part of the teaching: water movement, soil condition, trees, fire risk, buildings, animals, access, and social systems can be discussed in place.
The trade-off is practical: travel, dates, accommodation, health needs, cost, and time away from daily responsibilities must all work for you.
Decision guide
Best for flexible scheduling, learners with a site to observe over time, and people who prefer paced independent study with feedback.
Best for immersive contact, shared group energy, landscape-based learning, and people who can commit to a 14-day course period.