Frameworks for Design: Past, Present & Futures

Mindmapping the SADIM design framework

I've proposed a workshop for the 2012 Permaculture Association (UK) AGM based around recent research I've been undertaking on the origins of the design frameworks used in permaculture. Aranya's recent book Permaculture Design - a Step-by-Step Guide, and Mark Fisher's website provide some excellent information about the frameworks and how they can be used - but there is little information available about where they came from and how they entered into permaculture use. I plan to begin to address this. Below is the workshop proposal I made.


Workshop Synopsis:

Where do the design frameworks we use and promote in permaculture come from? Permaculture is a magpie discipline taking useful material from many places and often forgetting where it took it from along the way – what can we collectively re-member?  What are the histories of SADIMET, OBRDIMET and others – and might knowing those histories inform our use of them now? The workshop will present my recent research on the origins and will encourage input from attendees to fill in the gaps - permaculture elders and old hands are especially welcomed!

Permaculture Design Processes