Today we take a deeper look at Permaculture Design Principle #8 - Integrate, Don't Segregate.

This principle is fundamentally about 'stacking functions' - a common term we hear a lot in perma-speak - but what does that really mean and HOW do you go about doing it?

We'll talk nuts and bolts of creating functionally redundant systems, including:

• Segregation vs. integration, and the energetic costs of going down one path vs. the other in the design of your homestead
• How building functional redundancy into your systems leads to resiliency in the face of disruptive events, and how this can lead YOU to become a more anti-fragile person and thus have a more anti-fragile homestead.
• Why CONNECTION is the secret sauce for 'stacking functions'
• HOW To Do It
  • What Functional Design is - starting with functions first, and working towards the elements from there
  • The importance of element location and orientation to maximize function.
• List all of the main functional categories a la the Permaculture Design Scale of Permanence.

Maximizing function is ALL about designing relationships between things, not so much the things themselves. Become a designer of connections between elements, and you'll become a better human being in all ways.

Show Resources

• The Prime Directive, Ethics And Principles Of Permaculture

____________________________________________________________________________

WHAT I DO:

Design:

On-Site Consultation

Online Site/Project Consultation

Holistic Ecosystem Design

Implementation:

Water Harvesting Earthworks

High-function, Low-Maintenance Access

Living Systems

Spring Development

Courses:

Minimum Holistic Goal

Media:

The Sovereign Homestead Podcast

YouTube

Instagram