What is at the core of a design with ecology in mind?2d Principle
"Ecological accounting informs design."
Sim Van der Ryn, Ecological Design
What is at the core of a design with ecology in mind?
2d Principle
"Ecological accounting informs design."
“becoming better ecological accountants,” Wes Jackson
By "ecological accounting" they mean that by following the material flows and taking into mind the numerical value of embodied energy, what we try to build is a reflection of natural restraints as well as human aspirations. The solar panel, outside of this African home, provides electricity for essential needs because this area is so remote, the cost of connecting wire to the home would be prohibitive for both the company and this consumer.
p. 83
Optimality
Materials balance -- Law of the conservation of matter
Energy flow -- Law of the conservation of energy
space & time is Place (p. 85)
embodied energy
solar cycle
photosynthetic optimal conditions (p. 87)
water transfer
landscape for wildlife & people
What is attractive, durable and skimps on materials?
“Ecological accounting--whether at the level of an industrial process, product, building, community, or nation,-- provides a coherent framework for assessing environmental impacts. It allows us to think more carefully about the connection between ecology and design.
p. 90
Life Cycle Analysis
chair -----------> wood -------------> forest -------------------> watershed ------ H2O
p. 90-91
Quotes McHarg
geology, physiology, hydrology soils, vegetation, scenery, historic beauty
“the adoption of the ecological method”
“by matching the flows on a landscape to its inherent geometry, we allow ecological patterns to work for us. We can use the natural drainage, instead of storm drains, wetlands instead of sewage treatment plants, and indigenous materials rather than imported ones.”
p. 42
“The landscape is the crucible in which living forms have evolved, and since the landscape crackles with fractals, the forms bred there are fractal as well.... in a single dance.” (quotes John Briggs, Fractals)
model that this idea is based on
Science Index | Site Analysis | Population Index | Global Warming Index | Geological Index
