If you are involved in your own community project, however large or small, I would love to offer my services in design, or just give some advice through hourly consultancy to help you make sure everything goes smoothly and continues to do so over the coming years. Please start a design enquiry, and consider filling out my questionnaire.
I offer discounted rates for a limited number of community groups each year, and would be happy to discuss your budget. I try to accommodate as many groups as possible with a donation of my time.
Community is vitally important – as keen permaculture practitioners will know. Below you will find a selection of the community gardens, eco-communities, co-housing schemes, shared gardens, eco-resort projects and public spaces for which I have created designs. These projects are extremely diverse, but one thing they have in common is that they have community at their heart.
- Utah Native Plant Nursery Demonstration Garden
This project from late last year sets out to create a beautiful, welcoming, and inspiring native plant demonstration garden that celebrates the unique character of northern Utah’s native landscapes. The goal is to show how gardens and community spaces in the region can thrive with less water, fewer inputs, and greater ecological sensitivity while stillContinue reading “Utah Native Plant Nursery Demonstration Garden” - Southwestern Australia Agroforestry Design
The design above is my initial concept plan for a property in the Margaret River Region of Southwestern Australia. The Margaret River region in South-West Western Australia has a mild, maritime-moderated Mediterranean climate, defined by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Summer temperatures are warm but rarely extreme due to constant ocean influence, whileContinue reading “Southwestern Australia Agroforestry Design” - Arctic Retreat: a Concept Plan for Year-Round Beauty & Privacy
This is a design I created in the summer for a client creating an ‘Arctic Retreat’ just below the Arctic Circle in Arvidsjaur, Sweden. This is a challenging environment, though it can be a very beautiful one, in both summer and winter. Located just below the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden, Arvidsjaur sits within theContinue reading “Arctic Retreat: a Concept Plan for Year-Round Beauty & Privacy” - Utah Eco Resort Design
Another design to show you from my work in summer 2025 is this design for an eco-friendly, sustainable and low-impact resort. This is a planned resort for a semi-arid location in Utah, well-placed for guests looking to experience what this state’s amazing National and state parks have to offer. Utah’s varied landscapes are fascinating forContinue reading “Utah Eco Resort Design” - Community Orchard Permaculture Design
A local community group in England approached me to create a plan for a community orchard that they wished to create on a brownfield and scrub site adjacent to their existing car park and community building. Community Hub and Community Orchard Design The creation of the concept plan involved collaboration with several local societies andContinue reading “Community Orchard Permaculture Design” - Shared Garden Design: Landscape Design for Sustainable Shared Spaces
Shared gardens can often be challenging and underutilised spaces. But even when people do not agree on every detail, a space can still serve to meet multiple needs while also being a boon to local wildlife. This design for a client in Glasgow, Scotland, aims to overcome the challenges of this largely shaded shared garden.Continue reading “Shared Garden Design: Landscape Design for Sustainable Shared Spaces” - Cornwall School Farm Permaculture Design
As well as working on designs for private properties, I also work on community projects. This is something that is very important to me, since I am very much aware of the criticisms of permaculture relating to its inaccessibility for many… and seek, where I can, to remove potential barriers. Permaculture offers concepts and designContinue reading “Cornwall School Farm Permaculture Design” - Case Study: Panama Permaculture
This case study shows my design for a client in Panama who is looking to create a care facility for those with Alzheimers and dementia on her property. Holistic Design for Holistic Care Caring for her own mother, my client has discovered the immense benefits of holistic care in a restful and natural environment andContinue reading “Case Study: Panama Permaculture” - Case Study: Caribbean Eco Village
Co-operation and community are key to creating a thriving and healthy future for all. Starting with a single property, with an eco-home and organic, sustainable permaculture garden, a project can grow to incorporate a number of independent homes and gardens sharing resources and working together to combine modern sustainability practices and traditional village life. TheContinue reading “Case Study: Caribbean Eco Village” - Case Study: Victoria, Australia Childcare Centre Garden
The concept plan above shows the design for a site in Victoria, Australia. The site is a childcare facility, for children aged between 18 months and 6 years, and sometimes older children up to the age of 10 after school and during holidays. This design therefore takes into account their needs and requirements for theirContinue reading “Case Study: Victoria, Australia Childcare Centre Garden” - Case Study: Co-Housing Permaculture Design
I’ve had a very busy few weeks, but wanted to update you on another case study showing a design I completed some time ago. I have been rather slow to update of late so I have several recent designs to share, and I will be sure to do so over the next week or two.Continue reading “Case Study: Co-Housing Permaculture Design” - Case Study: Intentional Community
This concept design is for a planned intentional permaculture community set in farmland and woodland in Idaho, covering around 10 acres at the heart of a site of around 25 acres. The idea behind the design is to create a community of around 25-50 people living in a sustainable way and collaborating to grow foodContinue reading “Case Study: Intentional Community” - Case Study: Public Park
This case study shows my design for a new public park in England. The site is currently a large grassy area, used in part as a play area for local school children from an adjacent school to the north but otherwise little used. The goal is to turn this area into an asset for theContinue reading “Case Study: Public Park” - Case Study: Cambodian Project
This month has been a little different to many for me because rather than working on a number of smaller designs, I have predominantly been working on the next stage of the large project in Cambodia which I shared before. Above, you can see a portion of the planting plans for the North Valley areasContinue reading “Case Study: Cambodian Project” - Case Study: Community Potager
Not many of us, I think, would be generous enough to give over our own private gardens to community growing. But that is exactly what the client for the design shown above wishes to do. While they wish to grow food for themselves, they also want to create a space to grow as much foodContinue reading “Case Study: Community Potager” - Case Study: Cambodia Permaculture Project
I’ve had a very busy week, so have not had time to write any other posts this week. But I did want to share with you an exciting and large-scale project which I have been working on, and will be working a lot more on next month. Eco- Resort, Restoration, Reclamation – A Sustainable FutureContinue reading “Case Study: Cambodia Permaculture Project” - Case Study: Senegal
This is a design for a small property in Nguerigne, Senegal. This is a property of around 2,400 sq m, currently almost entirely bare and exposed except for one baobab tree. It is level, sandy and dry. This region is close to the intersection between the Sahel, and the West Sudanian savannah – in anContinue reading “Case Study: Senegal” - Case Study – Slope Retention & Landslip Repair
This is a case study which involved the repair of a roadside slope on the edge of a property in Taiwan. On the edge of an existing fruit plantation where an agroforestry approach is newly being taken, there is this slope of 15-17% (approximately 25 x 90m) leading down to a local road. In thisContinue reading “Case Study – Slope Retention & Landslip Repair” - Case Study: Chateau Permaculture
This is a concept design for a chateau in France, which is currently in the process of renovation. The new owners are saving the partially derelict buildings, and will be utilising the land for weddings and events, a glamping site, and a sustainable food production and restaurant business, and wanted some help to visualise theContinue reading “Case Study: Chateau Permaculture” - Case Study: Shared Tenement Garden
Shared gardens can often be boring and largely featureless spaces, which, in attempting to please everyone, actually please no-one. These spaces have to do a lot. But careful collaboration between all stakeholders or garden users can create truly abundant, productive and beautiful spaces. This is my design for a garden in Scotland shared by fourContinue reading “Case Study: Shared Tenement Garden” - Case Study: Community Garden
This case study (from last month) is a concept for an existing community garden in north eastern Scotland, which wishes to improve the smaller existing space and expand into an adjacent site. The area shown to the west of the site, with the annual beds, currently has a number of raised beds. This design maximisesContinue reading “Case Study: Community Garden” - Case Study: Senegal Permaculture Concept Plan
This is a concept plan for the early stages of a community project for an NGO in Senegal. The design work is ongoing, but this is an initial concept for the design, which some may find interesting. The primary goal of the project is to create a thriving community space where food can be producedContinue reading “Case Study: Senegal Permaculture Concept Plan” - Case Study: Car Park to Urban Garden
The above is my simple concept sketch for a car park to community garden transformation. This small site is adjacent to a larger food producing community garden, and was the car park for a former hairdressers (now disused). After some prolonged negotiations, the community in this English city neighbourhood have confirmed agreement to break upContinue reading “Case Study: Car Park to Urban Garden” - Case Study: Walled Garden Forest Garden Design
This is a small portion of my design for the larger Mediterranean site, for which I earlier shared the overall concept plan. This is the concept for the renovation of the existing (but dilapidated) walled garden on the property. (just under 1 acre in size) The goal is to turn the overgrown and neglected spaceContinue reading “Case Study: Walled Garden Forest Garden Design” - Case Study: Mediterranean Agroforestry Community
This is the initial concept plan for an exciting 22 acre property in southern France, in a Mediterranean climate zone. There is an existing farmhouse, with a gite, ruined barn and existing walled kitchen garden which is overgrown and disused. Behind the farmhouse are several fields of grape vines which are also in need ofContinue reading “Case Study: Mediterranean Agroforestry Community” - Case Study: Front Yard Farm
This group of seven front yards in Illinois will soon become a front yard farm, growing a range of produce for the seven households (of 15 people). Seven front yard ‘fields’ will be tended by the farmer, living at lot 3 on the above plan. And his garage will become a hub for the farm’sContinue reading “Case Study: Front Yard Farm” - Case Study: Community Hub
This is a design for a brownfield site in an inner city area in the UK (USDA Zone 8). To the north and east are apartment buildings and there is an existing car park to the north east. To the west and south are busy roads, major conduits through a busy residential area. The areaContinue reading “Case Study: Community Hub” - Case Study: Glamping Site
This permaculture design details planting and layout for a glamping site in Angus, Scotland. The site slopes gently down from the road towards a burn on the south east boundary of the site. Four camping cabins are planned, which will overlook the burn and neighbouring farm fields. As you can see from the plan above,Continue reading “Case Study: Glamping Site” - Case Study: Woodland Craft Community
In this permaculture design, you can see the overall plan for a planned community in the UK. The goal is for a group of three households to come together to create a community based around woodland restoration, wood craft and the use and sale of non-timber forest products. Part of the site is already denselyContinue reading “Case Study: Woodland Craft Community” - Case Study: The NOWschool Permaculture Plan
This is a permaculture design for the NOWschool – a green and sustainable school planned in Utrecht, Netherlands. This is a project of sustainable businesswoman Juliette Schraauwers, who approached me to create a design for the school. This is a concept inspired by the Green School movement, which advocates an overhaul of our educational systems.Continue reading “Case Study: The NOWschool Permaculture Plan” - Case Study: Looking at Greening the Desert in Somalia
The project is still to determine the exact land area that will be used for the ecosystem restoration camp. But this is a piece of land that is under consideration. This is some preliminary work I have done. The ins and outs of the design obviously require a lot more work. But I thought someContinue reading “Case Study: Looking at Greening the Desert in Somalia” - Case Study: Ecosystem Restoration Camp Concept
This is some recent ‘pro-bono’ concept work I have done for an ecosystem restoration camp planned in Somalia. The goal of these images is to provide a rough depiction of how the camp would be established and the area around it slowly re-vegetated and improved over time. This is conceptual work rather than work specificContinue reading “Case Study: Ecosystem Restoration Camp Concept” - Case Study: Kin Domain Community
Following on from last week’s case study, here is some more detail from my design for a series on kin domains or family homesteads in Jamaica. The goal for each individual kin domain is to provide for the basic needs of a family over the generations, while avoiding harm to the wider world. However, whileContinue reading “Case Study: Kin Domain Community” - Case Study: Sustainable Community of Kin Domains, Jamaica
The image above is part of a permaculture plan for a retreat of around 20 acres, and a further 30 acres divided into 15 two acre kin domains or family homesteads. A sustainable project in Hanover county in Jamaica. Designed to protect, restore and nourish people and planet on this 58 acre site. The siteContinue reading “Case Study: Sustainable Community of Kin Domains, Jamaica” - Case Study: Kenya Restaurant Roof Area
This case study is an example of a system created for a restauranteur. As usual, I won’t provide all the information given to the client, but the above illustrates the general scheme for the design. In this instance, I was approached by a restaurant owner in Mombasa Kenya who was interested in turning a disusedContinue reading “Case Study: Kenya Restaurant Roof Area” - Case Study: Community Resilience
For today’s case study, we’re returning to the New York permaculture design that we have already explored in previous weeks. But I wanted to zone in now on the community barn and surrounding lot. This area allows us to explore what a community needs for resilience. The multi-function space that the community barn will provideContinue reading “Case Study: Community Resilience” - Case Study: Large Aquaponics Greenhouse
In the plans shown, you can see that a path leads visitors from a welcome area with information boards, on a pathway between the trees, that leads to a central area with a coconut palm, bananas and bench seating. If visitors turn right, they can enter the cafe area, where they can eat and drinkContinue reading “Case Study: Large Aquaponics Greenhouse” - Case Study: Permaculture Community
The above image is another portion of the permaculture design I was working on in New York State. This portion of the plan shows the scheme to create six multi-generational eco-friendly and sustainable homes. Each one has garden utility and functionality which enables a greener way of life. A community barn and farm stalls (to theContinue reading “Case Study: Permaculture Community” - Case Study: Conceptual Permaculture Design
Permaculture design usually begins with observation of a particular site. Occasionally, however, it can begin with conceptual design. The image above shows a plan developed for a client who wanted a concept plan for a permaculture retreat somewhere in northern Italy. Unusually, the client has not yet found land for the project. But wanted conceptualContinue reading “Case Study: Conceptual Permaculture Design” - Case Study: Desert Ecosystem RestorationThis case study is a project I am currently working on in Somalia. This site is located just south west of Garowe, in Puntland, north-eastern Somalia. The region has a hot desert climate, with hot to very hot temperatures (average highs of 29-41 degrees) year round and an annual average precipitation of just 133mm. InContinue reading “Case Study: Desert Ecosystem Restoration”
- Case Study: New York State
I am currently working on a large design for a 52 acre site in New York State. The goals for this design very much adhere to each of the central ethics of permaculture. The broad goal was to maximise the capacity of the land in question to sustain wildlife and people, while minimising negative impactContinue reading “Case Study: New York State” - Case Study: Sensory Garden For a Community Garden in Wales
This week, I want to highlight an element of a garden design that could be beneficial for those who are looking for a little calm and tranquillity in our current, often chaotic and worrying times. Above, you can see a sensory garden. This large raised bed garden was part of a community garden design inContinue reading “Case Study: Sensory Garden For a Community Garden in Wales”
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