Site Evaluation of a piece of land in Asheville, NC for the practicum of the Permaculture Designer’s Certification with Chuck Marsh.
August, 2007
Introduction
I began this project just over a year ago and have spent two months of that time living on the site and observing the seasons and the life unfolding between the humans and the rest of nature. These two months were spread over the year so I was able to gain some larger perspectives by observing the change of seasons.
The quarter acre piece of land is gently sloping to the west down to a small creek. It appears the land has been terraced into three levels. Along the top terrace is cut a dirt road that deadends at the owners house NW of the land. The road also heads out from the land in a eastern direction to the main roads. On the second terrace a house is built from the remains of a burned down motel near by. It has a basement that utilizes the terracing. The lower terrace contains a yome and playground and has a small decline. In recent years the owners’ mother lived here through her life and it was rented three years ago to Mary. In this last year she has moved her bedroom to the yome and rents the house to two people.
One of the largest realizations I had in this project came to me as I worked through the steps of a site evaluation. I realized how much healthier this sort of work is from a team approach. I had to face some of my ignorances and weaknesses that such a broad undertaking encounters. This is good in the setting of this class so I can learn and notice areas for improvement. But when this kind of work is motivated by a group who intend to implement it, the combined synergies of the right number of people seems unparalleled.
Another realization has become a lesson for the year in other dimensions of my life. It has to do with learning not to push the river. In this case I went about selecting this location not on the call of some group to have a plan to implement but due to other factors relating to it being a school project. As a result, even though the owners and renters are open people interested in permaculture, they have not asked for this work to be done. So there is not much energy around to help make the ideas I am presenting below come into reality. None-the-less, this project has served to teach me some skills in PC design as well as deeper lessons around paying attention to the parameters that make up the reality of where one is.
I’ve drawn out a base map with the house to scale and many of the significant features of the land are roughly sketched in. I have also created overlay maps for the zones, sectors, water flow, and also two levels of change that could be accomplished over the next season and next five seasons respectively.
Level One
I feel this level could be completed this autumn if the needed funds were generated. The five projects that make up this level are: catching roof water, straight piping the sinks and bathtub, continuing to increase the garden areas, identifying sacred sites around the land and installing an outdoor bathing area.
Level Two
Over the next 5 seasons this level could be completed in three areas. First of all a composting toilet could be added to the bathing area. A roofed plant propagation area and potting area could be installed. And lastly, initial efforts could be made to begin the outdoor kitchen.
Looking to the future (level three):
Who’s to say what the future of this land will be? The meadow down by the creek provides a lot of opportunities as well as the empty lot to the south. The outdoor kitchen area could be finished. The base map shows two locations for potential ponds. In the creek meadow area a greenhouse complex could be built with a gardener’s quarters including bathroom. In this area could also be added a hot tub.
Conclusion
I am open to presenting my findings and visions to the owners and renters of the land. If from this circle there were commitments to raise funds and implement the levels, great changes could come in the next year. I feel level one could be implemented this autumn easily and would add to the quality of life significantly.
I was thankful for the open-ended aspect of this project. It allowed me to absorb the project at a more cellular level over the seasons of the year. By the time I finished this project my mind was definitely playing a secondary roll to my intuition and spirit.
In the future I look forward to participating in projects of this nature with a group of healthy, dynamic teammates. I am certain that the lessons I have learned in this course of study will be valuable during my master’s work at Schumacher College over the next year.
FC
Addendum: On August 8, 2007 Chuck came to the site, reviewed the plan and walked around the land. He approved the project and offered many interesting insights of which I have listed some below.
1) One of his most surprising and innovative suggestions was that a 6+foot wall be built along the east side of the land along the road. It would be overlapping but slatted to allow airflow and off the ground a bit. At the base of the fence a garden can be planted and the fence can be a trellis for grapes and kiwis. What this effectively does is create series of rooms between the house and fence that double the size of the living space. These new beds and the beds on the slope can be watered from the road run off.
2) The south parking area can be doubled in size very easily.
3) Along the west border the present hedge could be replaced with blueberries. In the north west section an orchard can be planned to make a gentle border between the houses.
4) Chuck felt the large white oak would most like a thick hardwood mulch out to the dripline.
5) The southwest corner of the house need lift and support.
6) The south border can be slashed back a bit and planted in cucurbs and tomatoes.
7) Now the focus of the land is annuals, but the energy could shift to a perennial one which would be more beneficial over time.
8) …and many other insights I did not write down. I recommend that Chuck be asked back again as a consultant to contribute vision and experiences.
FC