Archived Design Course

Ecovillage Design Course:  July 27 - 31, 2005

Tuition | Faculty | Registration

Come join us for a transdisciplinary, multidimensional exploration of what may be the most important and pressing issue of our time-- how to design and implement truly sustainable human habitat. The full-featured "ecovillage" - whether urban, suburban, or rural - holds the most promising vision for a sustainable future.

Bodhi Creek Farm is nestled within the luxurious, verdant Cascadian foothills. The owners there are laying plans for developing a real "ecovillage" - in this case, a Sustainability Education and Retreat Center, complete with attached co-housing units.

At the Design Course, we'll set up a Design Studio right there on site, and, working in design teams, go through the holistic integrated ecovillage design process - producing useful and constructive design proposals for our 'clients' while enjoying a fun and valuable educational experience by all. This is applied, experiential, action learning at its best!

Subjects covered include but are not limited to:

  • Permaculture Fundamentals
  • Ekistics
  • Methodologies of Ecological Design and Whole Systems Design
  • Patterns in Nature
  • "A Pattern Language," and "Design with Nature,"
  • Feng Shui and Sacred Geometry
  • Living Systems Theory
  • EMergy and Energetics
  • Community and Environmental Economics
  • Appropriate Technology
  • Self-reliant Food Systems
  • The Global Ecovillage Network
  • Peak Oil and a Post-carbon Future, etc.

Course Tuition

$200 3-day weekend Design Studio, July 29-31, 2005
$300 Design Studio + Optional 2 additional days preparatory class time, July 27-28, 2005 = 5 days total!
20% discount if paid in full by July 1, 2005.

This fee covers camping, three wholesome meals a day, all related course materials, and the opportunity to participate in an immersion experience in leading edge design work on an actual project-in-process. Course participants will be limited to 20, so contact VDI today to reserve a spot, or for further inquiry: (360) 927-2224 or .

(Note: Prior Permaculture Design experience preferred)

Faculty

Chris Mare: Founder and Executive Director of VDI; created the world's first B.A. degree in Village Design; M.A. Whole systems Design; Ph.D. Human and Organization Development (current student); Curriculum Coordinator for Global Ecovillage Network

Barbara Widhalm: Founder and President Rebundance Consulting; M.A. in Planning, U. of Vienna; Ph.D. Transformative Learning & Change at CIIS (current student); member U.S. Coalition of Education for Sustainable Development; adjunct faculty U. of New Mexico

Phil Hawes: Project Director for the Global Ecovillage Development Corporation; Ph.D. San Francisco Institute of Architecture, where he is associate faculty; chief architect Biosphere II; Fellow at Taliesin West; design work and consulting internationally

Tyrone LaFay: B.S. Environmental Studies at Huxley College; proprietor Earthcare Design Solutions, Inc.; graduate of Planet Organic's Permaculture immersion in New Zealand; currently Program Coordinator at O.U.R. Ecovillage on Vancouver Island, B.C.

Special Guests: Alan Seid, Tricia King, Kelly Keane, Nala Walla, Guy Burneko

Registration

To register, please fill out the Registration Form and submit it with payment (check or money order) to:

Village Design Institute
PO Box 2233
Bellingham, WA 98225

You will increase enormously your capacity to live sustainably.

...if it ain't fun it ain't sustainable - plan on having fun!!!
 

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