Discussion 6: Pattern Language; Case Study 2Courtney Johnson

Pattern 1: Contour Planting

Planting along contour lines is a very important pattern within the permaculture design in California. Within the Neighborhood Center site, things are planted on contour along with little ditches that run along contour lines as well. This is beneficial to the design because it allows the plants to get nutrients such as water at all the same level as each other, preventing one from flourishing more than another or having certain beds fail and certain ones prosper. The little ditches dug along the contour lines are just as important as well because they catch the runoff water, and then allows the water to seep into the soil as to not waste any resources that would otherwise be lost if the ditches were not there.

Pattern 2: Roof Catchment

The roof catchment system is pivotal in the California permaculture design. First of all, water is scarce in CA due to the drought, so catching it in any way is beneficial because it allows for reuse and for it to be used only as needed. This ingenious water tank has a built in “filter” where water flows into a tube before any is able to enter the storage tank. This allows the caretakers to use the water as they need it instead of just having it present when it rains. This is also pivotal to the design because it resonates with the principle of having multiple sources of important aspects in case one fails, making it a very important and necessary part of the design.

Pattern 3: Salvaged Materials

Salvaged Materials is also present within this permaculture design. For one, the whole permaculture design itself is a salvaged parking lot that has since been transformed. Things such as the pizza oven within the design are made of all reclaimed material as well, meaning it had been used before and the design was not creating any new waste, only recycling. This is very important to the design because it resonates with Earth Care where waste is minimized and therefore, less pollution. It is important for the design to reuse to have the most efficient set up.

2 Interconnected Patterns: Neighbors and

Strangers and Communal Labor Neighbors and Strangers and Communal Labor are interconnected

patterns within this permaculture design. The permaculture design attracts people who are well known to it and people who come for the first time to learn about permaculture. This design provides for people within the community that are known to the site, but sometimes enough is produced to feed a good majority of the suburban area. It is even called the Neighborhood Center because it encourages everyone to come whether they had been in the past or not. Communal Labor is also present because everyone comes to do their part at the design, different people have different tasks. For example, the community got together to build the pizza oven together out of reclaimed material. There are different communal areas within the design that bring together neighbors and strangers. These are interconnected because if neighbors and strangers were not informed of the design site, it would be very tough to get people to want to help with communal labor at the site. One increases the awareness of the other.

Pattern in my life: Communal Labor

Communal Labor is a part of my every day life in both my school and work environments. In school, I would guess that at least 80% of my classes have involved group projects where everyone must do their part in order for everything as a whole to succeed. At work, I intern and am given tasks daily that will help the full time employees reach their goals, whether they be sales or marketing. For example, sometimes I need to do prospecting for sales persons so they can then use my findings to try to better themselves and in turn the company as a whole. This relates to communal labor because everyone has to do their part in order for stability and success.