RDG Selected Design Services
We are a full service design-build firm committed to helping people create beautiful productive living spaces that contribute to local sustainability and bioregional integrity. Below is a sampling of our most popular residential services, if you don’t see the service you are looking for, email us (info@regenerativedesigngroup.com), we are happy to talk!
Home Site Inspection:
Few people would buy a new home without having the physical structure, its wiring, plumbing, and vital systems examined for soundness by a professional building inspector, however few buyers practice the same due diligence with the land where the home is sited. We are pleased to offer prospective buyers and homeowners this service so that they can have a clear idea of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges presented by the home site they are considering. We will conduct background research and walk the site in order to identify basic opportunities and constraints to future building expansions, on-site green energy production, water recycling, and nutrient retrieval, as well as for gardening, farming, and forestry activities. We will also inspect the site and the surrounding area for any signs of environmental conditions that may threaten the structural integrity of the home or health of its inhabitants. This may include identifying existing or potential drainage issues, soil testing for lead and other contaminants, or identifying point sources of pollution in the area. Finally, we will examine the local zoning ordinances and help the potential buyer understand the changes that may occur in their neighborhood over time. The findings of the home site inspection will be provided in a written report within one week of the site visit if no soil test is preformed, and three weeks if we test the soils.
Ecological Site Consultation:
Can you envision your home and its surroundings as seed of abundant diversity and sustainable practices that will grow to support your family, neighbors, and wildlife while regenerating the life-giving ecology of our planet? We can! Like the homesite inspection, we will walk the site with you and conduct background to construct an understanding of what your sites needs and opportunities are. Building on that understanding, we will spend a few hours visioning & designing a home, garden, or farm as a fully sustainable permaculture system. Consultation includes goals articulation, a site walk, and practical design recommendations. Topics include organic & forest gardening, uncommon fruits & vegetables, solar & wind energy, water catchment & alternative “waste”water treatment, efficient access patterns, community connections, carbon sequestration, and more. We’ll also bring lots of information on further resources for plants and other materials. Following the site visit, we will be provide a written report including site findings (see Home Site Inspection for details), a synopsis of our conversation, and schematic design ideas.
One-day Ecological Site Design:
This is a more in-depth version of the Ecological Site Consultation that will help ground and develop design ideas we come up with during the site visit. Beyond the services described above, this package includes simple base mapping, site analysis and assessment, sustainable site design, and an implementation plan. Like our other services, we will provide you with a detailed report following our site visit, however with the site design package also includes a series of landscape plans you can use to implement the design ideas.
Complete Regenerative Design Process:
While we can get much done in one day, to create a truly regenerative landscape we must conduct careful and thoughtful observation of the landscape, its context, and landuse patterns over time. After working closely with you to articulate your goals and vision for the site, we will endeavor to harmonize your dreams with the nature of your project site. This regenerative design process can be understood as a number of interconnected steps that we will take together:
Base Mapping and Site Research- Site survey, background information, create base map
Goals Articulation- Brainstorming ideas, refining vision, develop design goals and criteria for project
Site Analysis and Assessment- Catalog and evaluate site conditions and potential base on goals
Concept Design- Generate a number of possible designs combining goals with nature of the site.
Detailed Design- Refine and develop preferred design approach including implementation plan
Implementation- Order materials, construct hardscape and built elements, prepare soil, plant vegetation, etc.
Stewardship & Evaluation- Ongoing refinement and critique of design through relationship with the land.
This process can take from one weekend to multiple years depending on the complexity the site, proposed activities, and budget. Based on the process described above, most residential design projects of ¼ to 1 acre can be ready for implementation within 5-8 weeks.
Keith: This is GREAT we site! Beautiful job! i am eager to come visit your haunts over Bakers. New challenge. Phillipe at PV Squared came to measure for photovopltaics again, and wants us to cut down MOST of the trees. Ofcourse we cannot do that, so now its is back to the drawing board on a location. We are thinking of taking down that one tree that is leaning overbteh house, more or less, this winter. It is an oak tree. I hate to see it go, but the thought that it might have a rebirth as a mushroomery is attrractive! Pam
Comment by Pam Kelly — February 17, 2009 @ 1:33 am