MICRO MACRO MONDE Camps & Courses

PERMA CULTURE Design Course

The first PERMA CULTURE course at the Micro Macro Monde Center - related to a fictive garden city development project called WORLDBY.

“Permaculture is the conscious use of ecological principles for designing sustainable and productive human habitats” David Holmgren

A Permaculture Design for the Micro Macro Monde Center at Moulin De Planchette, Cormes, France

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Dates: starting at MONDAY June 22nd to Saturday June 27th. 2009

This will be the first PERMA CULTURE course to be held at the Micro Macro Monde Center and we are all very exited and looking very much forward. The course will be over 6 days and includes an MMM-event as well. It will be 6 days packed with new in-puts and lots of nice food, exiting talks and extremely interesting learning. Please sign up as soon as possible we cant really accommodate more than 20 persons.

What will the course be about:

The aim of the course/workshop is to make a master plan for the mill - seeing the mill as a platform in the WORLDBY structure as envisioned by Niels Peter Flint - please see the images elsewhere here on the site or click here.

The WORLDBY TENT VILLAGE.

You will be living in a kind of experimental “temporary tent village” - an experiment in living in a “micro space with a macro impact” - imagine it being on one of the platforms of WORLDBY. The tents have been used in similar projects in India - however never documented. We will document life here in various ways too in order to gain experience on “micro living”.

The Perma Culture aspects:

The course will give a basic introduction to permaculture design principles, using the mill as a case study. This means creating sustainable connections between people and the place.

Niels Peter Flint is the client, and wants to develop the mill as a laboratory for exploring natural sustainable systems as part of the WORLDBY project. He is obviously not going to build a WORLDBY on this plot, but he wants to “perform” or “simulate” what it could be like on a platform in WORLDBY.

The vision for the course is that you will help develop and materialize the first MICRO MACRO MONDE Center – a place where innovative thinking and doing can take place. A kind of experimental lab, retreat and possibly developing into becoming a test-zone for the WORLDBY project. Please read more about what an MMM center and WORLDBY is on www.exdl.com.

Participants will work as a team, using holistic participatory design methods, contributing to an overall master plan that can be developed further by Niels Peter Flint. The course will give participants an opportunity to learn essential social and practical skills for designing sustainable habitats.

The day will have a mixture between theoretical lectures, practical design work, practical work on the place and of course recreation! The practical work will be planting trees, creating gardens, composting, natural building techniques like clay plastering, natural paints etc.

The following themes will be covered:

- Client parameters: functions, social and practical resources – connections to the local community, economic possibilities, financing
- Site analysis: understanding the site, observation skills, climate, aspects, sectors, available resources, natural cycles
- Zones and sectors: using the available natural resources, placement of functions, initial design principles
- Fire/energy cycle: available renewable energy resources, harnessing natural resources, systems and possibilities
- Water cycle: local water sources, local sewage and grey water systems, water conservation
- Earth cycle: Materials: available local building materials, existing buildings and building renovation. Food production: placement and selection, integrating animals.
- Air cycle: Indoor climate, natural ventilation techniques. Health aspects, spiritual and visionary connections

The Micro Macro Monde Party:

Friday june 25th there will be a  party where locals will be invited to see the outcome of the course.

Inspirators:

Frederica Miller, architect and permaculture designer, has her own practice as part of Gaia Architects in Oslo, Norway. She was born in England. Her main experience and focus is with planning from large scale to small scale, participation processes, urban ecology, housing projects and ecological farms. She has written the book “Living Houses” (in Norwegian) and is much used as a consultant, lecturer and permaculture teacher.

Julio Perez, is an architect in Gaia Architects Oslo, Norway. He was born in Chile, and is one of the pioneers in developing sustainable building and gardening techniques in Chile and Latin America. His main experience and focus is permaculture design, instant gardening techniques, urban agriculture, the use of clay as a building material, self build techniques. He has written many articles and pamphlets (in Spanish) and is much used as a consultant, lecturer and teacher in Europe and Latin America.

Niels Peter Flint, is primarily a designer, specialized in sustainable development, however NPF has also worked a lot developing sustainable architectural concepts. He has worked globally as a consultant in architecture and design, but also as a workshop leader, lecturer etc. Please read more at www.exdl.com/nplint.

Practicalities from the host:

In order to keep a low price for the course we will experiment with many exiting things when it comes to eating and drinking, but it will still be a feast everyday and will get new exiting dishes served under the open sky or in the barn (in case of rain) or under the trees or maybe somewhere completely different – all organic produce and mostly vegetarian. And everyone will also be part of helping with the cooking which NPF and Linda Pilkington otherwise are in charge of – and it will NOT be conventional and boring food.

When it comes to sleeping you will have be able to sleep on strawbales in or outside or on air madrases in Indian organic cotton canvas tents (if they arrive in time) or regular tents. No matter what sleeping will be relatively simple but yet very exotic. And so will bathing and toilets – all communal, but wait and see it will be an experience. The setting is beautiful – it’s a bit like being in a giant magical wild garden.
You will need to bring a sleeping bag. In case you need bed linen, towels etc. an extra 5 € a day will be added.

If you don’t want to stay at the MMM Center then you can stay close by at some very nice typical French type of bed & breakfast. In case you want to do this please contact Niels Peter Flint directly for more info. The prices start at approximately 60 € pr. Night for a double room at the local places. Or alternatively have a look at the site from the local Tourist Agency in La Ferte Bernard. here you can also find information about the area in general.

Please bring rubber boots and work clothing a sweater might be a good idea too.

Reg. payment please look here

- and if you want to know more please see the videos below:

- we are all looking very much forward to seeing you at this first PERMA CULTURE course at the MMM center - time has not yet been decided, please let us know if you are interested in this course by sending an e-mail to info@micromacromonde.com.

Frederica Miller

Julio Perez

Niels Peter Flint

IF YOU WANT THE MICRO MACRO MONDE COURSE & CAMPS PROGRAM FOR DOWNLOAD PLEASE CLICK HERE.

and to get to Gaia Oslo homepage click on logo (primarily in norwegian)

© 2008 exdl.