Ecological Desgin

10 t h A N N I V E R S A R Y

E D ITI O N

ecolog ical

de s i g n
S I M VA N D E R RYN STU A R T C O W A N

w i t h a n e w i n t r o d u c t i o n b y t h e a u t h o rs

About Island Press

Island Press is the only nonprofit organization in the United States whose principal purpose is the publication of books on environmental issues and natural resource management. We providesolutions-oriented information to professionals, public officials, business and community leaders, and concerned citizens who are shaping responses to environmental problems. Since 1984, Island Press has been the leading provider of timely and practical books that take a multidisciplinary approach to critical environmental concerns. Our growing list of titles reflects our commitment to bringing thebest of an expanding body of literature to the environmental community throughout North America and the world. Support for Island Press is provided by the Agua Fund, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Kendeda Sustainability Fund of the Tides Foundation, The Forrest & FrancesLattner Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Marisla Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, Oak Foundation, The Overbrook Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Wallace Global Fund, The Winslow Foundation, and other generous donors. The opinionsexpressed in this book are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of these foundations.

Ecological Design
Tenth Anniversary Edition

Ecological Design
Tenth Anniversary Edition
Sim Van der Ryn Stuart Cowan

Washington • Covelo • London

Copyright © 1996 by Island Press Introduction to tenth anniversary edition copyright © 2007 by Island Press All rights reservedunder International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, Suite 300, 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009 ISLAND PRESS is a trademark of the Center for Resource Economics.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ryn, Sim Van der. Ecologicaldesign / Sim Van der Ryn and Stuart Cowan. — 10th anniversary ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-59726-140-1 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-59726-140-8 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-1-59726-141-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-59726-141-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Environmental policy. 2. Human ecology. 3. Social ecology. 4. Biodiversity. I. Cowan, Stuart,1965– II. Title. GE170.V36 2007 333.72—dc22 2007001639 Printed on recycled, acid-free paper

Photograph on page 2 is of the Fruehauf House in Corbett, Oregon. Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

Preface Acknowledgments A Ten-Year Retrospective

ix xiii 2

PART ONE: Bringing Design to Life
Sustainability and Design An Introduction to EcologicalDesign Nature’s Geometry 18 32 50

PART TWO: The Ecological Design Process
Introduction: The Compost Privy Story First Principle: Solutions Grow from Place Second Principle: Ecological Accounting Informs Design Third Principle: Design with Nature Fourth Principle: Everyone Is a Designer Fifth Principle: Make Nature Visible Resource Guide for Ecological Design Bibliography Index 68 76 102 124 168184 199 215 229

vii

PREFACE

If we are to create a sustainable world—one in which we are accountable to the needs of all future generations and all living creatures—we must recognize that our present forms of agriculture, architecture, engineering, and technology are deeply flawed. To create a sustainable world, we must transform these practices. We must infuse the design of products,...