COVID-19 Community Resilience & Permaculture Course

Session 16:
Permaculture Design Methodology: Sector Analysis

Within the entire permaculture framework, the design of land, ecosystems, communities, and societies is the core within permaculture design. In Session 15, we introduced “Zoning” and in today’s session, we will show you the benefits of Sector Analysis as a second tool to get your design tailor-made to your framework conditions. After finishing this first session you will:

• Know how to analyze the sectors going through your land

• Be able to find the right placement for elements in your design

• Learn how to maximize the use of external energies and mitigate risks

Video: Session 16 Sector Analysis

Internal vs. external energies

To find out the energy-conserving placement patterns for your site, permaculture uses two main tools: the zone and sector analysis. While zoning is focusing on the internal energies on the land, sector analysis identifies the external energies that are entering or flowing through your land.

Think about all energies that are affecting your site and that you are not able to change and that comes from outside your system: prevailing winds, rain, sun angles, light, water flow/flood prone areas, wildlife, people, fire danger areas, unwanted and pleasant views, and temperature.

The sector analysis helps you to outline the directions of these external energies; some are welcomed and needed, like sunlight for plant growth or a solar panel, some you wanna keep away from your site, like an unpleasant view of a road. Sector analysis gives you the opportunity to channel external energies for special uses, to create shields, deflectors, or collectors. By placing several elements like plants, trees or structures in the right area we can block or channel incoming energies, or open up an area to allow the incoming energy coming in.

Nevertheless, the placement of an element should always be based on both zone and sector analysis.

Maximize use, mitigate risks

If you use both tools, zone and sector analysis together in an appropriate way, it is a great way to guide you to the right placement of elements so that they maximize use, or mitigate the risks of that sector. To identify the external energy sources that are going through your land, observation is the best method. But, there also are a lot of helpful tools out there that can help you to analyze the sun angle (for example suncalc.net), rainfall, or wind (check out the windstatistics in your area). Nevertheless, it is always helpful to look at climate data for your area and use the maximum values to be prepared for extreme situations.

Design for extremes

Why designing for extremes? Actually, a disaster happens when a system is not able to handle extremes. Think about potential floods or droughts that can occur and cause damage to yourself, your family, your land, your business. Therefore, a designed land, a built environment, your lifestyle, livelihood or organisation that can deal with extremes as well as everyday conditions is essential for resilience. This is why careful observation and sector analysis is so important for a successful project.

Have a look at this sector analysis that was made for a family roundhouse in Gaia Ashram.

Sector Analysis an Example

In this example the settlement or the house is centered as it’s the ground zero, that’s why it is the through point for all energies coming from the outside. Those sectors can carry both destructive and beneficial energies. The rings around the house are a simplified example of the zoning of that area. The sector analysis helps you visualize where to erect shields, deflectors, or collectors.

Let’s get some ideas. As there is foot traffic in the East of zone 4, we might wanna create a shield to block that energy. The edge of zone 3 to zone 4 would be ideal for a hedgerow, or a shield created by pigeon peas or tapioca (low maintenance and infrequent visits). Furthermore, due to the fire-prone area, we wanna make sure to have a fire break between zone 4 and the road in the North, as well as to plant some fire resistant and retardant plants. These could be any high moisture plant, like bananas, or a fire-retardant plant species like aloe vera. Any hardwood tree would also do, as they are less flammable.

As there is a nice view in zone 2, you wanna make sure not to block with trees or any tall-growing plants in zone 1 and 2. Instead of a trellis in your kitchen garden that would very much likely block the nice view, choose some plants, flowers, or herbs that aren’t growing too tall and even add to the nice view.

These are just a few examples of how to place elements after analyzing the sectors going through the land. You can get as creative as possible; but remember that there should be no tree, structure, plant, or whatsoever that is not placed according to the sector analysis and the zoning.

Sector Analysis in short:

Let’s link the sector analysis back to our SADIMET process: As well as Zoning the Sector Analysis is part of the analysis phase. You are gaining more insights for making the optimal decision for your land.

In permaculture, the sector is linked to outside forces (natural and uncontrolled) that flow through your design. By using sector analysis, you can anticipate and design this positive and negative outside energy source into your design. Whereas most of the permaculture design tools are also applicable for social designs the sector analysis is mainly used for landbased designs.

Learning exercise

Find out all the external factors that are going through your site. Make a list first, find out climate data, and add all that information to your base map (make sure to use a transparent overlay). Do you already have elements in mind for your design? Try some placements and align with sectors and zones and please share the results with us!