We live in a time of technologization.

We live in a time when quantity is more important than quality.

We live in a time in which short-livedness dominates.

We live in a time of upheaval.

We live. 

How do we want to live?

Healthy, happy and with few worries?

In view of the ecological, economic and social developments, it seems difficult to me to look carefree into the future. 

We live in a time of challenges.

We live in a time in which climate change is making itself increasingly felt.

We live in a time in which global warming can hardly be stopped.

We live in a time when 38% of the global greenhouse gas comes from the building sector. (cf. UN environment program, 2020, p.11)

We live in a time when we have to create change.

What does this change look like?

It is known to us that the reduction of greenhouse gases is absolutely necessary to slow down the processes of climate change.

It is known to us that the goals for the Paris Agreement cannot be met. 

It is known to us that the world population is constantly growing.

It is known to us that there is a need to build more houses.

We are aware that the general waste volume in Germany, for construction and demolition waste, is 55 percent. This corresponds to 417 million tons. (cf. Mehlin, 2021).

One would think that CO2 emissions would be significantly reduced.

One would think that the trend toward energy-efficient, resource-conserving and sustainable construction is on the rise.

One would think that conventional building materials would be abandoned.

One would think that high-quality and durable construction is taking place.

One would think that quality counts instead of quantity. 

One would think that one learns from past mistakes.

One would think that time-honored building methods would be followed.

What is clear?

It is clear that there must be change.

Change in behavior. 

Change in consciousness.

Change in construction. 

We have to show that things can be better. 

Seek alternative solutions and make them tangible. 

As Albert Schweizer said: „It‘s not the quantity, but the quality of action that counts.“ (cf. Künz, E., Ucar, N., 2020, p.10) 

We have to start and create change!

In the following work ‚Living Nature‘ - Permaculture Village Crete, I deal with the idea of how architecture can make a positive contribution in the future.

Therefore, I have taken on the task of developing a permaculture village on the Greek island of Crete, and to design an example home that combines the basic principles of permaculture with architecture. 

Why a permaculture village as a design area?

„Permaculture is a creative design approach that responds to a world of dwindling energy and resource availability.“-David Holmgren

The three ethical principles of permaculture are Care for the Earth. Care for people. Limit consumption and growth and share surpluses.

In permaculture, nature serves as a source of inspiration, which we neglect in the current world.(cf. Mollison, 1988). 

It is obvious that these are three fundamental building blocks for a sustainable future, both for humanity and for architecture.

Let us not waste time reading about what is obvious and what we already know, rather invest it in learning and applying. 

As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said: „It is not enough to know - one must also apply. It is not enough to want - one must also do. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

My idea is not „only“ to create a place to live, learn and visit. It should also serve as a mediator between nature and people.  

It is the ideal environment to consciously get in touch with the surroundings.

In which it is easier to understand processes, especially natural ones, and to experience them at first hand. Optimal to sharpen the mind for ecological cycles and symbiosis effects and to awaken awareness for a more sensitive approach to nature.

The architecture of the village, should master a targeted reduction of the environmental impact of the buildings and at the same time revive the genius loci of the place. 

In this place, the visitors and inhabitants of the permaculture village to be created are at the same time able to participate in the process of building houses, deepening their awareness of the material and potential of sustainable and bioclimatic architecture. Albert Schweitzer mentioned in 1964 „Man can only preserve and protect what he knows, values and has learned to love!“

The upcoming design will show how to learn from nature. How the rediscovery of local and traditional building methods serves as a revival of historical identity. And how the balancing act between past and present can be mastered. It is important to me to show how sustainable building can work in practice while blending harmoniously into the given landscape.

The task now is to create places where people can gain experience, learn new things and find inspiration.

In the 1970s in Australia, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren developed the original concept of permaculture. 

With the rise of industrial agriculture and the associated destruction of soils, pollution of water and reduction of biodiversity, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren sought alternatives and sustainable approaches to agriculture. After careful research of proven land use practices that focus on conserving and building soil fertility, producing little waste, and increasing biodiversity, they developed a concept (cf. Mollison, 1997).

They developed a concept based on natural ecosystems and thus laid the first building block for the concept of permaculture. 

By combining the terms „permanent“ and „agriculture“, the word „permaculture“ was born. 

The beginning of a positive, ethical agricultural alternative use began with the abandonment of synthetic fertilizers and chemicals. It is focused on natural methods when it comes to the intervention in the ecosystem. (cf. Mollison,1997)

After some time, the idea of sustainable agriculture evolved into the concept of sustainable culture. 

The central idea of permaculture is to get rid of conventional industrial, energy-consuming, environmentally damaging interventions and to replace them with alternative environmentally friendly and resource-saving biological processes.

In permaculture, stable ecosystems and processes are created that allow humans, animals and plants to exist in such a way that living together works indefinitely. Nature is the guiding hand and from it is learned. (cf. Mollison,1997)

Permaculture Ethical Principles

Permaculture is based on a sound value system composed of three ethical principles. 

The following principles are derived from conspicuously successful ways of living in human history. Since the genesis of permaculture originated in Australia, I would cite the example of the indigenous people of Australia, living in harmony and consideration with nature. (cf. Mars, 1996)

The principles mentioned are of equal value and naming them in order carries no relevance. 

Care for the Earth - In permaculture, the earth is seen as the foundation of life and much care and nurturing is needed for this to be maintained. Special emphasis is placed on treating all living things and plants as equals and not giving priority to human benefit. (cf. Mars,1996)

Care for people - People in permaculture play as important a role in the system as the earth. Here it is important to show consideration for all participants and to consider the needs and values of all and treat them with respect. As diverse as nature is, so diverse is humanity.

12 Design Methods

For the successful practice of permaculture, David Holmgren has elaborated twelve thought-provoking methods that should be followed (cf. Holmgren, 2002).

These should help to develop permaculture projects in the best possible way and generate long-term change. 

The guiding principles of permaculture can be applied to a wide variety of fields.

In this work, I combine the guiding principles and basic ethical principles with architecture to create a generation-friendly future. 

On the left side in the figure you can get an idea of how the three main influencing factors interact in the best case. 

I interpret the application of the guiding principles and basic ethical principles with architecture as a successful combination of sustainable and bioclimatic architecture in connection with autochthonous house types. 

We are all familiar with sustainable architecture. 

Since sustainability is a very broad term, I briefly touch on the subject. 

Sustainable architecture is based on three sustainability pillars, which consist of ecology, economy and the social component (cf. Bauforum Stahl). Ecological sustainability deals with the reduction of damage to the ecosystem and is based on the demand for biodiversity, resource-saving construction and the use of renewable raw materials.

Economic sustainability in architecture is understood as long-term and well thought-out planning, which should minimize damage to people and the environment. It is about quality and not quantity.

In the area of social sustainability, the focus is on people. This is about how people are influenced by architecture. This should be done in a positive sense and take into account the needs of individuals. Among other things, factors of building physics, such as sound insulation or shading, must be taken into account. 

The goal of bioclimatic architecture, like sustainable architecture, is to minimize environmental impact. Here, the climate, the environment and the existing ecosystem are taken into account and used to advantage when designing the building (cf. Architekturblatt, 2022).

This means the solar energy is used, temperatures are regulated, through the proper orientation of the building and the choice of building materials. Through proper orientation of the house can be protected from wind and this can be used as an intelligent natural cross ventilation (cf. Biobau Portal).

We are with our design area in Greece. Why not learn directly from one of the oldest and most influential advanced civilizations in history? 

What else do the ancient Greeks have to teach us?

In the mountains of Crete there are ancient villages. These ensembles of buildings still exist today. They are durable, robust constructions, built from local materials.

These buildings fall under the term autochthonous houses.

In ancient Greek, „αυτός“ - self and „χθων“ - earth, so it roughly means „native“ or „indigenous“ (cf. Wanderer, 2012). It is the finding on the ground. 

The autochthonous settlements are an extraordinary example of the optimal use of all available materials and energies. Characterizing an autochthonous house, is the purposeful choice of the building site, the orientation, the short transport distance of materials, the arrangement of rooms and room heights and the optimal use of heat sources.

It is a skillful interplay of various factors, location, utility, construction and materiality from which we can benefit. 

For example, for hot and humid zones, materials have been chosen that can bind and release moisture, such as straw or clay. In dry-hot zones one can find massive stone and clay buildings, which due to their material properties are optimal for storing temperature. (Cf. Michael von Hauff 2018) 

These are frugal and well-thought-out buildings that can provide a rationale for any intervention. 

Now, proceeding as Bill Mollison and David Holmgren have researched and designed their fundamental concepts of permaculture, I see the application of the building concept of autochthonous construction as a fitting approach to how permaculture and architecture can be united.

Both systems share the commonality of having a positive impact on the environment.

The unification of the two systems mentioned seems to me so interesting because they were created by different motivations.

How can autochthonous architecture be adapted in the design context of the permaculture village and reinterpreted in relation to modern architecture?

Permaculture tries to counteract the industrial revolution, the consumer society and the short-livedness of products by focusing on the essential needs and demands.

The brilliant interaction of nature and man in relation to traditional homes is not based on an idealistic background of doing good to nature. It is based on pure pragmatism from which we must learn today.

As the saying goes „You don‘t always have to reinvent the wheel if you want to get things rolling...“.

The following design for the main house of the permaculture village in Crete is based on three conceptual ideas.  

The building should strengthen the community of the village, revive local building traditions and all this against the background of the basic principles of permaculture.

It is important to me to create a meeting place that reflects the value systems of the residents to the outside world. 

I was particularly inspired by the Flower of Life here, because it is a „ symbol of infinity and perfect harmony.“ „It symbolizes the sacred order of all things“ (cf. Bitto, 2019). 

One of the motivations of permaculture is to bring things back into balance. Furthermore, it is focused on achieving harmony in man, harmony between man and nature, and harmony of nature. 

The Flower of Life is made up of circles that symbolize perfect harmony based on the golden ratio. 

The idea of incorporating the harmony and symbol into my building lays the foundation for the heart of the house.

The heart serves as a meeting place, to strengthen the sense of community and as a communication space. 

At the same time, the centerpiece is the interface between public and private areas in the building. 

It is the central point in the design.

All other spaces are structured around the centerpiece and play to it. 

This is additionally supported by the staging of the space. Private and public spaces have a similar and the necessary room height. 

The centerpiece, on the other hand, can impress with a higher room height. 

The circulation in the building is also centered around the centerpiece.

We are on the southernmost island of Greece with one of the highest number of sunny days per year. On average, the sun shines 300 days a year. Summers are hot and dry. Winters are rainy and windy, especially in the mountains, but the winter lasts only a short time (see West Crete).

After a thorough analysis of the existing ecosystem and research of the traditional, Greek, village building methods, as well as autochthonous architecture, I decided to use a traditional cubic design, this is cubic in shape and mostly with a flat roof. The building form has proven itself and in view of the ecological and economic circumstances there is no reason not to continue using this form and to reinterpret it. 

The main house of the permaculture village is placed on an elevation of the site. The terrain slopes down to the south and west. 

The slope of the land is used to advantage in this case, where the building is set 50% into the ground. 

The advantage is that by excavating the building pit, building material is obtained. The result is not construction waste, as is traditionally the case, but building material for walls, floors and facades. 

For rammed earth, the soil needs a clay content of 15-30%. Our soil contains a clay content of 30% and is therefore suitable for the construction of rammed earth walls. (Cf. Weismann, Bryce, 2006) 

The second positive effect of the excavation is the resulting cooling of the house. The temperature exchange between the cool earth and the house walls provides a comfortable indoor climate, especially during hot summer days. 

The orientation of the building results from the findings of the sector analyses.

The property has its longitudinal axis from east to west, which offers a great advantage when it comes to natural lighting. 

In the book „The Basics of Permaculture Design“ by Ross Mars, it is mentioned that the optimal shape of the house on the long side (west-east axis) should be at least twice as long as it is wide, in order to provide a minimum surface for the sun to attack. The same applies to the placement of windows. 30-60% of the window area should ideally be on the sunny side. The idea here is that the south side can have window area because the sun is so high in the south (at noon) that extra shading is not necessary. For this, there should not be many windows in the west and east, because the sun is then lower and the house becomes too hot in the summer.

However, if it does get too hot in the summer, many existing trees, especially on the south side of the building, provide enough shade and avoid direct sunlight. 

On our property there are primarily winds from the north and north-west (cf. West Crete) all year round. Thus, the building is oriented in such a way that occupied areas and outdoor and indoor areas are located in areas protected from the wind. 

In this case, the excavation pit also plays a positive role, as it creates terraced areas protected from the wind.  

At the same time, the orientation and direction of entry of the wind is used as natural ventilation. 

The flat roof and the orientation of the building provide optimal surface for installation of some solar cells. 

Due to the orientation of the slope, rainfall can be collected and led directly to the bathrooms and can be reused as tap water. 

Item descriptionThe facade of the building, as well as its construction, consists of rammed earth, which is produced from the excavation of the building pit. 

Here, as in the holistic concept, it is equally important to save materials and to use materials directly from the site. 

The facade is built on a concrete foundation, which is required by law in Greece. 

This is followed by a separation layer, which is topped up with a layer of rammed earth 10 cm thick and then finished with a natural surface finish. 

I arrange my rammed earth columns and walls on top of this floor structure.

The rammed earth columns and walls also form the facade of my building.

During the production of the rammed earth walls, every 37 cm some gravel stones, from the plot, are rammed in and serve as an erosion brake.

With the time of the advancing erosion the stones will appear more and more and create a constantly changing picture in the facade. After individual stones are washed out, they fall to the ground and return to the source of their being. This is intended to symbolize and illustrate the cycle and interaction of nature and man. 

At the same time, the stone bands in the facade are reminiscent of the dry stone walls that cover the entire island. Thus, I create a revival of the millennia-old building tradition of dry stone walls in my building.

By using the local stones, the façade blends harmoniously with the surrounding nature. 

The facade is interspersed with windows, which, with the exception of the heart of the building, are of standard dimensions and can therefore be recycled from other buildings or by using the concept of „urban/rural mining“. 

All windows are set back 30 cm into the façade to allow for structural solar shading. At the same time, the wooden windows are made of recycled wood from the surrounding area. I use collapsible shutters as exterior solar shades, which will also be made from recyclable wood. 

Rammed clay is the chosen construction material of the design. It convinces with its material properties. Probably one of the best known advantages of the building material is the positive effect on the indoor climate. Clay is hygroscopic and can regulate the humidity in rooms, which in the long term also has a positive effect on the energy consumption of the house (see Schröder, 2013). 

Clay stores temperatures incredibly well, which plays an important role especially in the region of our construction site. To save on insulation materials, I relied on pure rammed earth walls (cf. Minke, 2017).

In the warm to hot summer months, the rammed earth walls keep the heat outside and the building itself stays cool. Additionally, this is supported by the temperature exchange of the earth floor. 

In cold winter months, the heat can be stored in the building and the cold does not penetrate from the outside. 

For this, I took an example from Martin Rauch‘s rammed earth stoves and came up with the idea of placing a rammed earth stove in the heart of my building and using it to heat the main recreation room. (Cf. Grimm, 2019)

The surrounding soil is held back by dry stone retaining walls. The material for these retaining walls can be collected directly on site, as the entire property is littered with stone and rubble, see page (LAGEPLAN PAGE).

Since the adjacent properties are used for agriculture and it is not uncommon for these properties to have various dry stone walls, such as for terracing or property lines, the design integrates into the existing ecosystem in a restrained manner. 

The basis for the building‘s exterior envelope is a load-bearing rammed earth column system combined with non-load-bearing rammed earth walls. 

Key interior partitions are masonry and inserted from adobe. Lightweight partition walls are made of adobe panels. 

All components can be made and installed on site. There are no unnecessary transportation and acquisition costs, at most for the machines to be used. 

If repair work is needed, it can be done directly on site, as the material is immediately available. 

Design-wise, the center of the building stands out from the rest of the structure.

The heart of the main building is an oval-shaped kitchen-living room. Here, instead of the traditional straight formwork, curved formwork is used to create rounded rammed earth walls. 

To further draw attention to the common room, it stands out with a unique room height of 5.60m, making it the tallest room in the entire building.

To further support the special nature of the space, the furniture is also made of clay. 

The amorphous furniture can be perfectly adapted to the needs of the user. Ideally, these are made on site in collaboration with the residents and visitors of the village. 

The roof, as the final component of the design, consists of a traditional wooden beam ceiling. Since no above-average lengths need to be spanned, load-bearing reclaimed roof beams from old roof structures can be used for this purpose.