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The first thing to clarify when discussing design principles is that there are several versions! Permaculture is a recent design method and several approaches coexist and bring different visions.

The two best-known views of permaculture principles are those of Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, founders of permaculture. It is these that we will quickly expose here. They will be the subject of a more specific analysis in separate files.

Why principles?

The goal of permaculture is to provide a design method for creating sustainable human habitats (to learn more about this topic, you can read our article “What is permaculture?”). To achieve this, it provides a universal toolbox that helps guide our thinking.

Each principle can be thought of as a direction of systems thinking (ie. Which is interested in a complex system as a whole) to explore. Each offers a different perspective, which can be interpreted at several levels of depth and implementation. It is not necessary to always take into account all the principles: for a given project, use them to question yourself about what could be done in order to take them into account.

1. Relative location: take care of locations (plants, buildings, …) and the interactions they generate.
2. Each element must perform several functions
3. Each function must be fulfilled by several elements. These last two principles including the key to resilience.
4. Energy efficiency: properly structure a system into zones and sectors to be more efficient (the famous notion of « zoning » in permaculture).
5. Use of biological resources (ie. From living organisms: animal-drawn plowing tools, auxiliary insects for pests, etc.)
6. Energy cycles: properly analyze the energy cycles of the system to make it as efficient as possible (reuse and storage of water, heat, etc.)
7. Small intensive systems: Small scale systems are easier to manage as a whole.
8. Accelerate succession and evolution: act on the system so that it evolves more quickly towards a state of sustainable climax.
9. Diversity: maximize the number of different elements and especially their interactions.
10. Side effects: the borders (between a forest and a meadow, or between land and sea for example) are the site of the most interesting phenomena.
11. The attitude of the permaculturist:
    • The problem is the solution ;
    • The only limit is that of our imagination;
    • Work with nature and not against it;
    • Every living being gardens: it shapes its habitat and interacts with it to thrive.

1. Observe and interact: By taking the time to get involved with nature, it is possible to design solutions adapted to each situation.
2. Collect and store energy: By developing systems that collect resources during times of plenty, we can profit from them during scarcity.
3. Create a production: We must seek to obtain results that are really useful at each stage of the work undertaken.
4. Apply self-regulation and accept feedback: Deterring harmful activity ensures that systems can continue to function properly.
5. Using and valuing services and renewable resources: By making the best use of the abundance of natural resources, we can reduce our consumption behavior and our dependence on non-renewable resources.
6. Do not produce waste: By using and recovering all available resources, nothing is ever thrown away.
7. Going from the overall structures to the details: By taking a step back, we can observe structures in nature and in society. These structures will form the backbone of our design, which we will fill in with details as we go.
8. Integrate rather than separate: By placing the right elements in the right places, relationships are established between the elements, which can then be mutually reinforcing.
9. Use small-scale solutions with patience: Fostering slow, small-scale systems reduces maintenance effort, makes better use of local resources, and achieves more sustainable results.
10. Use and value diversity: by encouraging diversity, we are less vulnerable to many threats and we take advantage of the unique nature of the place environment.
11. Use interfaces and enhance the edge elements: It is at the interfaces that the most interesting phenomena occur, which are often the most enriching, the most diverse and the most productive in a system.
12. Use and react creatively to change: By observing carefully and intervening at the right time, one can have a beneficial influence on inevitable changes.

You will often find these principles in the form of the 12 icons created by the graphic designer and permaculturist Richard Telford.

If these principles are there to give you avenues to explore and ideas for inspiration, now is your time to take action and apply them! To help you, we’ll cover all of these principles in more detail in articles and dossiers to help you understand how to use each one.