Section 3b - Zone Planning

Think about how productive each zone is, what resources they will require and how frequently a zone requires attention.

Keep in mind that we do not put an element in a zone because "that is where it goes" but rather the things that need daily attention create zone 1 and the things we give less attention to can be placed further away without creating extra travel and requiring extra time to maintain. Our patterns of behaviour drive placement.

Let the activity level shape the zone, and let the zones guide you into properly placing the locations for each activity.

Zone 0

The home/centre of action.

Constantly in use, someone is always there.

• Your writing here should list features of the building, any design modifications you have planned, and major changes the design will require, and any special design elements included in or added to the home structure in service of the design, with a brief description where appropriate.

• This should include commentary about how an existing structure could be modified, or how a new structure would be designed to be more beneficial

• While this section could easily turn into an essay of great length in its own right, try to limit the written portion after the list to between 400-500 words.

• Be sure to spend a moment highlighting any connections between design elements within this zone and explaining how the connections benefit the design as a whole.

Describe Zone 0:

Zone 1

The area immediately adjacent to the centre of action.

Visited daily, sometimes more than once.

• Your writing here should list elements, components, structures and systems which will be within this zone.

• Note which of these are "on the edge" and which edge where appropriate, i.e., the chicken coop that straddles the line between zone 1 and zone 2.

• Include a section of written commentary between 400-500 words explaining the vision for this zone within the whole design, and why the included elements are there.

Be sure to spend a moment highlighting any connections between design elements within this zone. Then explain how the connections of zone 1 tie into elements and connections mentioned in the zone 0 description before explaining how these connections benefit the design as a whole.

Describe Zone 1:

Zone 2

The area immediately outside of daily activity.

Visited perhaps only every couple of days.

• Your writing here should list the elements, components, structures and systems which will be within this zone.

• Note which of these are "on the edge" and which edge where appropriate, i.e., an element that straddles the line between zone 2 and zone 3.

• Include a section of written commentary between 400-500 words explaining the vision for this zone within the whole design, and why the included elements are there.

Be sure to spend a moment highlighting any connections between design elements within this zone. Then explain how the connections of zone 2 tie into the elements and connections mentioned in the zone 0 and zone 1 descriptions before explaining how these connections benefit the design as a whole.

Describe Zone 2:

Zone 3

The area further outside of daily activity.

Visited perhaps only every 7-30 days.

• Your writing here should list the elements, components, structures and systems which will be within this zone.

• Note which of these are "on the edge" and which edge where appropriate, i.e., and element that straddles the line between zone 3 and zone 4.

• Include a section of written commentary between 400-500 worlds explaining the vision for this zone within the whole design, and why the included elements are there.

Be sure to spend a moment highlighting any connections between design elements within this zone. Then explain how the connections of zone 3 tie into elements and connections mentioned in the previous zone descriptions before explaining how these connections benefit the design as a whole.

Describe Zone 3:

Zone 4

The area outside of monthly activity.

Visited perhaps a few times a year, but no more than once or twice a month "in season".

• Your writing here should list the elements, components, structures and systems which will be within this zone.

• Note which of these are "on the edge" and which edge where appropriate, i.e., an element that straddles the line between zone 4 and zone 5.

• Include a section of written commentary between 400-500 words explaining the vision for this zone within the whole design, and why the included elements are there.

Be sure to spend a moment highlighting any connections between design elements within this zone. Then explain how the connections of zone 4 tie into elements and connections mentioned in the previous zone descriptions before explaining how these connections benefit the design as a whole.

Describe Zone 4:

Zone 5

The area where we are not actively changing, the wild.

Hopefully visited frequently for inspiration, but not with tools in hand and manipulation in mind.

• Your writing here should list any elements, components, or systems which you expect or hope to be found here in Zone 5.

• Note if any of these are "on the edge" and which edges where appropriate, i.e., an element that exists by a road, in a clearing, or along the water, etc.

• Include a section of written commentary between 400-500 words explaining the vision for this zone within the whole design.

Be sure to spend a moment highlighting any connections between design elements which reach into or benefit from this zone. Then explain how the connections to zone 5 tie back into elements and connections mentioned in the previous zone descriptions before explaining how these connections benefit the design as a whole.

Describe Zone 5:

Zone Map Guidelines

Files should be in JPEG format and ideally less than 4MB in size.

This image should clearly illustrate the different zones of activity for your whole site in proper context. As part of making this map a useful tool, using different (highly visible) colours for the zone overlays is recommended. If the zones themselves were the only colours on the map and all other details were rendered in black that would be preferable to a map that is difficult to read because one zone blends into the background colour or because two zone colours are too similar.

This map is presented best when only the site boundaries, the zone colours, and only certain other "key features" appear on it at all.

Such key features should be limited to:

• The outline of large structures (the home, the barn)

• The boundaries of large ponds

• The route of the main access track

• Other similarly important, permanent, major site features.

While all of these key features will have appeared already on other maps, an exception is being made to include them again for context. They should not be labeled here, and would only be included as a boundary outline on the zone map to provide additional context and support to the context provided by the site boundary. With the boundary and these outlines in place on the map, the rest of the zone map is just areas of different colour labelled clearly. The zone map is definitely an example of "less is more" philosophy and should not include extraneous details carried over from another map.

The compass rose (orientation) and scale (distance) data should also be present on this map, and presented in a way similar to previous maps. As we move from map to map the orientation should be kept consistent so that there is no need to turn and reorient each image to look at them all at the same time.

Remember:

• Clear lines, and clear labels.

• Less is more when it comes to details and extras on this map.

• Different colours, make them easy to tell apart.

Do not include:

• Anything that isn't specifically asked for above.

• Site design details which have a place on another map.

• Anything that makes it harder to read, find, or see, the details required for this map as described above.

Continue to Section 4