The SADIMEA Design Process

Regenerative design is born of place and the beings that inhabit it. Every landscape we get to work with is its own unique blend of climate, topography, plant communities, wildlife and people. In this way, no two designs are ever exactly alike. However, the principles that govern our decision-making and the process by which we make them follows a consistent framework we call SADIMEA.

The SADIMEA acronym comes from the original SADIMET acronym, the last letter changed from T (“tweaking”) to A (“adjustment”). Additional steps and checklists have been added to each step of SADIMEA to further flesh out the various phases of the design process. SADIMEA is at once a robust and flexible process, capable of molding to the specific context and requirements of almost any project.

The SADIMEA Design Spiral

Survey > Analysis > Design > Implementation > Maintenance > Evaluation > Adjustment

Special Note: Gathering and integrating feedback is always and everywhere important throughout this iterative process. Each phase within the SADIMEA process will call for a uniquely appropriate way(s) to gather, digest and integrate feedback as the process unfolds. While there is no universally prescribed way to go about gathering feedback, it is absolutely necessary to devote intentional thought to how feedback can be gathered in-situ, instead of waiting to the very end. The process always informs itself when we make time to listen and reflect.

1. Survey

This phase is all about observation and collecting good data to inform downstream decision making. Collection needs to be intentional and well-organized to ensure the data is useful later on the design process. Below is a bulleted list of the various pieces of information that we look to collect at the outset of a design project.

1.1 Client Vision and Goal Setting

Having a clear idea of what is to be is absolutely critical to creating a functional and successful design. This is the first thing that we work through with all of our Level 2 Whole Site Design clients, as without it we would be flying blind. Most often our clients complete the Minimum Holistic Goal Setting process, as we find that the identification of and agreement on decision-making authority, resources available to the project, community connections, and a clear, powerful Quality Of Life Statement sets the foundation for a successful design process in the most efficient manner. Other excellent visioning processes include the Strategic Planning Framework and the Chaordic Stepping Stones.

• Minimum Holistic Goal Setting Process
  • Co-created by vested decision-makers.
  • Decision making protocols and powers clearly articulated.
  • Development of inspiring, co-owned Quality of Life Statement that will be used to vet future decisions.
  • Clearly articulated Forms of Production: know what you must produce, who you need to work with, and the human community you need to surround yourself in order to realize your Quality of Life Statement.
• Strategic Planning Framework
• The Chaordic Stepping Stones

1.2 Gathering Of Raw Site Data

Some of this can be done on site, some can be pulled from existing databases, and some will require bringing in specialized third parties (soil tests as an example). Gather what is necessary to the project.

• Climate Data 
  • Historical and trending precipitation, cloud cover, solar insolation, wind and temperature data.
• Topographical Information 
  • Obtain high level topos from local government offices, surveyors or wherever available or…
  • Create high-detail orthomosaic and topography map via aerial mapping.
• Soils
  • Hi-level NRCS Web Soil Survey data.
  • Perform percolation tests at key points of interest (POIs).
• PASTE Survey –  A detailed recording of the Plants, Animals, Structures, Tools, Events already present on the land.
  • Plants (+Fungi)
  • Animals (+Insects)
  • Structures – Physical structures on land.
  • Tools – tools available to the project, physical and invisible
  • Events – annual, seasonal, human etc.
• Water Patterning
  • Identify how water is moving through and across the land.
• Access Patterning
  • Recording existing access patterns (physical, temporal, spatial).
• Energy Leaks – in what ways are the “costs of operation” of the landscape higher than they need to be? How can the holes in the bucket be repaired?
  • Measure in terms of soil, water, money, time, labor, nutrients etc.
• Photography & Video – sometimes a picture (or a video) is worth a thousand words. Document the land before implementation begins!
  • Cinematic Overflight Video – GPS flight map finalized and first video recorded
  • Pre-set GPS Photos – shot telemetry finalized, photos recorded
  • We utilize the Litchi app and mission hub for creating replicable video and photo progress overflights. We utilize Google Earth Pro to pre-plan and adjust flight paths.

1.3 Extensive Site Observation

Boots on the ground in as many varied circumstances as possible. Layer several iterations/variants of walking/observing the land

• Pure observation walks (no interpretation or judgement, just observation)
  • “the wind blows up valley during the latter half of the day”
  • “the west valley shows evidence of erosion” etc.
• Sit spotting (if time allows)
  • What can you hear, see, feel, touch, taste, smell and intuit after sitting still in a place for 20 minutes without thinking?
• Element walks + notation
  • I.e. Walk the land from high to low and follow the path water would take
• Geo-tagged photography
  • Identify and document unique and significant site features. We use GPS Kit, Theodolite and SunSeeker apps for this.
• Observation + ideation (“What If” walks, pacing out design ideas etc.)

1.4 Interviews With Relevant And Vested Parties

• Landowners, neighbors, local officials, business partners, employees, family, indigenous people etc.
• Community involvement – crowd-sourcing information and insight relevant to the design from the community that surrounds the project.

1.5 Historical Research

• Property history, chain of ownership, recent history of local industrial impacts.
• History of indigenous peoples, current presence, connecting with them if possible and amenable.
• Historical land use – County data is often available detailing land use over time.
• Historical ecology – What was here? What is it trying to become now?

2. Analysis 

Now begins the sifting, sorting, list making, relationship mapping and number crunching. The goal is to create an elegant mise en plas for a smooth design phase – a place for everything and everything in its place.  Much like a chef would prepare ingredients ahead of actually cooking a meal, here we assemble and organize all of the relevant information into readily accessible formats to make it easily digestible when informing decisions during the Design phase of SADIMEA. The output of the Analysis phase of SADIMEA is the core of 7th Generation Design’s Level 1 – Site Assessment offering.

2.1 Sifting And Sense-Making

This step is about grouping and ordering the various accumulated data into accessible and simple-to-apply formats and storage.

• See 7th Generation Design’s Water Catchment Calculator spreadsheet ecosystem as an example. To use it yourself, simply make a copy and save it to your own Google Drive.

2.2 Element Lists and Relationship Mapping 

• Identify fruitful relationships amongst elements and their required functions for successful realization of design goals.
• Input/Output/Intrinsic Characteristics (IOI): 
  • List inputs, outputs, frequency of interaction and intrinsic characteristics for existing and potential elements.
    • Pay special attention to repetitive inputs of time, human energy, and money intrinsic to any proposed or current element – look for ways to share inputs across multiple elements.

2.3 Base Map Generation

• Orthomosaic generation from aerial imagery – we use Maps Made Easy. See also Drone Deploy, Pix4D, Huvi Air. 
• Begin map layer(s) generation – we currently use QGIS.
  • Maps of existing conditions with respect to…
    • Topography
    • Site Energies (Sector Analysis)
    • Water flow patterns
    • Access
    • Structures
      • Including underground infrastructure – utility lines, septic tanks etc.
    • Fencing
• Printing of Reference Maps (if necessary / relevant at this time).

3. Design 

This is where the many pieces begin to knit together into a cohesive, functional and beautiful whole. Trust the process and put the mise en plas to work in bringing the vision to life! Begin by performing zone and sector analyses, and map them into their own individual layers for reference as the design continues to evolve. Organize elements into discrete layers to enable helpful visualization and accurate number crunching.

3.1 Zone analysis

• Presence patterns based on frequency, time of day/year. 
  • Patterns of human action across the landscape
  • Wildlife corridors – seasonal, diurnal – current and potential.

3.2 Sector analysis

• Identify and illustrate relevant site energies: Winds (Warm and Cold), Fire, Water, Sun, Sound, Visual, Security, Privacy, Wildlife. Map them as a layer for reference throughout the design and implementation process.

3.3 Functional Element Placement

• Use the 7th Generation Design Principle paired with the Minimum Holistic Goal identified created during the Survey phase. Ask the Guiding Questions as they pertain to the Economic, Social and Ecological aspects of each element or system (group of elements).
• Employ the Keyline Scale of Permanence to structure the process.
  • In order of those things humankind is least able to affect to those we are most able to change: Climate > Landform > Water > Access > Trees & Vegetation > Structures > Soil
    1. What does each element cost to put in place in terms of time, money, labor, planning? 
    2. What value will each element add/produce? 
    3. What other elements does a specific element need to be in relation with to function optimally?
    4. What functions does this element perform? What inputs does it require to perform them?
    5. What patterns of interaction/management will be required for optimal function? 
    6. Give each element a minimum of three reasons (beyond its intrinsic functions) for being where you decide to put it.

4. Implementation

Planning the work yields to working the plan. Exact outcomes will always be different from the paper plan. Plans need to be adaptable to new realities uncovered once shovels hit soil. Use the vision articulated in the Minimum Holistic Goal at the project outset as your compass – use it as a litmus test for making decisions in the field as implementation progresses. 

This is 7th Generation Design’s Level 3 Implementation & Oversight offering.

4.1 Phased Implementation Planning

We include with each Level 2 Whole Site Design report a dynamic implementation roadmap that details the “first this, then that” of actually implementing a whole site design and installing the various elements detailed within it. For this we use Trello with the BigPicture plug in to create dynamic Gantt charts that also contain all of the relevant information pertaining to each element.

4.2 Element Specific Installation Procedures And Quotes

• Materials lists, detailed surveying, costing, orchestration with third party service providers if necessary.
• Prioritize what gets done when, why, how and by whom.
  • Prioritize according to what actions will yield the highest value for the lowest cost and the relative scale of intervention (start with small footprints, intensive management).
• Resource Acquisition
  • What needs to be brought in? 
  • Where is it? 
  • How will you get it? 
  • Who needs to do it?
  • When do we need it?
  • How much will it cost?

4.3 System Establishment Monitoring

Continuous monitoring of implementation efforts and the elements and systems within the scope of the larger design. Element performance assessment with pre-determined benchmarks and principles.

5. Maintenance

This phase is about attentive and intensive management of newly established systems, and planned maintenance of well-established or mature systems.

• We recommend utilizing the Cynefin Framework for gauging what kind of management situation you are in, which will help determine the requisite degree of management intensity, systematization, and automation that can be safely applied.

Other things that are helpful to develop or already have in place.

• System Stewardship Plan
  • Who will maintain the element/s once it is in place?
  • How will it be maintained? 
  • How will maintenance be remunerated?
• Community Involvement
  • How will the community interact with the system?
  • What are their needs?
• System Outputs 
  • What are you harvesting and when? 
  • Who needs to do it? What will this cost? 
  • What will this produce?
• Maintenance cost tracking.
  • Compare actual vs. projected from Design/Implementation Phase.

6. Evaluation 

During the Evaluation phase we integrate feedback from the monitoring of systems (new, establishing and climax) back into the decision matrices guiding the project towards successful realization of it’s vision. At a minimum we recommend doing an annual year-in-review for your project. Some of what may be included in such a review is bulleted below.

6.1 Revisit Goals and Principles

This is often done by project phase or on a quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis.

• Filter what has been accomplished against the original goals. Are your principles being followed? 
• Are any of them unnecessary? 
• Are there any new principles that have emerged to guide the work? 
• When will this “revisiting” happen? Schedule it!

6.2 Evaluate Return-On-Investment

Review or establish metrics for individual elements, complexed systems, and the landscape as a whole.

• What we thought it would cost vs. What it actually cost.
• What we thought it would return/yield vs. What it actually returns/yields.
• What needs to be measured to know if the system is succeeding or failing? 
• What metrics will be used? How will they guide future decision-making?
  • Reference Cynefin Framework in establishing contextual reference for management approach based on situation.
  • Reference Holistic Management’s 7 Tests For Holistic Decision Making for testing decisions towards larger goal/vision.
• 80/20 Analysis – (Reference triple bottom line Guiding Questions from 7th Generation Principle)
  • What is producing? What is not? 
  • What do our metrics tell us?
  • What do people feel?
    • Reconcile quantifiable and qualifiable metrics.
  • What to keep and what to prune off? 
  • What can we stop doing? 
  • What deserves more investment/energy?

7. Adjustment

During the Adjustment phase we make necessary changes to the vision, principles, decision-making protocols, and design elements as necessary, based on the results from the Evaluation phase. Completing this phase sets the stage for renewed observation of the whole and its parts.

• Iterative Design 
  • Continue to inhabit the design with the next iteration of the process.  Build upon what has been done and learned. Add another turn to the spiral. Make changes that have passed the decision-making tests, and observe their effects.
• Prune that which is unnecessary or has fulfilled its purpose. Expand those things that still need to grow. Dynamic balance of pruning and expansion/addition with resources available and pre-existing overhead.
• Modification and/or completion of Holistic Goal with integrated feedback from continued stewardship.

Summary

The SADIMEA process as outlined above is what we use in our work at 7th Generation Design. We hope that this framework will be helpful in your permaculture journey, whether that is working with us or designing your own.