[Pil-pc-oceania] More Permaculture in the Arabian Desert

[Gnoll 110]

Hi Steve

Yer, it's an interesting project.

1100sqm per person. Isn't that 1/4 acre? Sounds a lot 
per person in an urban situation. Personally I would go
for extended family compounds using classic Arab/Islamic
domestic design. Think the old quarters of the medieval 
Moorish cities of southern Spain.

Then allocate the remaining sqms to market gardens just 
outside the city walls. This can act as an employment zone,
fostering collage industries for the town. 

Christopher Alexander (Pattern Language etc) has ideas for low rise high density 
urban design. Stewart Brand (How Building Learn & The 
Whole Earth Catalogue) should also make an interesting 
contributor. 

I would imagine in that climate, your limiting factor is 
water. That you grow a lot of material if the water is 
available. 

At the La Mancha solar chimney project (1980s), the apron
produced a tropical environment, not the desert one that 
was expected. So conservatories should work a tread once 
planting/water cycles are worked out. http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0003575
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_updraft_tower


Noel

>More Permaculture in the Arabian Desert
>
>A little storm is brewing here in the Arabian Desert....
>what with Masdar city having all the exposure and 
>fraudulent spin from the great Lord Norman Foster, 
>other developers have joined the race. With Blue City 
>in Muscat Oman and another on the dwg board in Bahrain 
>we have yet another in Dubai...the capital of all felic 
>symbols. I've been asked to put together a concept design 
>with figures for an organic sustainable community for
>10,000 population. I'm automatically suggesting an 
>absolute edible landscape with wadis (Arab Swales) 
>Green Roofs with a major accent on vertical gardens. 
>Could anybody hazard a guesstimate of what area it would
>take to feed 10,000 people. OK in the terraces of Nepal 
>we could guess a ratio of 1person to 200sqm....
>Consumerist USA 1:2000....a middle ground 1:1100....
>has anyone got any experience or story from any family 
>living very well off their own back yard....Could I 
>guess that if we stacked to the max we could achieve 
>a family of 5 living really well off a 500sqm plot. 
>This design will have 5 storey development so there 
>is the opportunity to really work the vertical...
>through balconies, windows, conservatories and 
>espallier.....
>
>Your thoughts...
>
>thanks 
>
>Steve Hart

       
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