VERMONT DESIGN INSTITUTE
sustainable community development and problem-solving through holistic design and planning
Village and Land Patterns
Protect natural features: Identify and protect natural features such as open space, wetlands, woodlands, wildlife corridors, traditional hunting grounds, animal habitat, etc. Open space (whether open fields, city parks, or mountain forests) provides beauty and space for human activities, in addition to species diversity and wildlife habitat.
Respond to historic pattern: Recognize existing historic patterns and scale. Develop in a manner compatible and complementary to existing practices. Root new development in local identity and history to help solidify the community fabric and respond to existing culture.
Respect riparian processes: Flood plains, rivers and streams, wetlands, and lakes are all critical to the health of our lands and our need for water. Respect edges, re-establish buffers and wetlands, use non-polluting practices, eliminate erosion, and mitigate stormwater run-off in your project.
Support productive landscapes: Local food and fuel production are becoming more and more important as our resources are taxed by war and desertification. Support productive landscapes within your project area by including them directly or linking to them—these could be woodlots, town forests, wind farms, local dairy and vegetable farm, fisheries, etc.
Planning a Healthy Community
Create integrated neighborhoods: Think about how healthy neighborhoods tend to include variety of ages, incomes, and cultures, as well as a mix of work/living spaces, walkability, access to services and institutions (health, school, market). Think of neighborhood as a social organism that can grow and evolve over time as we contribute to it.
New development to respond to existing patterns: New development can complement and enhance the existing fabric by responding the traditional patterns of place and by strengthening the infrastructure. Building on brownfield sites, empty lots (infill), and parking lots helps bring new life, as does rehabilitating older buildings and structures. Increased density can reduce traffic and environmental impacts and add to green space when done consciously.
Complement cultural identity of town: Identify town character-understand the organizing principle of the community and how it is maintained. Discover what complements and contributes to the cultural identity in a way that shines! Adding to the local economy and finding a place to call home can bring about delightful and elegant solutions.
Establish local economy: Work from local building materials where possible, hire local builders and craftspeople, try recycled materials, discover what is indigenous and design from there. A local economy comes from investing in local knowledge, traditions, and financials exchanges that keep the resources within the community.
Contribute to the greater community: Contribute to the greater sense of community through inclusion of public walking trails and community gardens; allowance for village meeting places (both formal and informal); and entertainment (music, festivals, food). Create development that is contributory rather than competitive.
Neighborhood Scale
Respond to climate: Buildings need to respond to climate in non-invasive ways. Pay attention to topography, wind, storm (rain, snow, sand), vegetation, and sun orientation; design with local climate in mind to allow for the most effective means of climate control. Maintain view corridors for all to enjoy.
Create safe and healthy places: Think in terms of walkable distances inhabited with familiar faces, slow traffic, and local schools. Hold neighborhood activities, support bike lanes for commuters, add recreation paths for joggers and children, create butterfly gardens, etc. Build with physical relationships to the street and neighbors in mind.
Connect to food production: Allow for composting programs, rain gardens, community food production, support of local farmers, town forests, wood lots, berry farms, etc. Develop a connection with these whether part of the project land or the local economy.
Reduce auto-dependence: Build patterns of development which support public transport and are at walkable scales. Buildings, roads, infrastructure, services—all need to support each other at a human scale to reduce auto-dependence. Distance, size, and detail are relevant to creating at this slower scale.
Residential Cluster
Design for long-term: Construction of physical space uses tremendous quantities of natural resources, mechanical force, and human energy. These embodied energy fields are held in stasis for long periods of time before either collapsing through age or by destruction. Design for longevity to ensure the energy being held in place is physically and emotionally healthy.
Be creative with use of space: Consider the particulars of the spaces needed; think about how one inhabits and uses space—not all places need be cookbook designs. Develop a design response to the micro-climate, regional identify, and family characteristics which fits the particular place that is being inhabited.
Build healthy living environments: Consider healthy interior finishes to minimize out-gasing from construction materials; choose interior furniture and appliances carefully. Include permeable driveways for rainwater penetration and landscaping with minimal lawn area, native species use, edible plants, and wildlife enhancing species for healthy surroundings. User education on living with and maintaining a healthy green home is important.
Include high levels of energy-efficiency: Design homes to be net-zero energy and net-zero carbon emissions; use high performance standards on windows; and try photovoltaic panels on the roof or solar hot water. Buildings can be flexible in their design; they may have adaptable multi-use spaces, and might be earth-sheltered or –bermed. Locate utility spaces and mudroom entrances based on weather and temperature. Building shape (rectilinear, square, round), orientation, window penetrations, overhangs, roof styles, etc. need to vary with the climatic zone (cold, temperate, hot-arid, hot-humid).
Provide public and private zones: Establish zones of public access from the street, semi-private areas for conversations with a neighbor, and private space for family use. Delimit these zones of comfort through landscaping, paving materials, steps and porches, lighting, gardens, dog fences, etc. Creating this sense of place is important whether the setting is urban, suburban, or rural.