Vila Pinheiro
Regenerative Living,
Rooted in Permaculture

Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design
by Mark D'Cruz

Welcome to my Permaculture Diploma Portfolio

This site chronicles a journey of regeneration, grounded in the red earth of Central Portugal and nourished by the principles of permaculture, the ancient science of Vrikshayurveda, and the contemplative discipline of bonsai.

Throughout this Diploma, I’ve created ten interconnected designs. Together, they form the living, breathing landscape of Vila Pinheiro, a regenerative homestead dedicated to restoring the land, nurturing life, and reimagining the lifestyle.

Here, you’ll find detailed design reports, appendices, diagrams, and reflections exploring how these systems interlink, adapt, and support one another over time.

Use the Table of Contents below to navigate freely between sections of the portfolio.

Table of Contents

1. Designer’s Profile

2. Learning Pathway Design

3. Designs (10 total)

4. Reflective Summary

5. Self-Assessment Summary

6. Review of Relevant Activities

   1. Interconnected Eco-Systems

   2. Advancing permaculture

   3. Domains of Permaculture

7. Supporting Appendices

8. References & Influences

Designer Profile

I am a regenerative designer, educator, and technologist working at the intersection of ancient traditions and emerging systems. My journey began with the contemplative practice of bonsai and has been shaped by decades of experience in digital consultancy and education. Over time, I’ve developed a design philosophy that harmonises self, system, and soil. Drawing on Indian ecological traditions such as Vrikshayurveda and integrating them with contemporary permaculture, my approach is deeply rooted in values, culturally responsive, and systems-aware.

Cultivating Regeneration from Soil to Systems

Background and Ethos

Approach and Methodology

My design process is grounded in ethical practice and supported by frameworks such as SADIMET, as well as my original models, including GODREAMET and GRAZER. These tools reflect my commitment to cyclical, reflective learning, where observation, feedback, and transformation are part of every stage. I work iteratively and holistically, focusing not only on practical outcomes but on the relationships between land, community, and inner development.

By blending permaculture principles with action learning and pattern literacy, I design across scales – from household gardens to regional landscapes – always tailored to the cultural and ecological context of place.

Professional Experience

For over 40 years, I’ve worked internationally in information technology, strategic consultancy, and higher education. I’ve led digital transformation initiatives, delivered enterprise-scale solutions for financial institutions, and taught as a visiting lecturer in IT and systems design. These experiences have honed my ability to think critically, design systemically, and communicate across disciplines.

This background has merged naturally with my ecological practice, allowing me to create integrated systems for land regeneration, community learning, and digital engagement. I bring to permaculture both the mindset of a systems thinker and the grounded presence of a lifelong learner.

Education and Teaching

As the founder of Mă-Kè Bonsai and co-creator of Vila Pinheiro in Central Portugal, I’ve designed and delivered educational programmes in bonsai, permaculture, seed saving, and regenerative health. My teaching is accessible, experiential, and rooted in storytelling. Whether through workshops, online learning, or reflective dialogue, I invite others into deeper relationships with land, spirit, and community.

My work also explores the intersections where Ayurveda, shamanism, and permaculture intersect, fostering new conversations around health, ecology, and place-based living.

Vision and Contribution

My vision is to “Advance Regeneration through Technology” by creating tools, platforms, and spaces that empower people to co-design a regenerative future. I see design not just as a technical task, but as a spiritual and cultural act. Through Vila Pinheiro and beyond, I aim to nurture patterns of care, resilience, and renewal that grow far beyond the garden gate.

Permaculture Diploma Timeline: Mark D'Cruz (2023–2025)

Pre-Diploma Phase (Pre-2023)

• Vision Formed: Dream of living regeneratively with your wife.

• Search around Europe with almost settling in the Madeira archipelago

Year 1: Foundation & Immersion (2023)

• January 2023: Land Search in the final stages

• March -April 2023: PDC at Keela Farm

• May 2023: Land Acquired - Vila Pinheiro named and envisioned as Mă-Kè Bonsai School.

• July 2023: Induction with Dr. Tom Henfrey.

• Design 1: The Mă-Kè Bonsai Way - Rooted your philosophy in bonsai and permaculture.

• Design 2: Growing Bonsai Sustainably - Launched first workshop.

• Design 3: Sustainable Homestead - Site mapping, zones/sectors planned.

• Vision Goals Set: Regenerative nursery, homestead design, and teaching bonsai.

Year 2: Integration & Expansion (2024)

• Q1 2024

  • Design 4: Energy Self-Sufficiency - Hybrid solar-wind system designed.

• Q3 2024

  • Design 5: Water Self-Sufficiency - Rainwater Harvesting, Greywater Reuse, Swales.

• Design Frameworks Developed:

  • GRAZER, GODREAMET, and GoCEAPER applied across multiple systems.

• Teaching Materials: Workshop feedback and curriculum evolved

Year 3: Regenerative Systems & Cultural Design (2025)

• Q1 2025

  • Design 6: Food Self-Sufficiency - Seasonal planting calendar developed.

  • Design 7: Ayurvedic Food Forest - Species selection and zoning completed.

  • Design 8: Silviculture Strategy - Regenerative Coppicing Plan Finalised.

  • Ayurvedic Kitchen Garden Test Beds Setup

• Q2 2025

  • Design 9: Animal Integration - GRAZER-based rotational grazing system.

  • Design 10: Action Learning Pathway — Meta-design presented and synthesised all 9 previous designs.

• Q3 2025

  • FPA's

  • Diploma Presentations

• Q4 2025:

  • Implementation Phase Continues:

    • Build fencing, shade structures, and Animal bays.

    • Launch seasonal workshops, herbal products, and community engagement.

    • Host Harvest & Reflection Festival (October 2025).

Beyond 2025: Legacy and Learning Hub (2026–2028)

• 2026

  • Animal fencing completed to support silvopasture.

• 2027

  • Summer School launches (Bonsai, Ayurveda, Regeneration).

• 2028

  • Compost toilets and an eco-wash station installed.

Learning Cycle Anchors

Each design followed the action learning spiral:
Vision → Design → Implement → Reflect → Refine
You wove Pause, Appreciation, and Emergence into each phase.

Details can be studied in Design 10

My Designs

This collection of ten permaculture designs represents a journey of regeneration: of land, of self, and the ecosystem. Rooted in the unique context of Vila Pinheiro and guided by the ethics and principles of permaculture, each design explores how traditional wisdom, practical action, and appropriate technology can converge to cultivate a resilient, living ecosystem. Together, these designs form a holistic tapestry of applied learning, adaptive thinking, and grounded hope.

Design 1: The Mă-Kè Bonsai Way - Regenerative Bonsai

Culture Rooted in Tradition. This design explores regenerative bonsai culture through the lens of permaculture, art, and ethics, rooted in tradition.

Framework: The Design Web and The Mă-Kè Way Framework
Focus: Regenerative bonsai practice inspired by Zen, permaculture ethics, and seasonal cycles.
Tools: SMARTER Goals, SWIC Analysis, Pattern Language, Six Thinking Hats.

Design 2: Beginners Bootcamp: Growing Bonsai Sustainably

An outreach-oriented project blending community education, ecological literacy, and hands-on experience.

Framework: GADIE
Focus: Revamping a bonsai education course for ecological literacy and hands-on permaculture.
Tools: SWOC and Input–Output Analyses, Pattern Language, Gantt Charts, Feedback Loops.

Design 3: Vila Pinheiro - Sustainable Homestead

The foundational homestead blueprint from which all other designs emerged — the physical and social nucleus of the site.

Framework: GoSADIMET with Zoning and Sector Analysis
Focus: Whole-site master plan integrating zones, access, energy flow, and long-term resilience.
Tools: SMARTER Goals, SWOC, Input–Output, Base Maps, Zone and Sector Diagrams.

Design 4: Energy Self-Sufficiency at Vila Pinheiro

Designing off-grid, renewable systems to reduce reliance and build resilience.

Framework: GoCEAPER Prism
Focus: Renewable energy design tailored to the site context, encompassing solar, wind, and biogas.
Tools: DAFOR Analysis, GIS Mapping, Energy Audit, Smart Metering, Lighting Assessment.

Design 5: Water Self-Sufficiency at Vila Pinheiro

A hydrological strategy involving rainwater harvesting, greywater cycling, and drought resilience.

Framework: PERMA–SADIMET
Focus: Closed-loop, site-adapted water harvesting and conservation using topography.
Tools: Swales, Water Budgeting, Sector Analysis, PMI and FSE tools.

Design 6: Food Self-Sufficiency at Vila Pinheiro

A diversified polyculture of seasonal crops, Ayurvedic guilds, and perennial productivity.

Framework: GOBRADIMET
Focus: A self-sufficient, perennial food system integrating Ayurveda and permaculture.
Tools: SWOC and PASTE Analyses, Sacred Geometry, Seasonal Planning, Stakeholder Input.

Design 7: Ayurvedic Food Forest – Ancient Wisdom for Modern Wellness

Blending ancient Indian plant science with Mediterranean ecology to create a healing forest ecosystem.

Framework: GoSADIM with Vrikshayurveda
Focus: Guild-based food forest blending Ayurvedic health traditions and ecological design.
Tools: DAFOR Plant Survey, Zoning, Resource Mapping, PMI, Dosha-Based Planting Calendar.

Design 8: Regenerative Silviculture at Vila Pinheiro

Applying the GODREAMET framework to develop a low-input, high-output forest system using coppicing, goats, and fungi.

Framework: GODREAMET
Focus: Woodland regeneration through coppicing, goat integration, fungi systems, and sacred geometry.
Tools: Seasonal Logs, Companion Guilds, Hugelkultur, Drone Mapping, Adaptive Management.

Design 9: Animal Husbandry - Regenerative Ecosystem Design

Using GRAZER, this design integrates goats, chickens, ducks, and fish into the broader farm ecology with Ayurveda at its core.

Framework: GRAZER
Focus: Ethical animal integration using Ayurvedic care, rotational grazing, and silvopasture.
Tools: Health and Soil Monitoring, Compost Systems, Citizen Science, Aquaponics, Brix Meters.

Design 10: Meta-Design & Action Learning Pathway

A reflective synthesis of the journey, using Looby McNamara’s Design Web to draw insights, patterns, and next steps.

Framework: Looby McNamara’s Design Web
Focus: A reflective, integrative meta-design stitching together insights, patterns, and purpose.
Tools: Action Learning Loops, Pattern Mapping, Dharma Design Reflection, Seasonal Practice.

Reflective Summary: What I Learned Across the Diploma

Undertaking this Diploma has been a transformative journey, one of land, learning, and self. What began as a vision to regenerate Vila Pinheiro has blossomed into a living, interconnected ecosystem of ten designs, each feeding the others, and all guided by action learning, permaculture ethics, and the spiritual resonance of Vrikshayurveda and bonsai philosophy.

Across these designs, a clear pattern of growth emerged. I moved from structured frameworks like GoSADIMET and GODREAMET into more intuitive, reflective, and cyclical approaches. Initially, the focus was on implementation and technical solutions, building water systems, growing food, and managing animals. But over time, the learning deepened. Design became less about infrastructure and more about integration. I saw how patterns, rhythms, and relationships underpin regeneration.

I learned to observe more closely, not just the land, but myself within it. Reflection became an act of design. Whether noting the compost cycles or my cycles of burnout and renewal, I began designing with presence. Tools like SWOC, PASTE, and pattern language were useful, but it was the spiral of feedback and refinement that truly embedded learning.

The process honed my humility. I embraced not-knowing. I let go of perfection. I experimented. Failed. Adapted. Learned. I transitioned from control to collaboration, allowing the goats, the trees, and the climate to become co-designers.

This journey taught me to apply permaculture beyond land, to teaching, business, ritual, and community. It validated ancient wisdom alongside emergent systems thinking. It rooted me in place while opening me to planetary resilience.

Ultimately, I have not just created ten designs—I have cultivated a designer. One who listens deeply, responds creatively, and stands ready to share this regenerative rhythm with others.

Self-Assessment Summary

An Analysis of How My Diploma Portfolio Meets the Five Accreditation Criteria

1. Completion of a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) and Permaculture Association Membership

I completed my PDC prior to beginning the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design and have maintained active membership with the Permaculture Association (UK) throughout my learning pathway. This has provided access to mentorship, community events, and a broad peer network. My engagement with the Association has included tutorials, workshops, and active participation in the online guilds and design forums.

2. At Least Two Years of Applied Permaculture Practice

This portfolio documents over two years of applied practice through the development of Vila Pinheiro, my one-hectare regenerative homestead in Central Portugal. Designs were implemented in real time, responding to seasonal cycles, community needs, and ecological realities. Each design represents not just a theoretical exercise but a lived experience—observed, adjusted, and integrated over multiple years.

• Design 3 (Sustainable Homestead) established the base design of the land.

• Designs 4–9 focus on energy, water, food, forest, animal systems, and implementation.

Systems are being prototyped, iteratively evaluated, and actively maintained and developed.

3. Demonstration of Design Skills Across a Range of Contexts

My ten designs span educational, land-based, and economic contexts. They demonstrate versatility, depth, and originality, applying a wide range of frameworks and tools tailored to each project’s needs:

• Land-Based Systems:

  • Design 5 (Water Self-Sufficiency) and Design 4 (Energy Self-Sufficiency) show technical skill in system design, pattern analysis, and implementation.

  • Designs 6 and 7 integrate Ayurvedic, ecological, and permacultural planting guilds.

  • Design 8 employs the GODREAMET framework in forest and coppice systems.

• Non-Land-Based & Educational Designs:

  • Designs 1 and 2 develop regenerative philosophy and learning materials for bonsai education.

  • Design 10 synthesises systems thinking, reflective learning, and meta-design practices using Looby McNamara’s Design Web.

• Design Tools Used: GoSADIMET, GRAZER, GOBRADIMET, Design Web, SWOC, PASTE, Zoning, Sector Analysis, DAFOR, Input–Output mapping, SMART/SMARTER goals.

Systems are being prototyped, iteratively evaluated, and actively maintained and developed.

4. Application of Permaculture in My Own Life

The Diploma has not been a side project. It is embedded into my daily life, livelihood, and values. Vila Pinheiro is not just a case study; it is my home, my family’s sanctuary, and the testing ground for every idea and intervention I present. The designs have been reshaped:

• How we grow food: Ayurvedic, perennial, and seasonal polycultures (Designs 6, 7).

• How we relate to animals: Animals as partners in regeneration. Integrated husbandry and silvopasture (Designs 8 and 9).

• How we use energy and water: Off-grid systems with long-term resilience plans (Designs 4, 5).

• How I earn and teach: I currently deliver education through The Mă-Kè Bonsai Way (Designs 1 and 2), and I am now evolving this model to integrate and expand into the field of permaculture.

This life-in-design approach demonstrates personal integration of permaculture ethics—Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share—across practical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions.

5. Evidence of Ongoing Learning and Development of Practice

Throughout the Diploma, I have actively reflected, adapted, and evolved. The portfolio documents clear shifts:

• From linear design methods to cyclical and spiral-based learning.

• From individual effort to collaborative, guild-based thinking.

• From reactive implementation to proactive, long-view resilience.

Design 10, my Meta-Design, provides structured insight into this development. It captures patterns, limitations, breakthroughs, and emerging directions for Vila Pinheiro as a regenerative learning hub.

I have also contributed to the broader movement through:

• Mentorship conversations

• Workshops

• Integration of Indian ecological traditions like Vrikshayurveda

• Development of original frameworks (e.g. GODREAMET, GRAZER, PERMA–SADIMET)

My journey continues through further course development, workshops, AI-regeneration research, and community integration at Vila Pinheiro.

Review of Relevant Activities

Reflective Log of Skills Training, Workshops, Reading, and Implementation Throughout My Diploma Journey

Over the course of my Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design, I have undertaken a broad and immersive range of activities that have deepened my understanding, refined my skills, and supported the implementation of regenerative systems at Vila Pinheiro. These activities span formal training, self-directed study, practical implementation, and community engagement.

Skills Training and Courses

• Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC): The foundational course that reshaped my worldview and equipped me with essential design tools.

• Online workshops with leading permaculture educators, including modules on water management, agroforestry, energy systems, and Vrikshayurveda.

• Bonsai teaching and demonstration through The Mă-Kè Bonsai Way, which evolved into an educational model integrating permaculture philosophy.

• Digital design tools and software (e.g. GIS mapping, Adobe Creative Suite, energy modelling platforms) to support professional-quality outputs.

Workshops Attended and Delivered

• Participated in guild gatherings and Diploma Apprentice forums with the Permaculture Association.

• Delivered Growing Bonsai Sustainably workshops (Design 2) to various groups, both private and corporate, in the UK and Portugal, blending ecological practice with regenerative enterprise.

• Attended skillshares and seminars on Ayurvedic agriculture, forest restoration, and community-scale permaculture.

• Facilitated group design discussions and peer review sessions, both in person and online.

Reading and Research

• Extensive reading of classic and contemporary permaculture literature, including works by Holmgren, Macnamara, Fukuoka, Mollison, Alexander, and others.

• Deep dives into Vrikshayurveda, Ayurveda, and indigenous ecological traditions from India, exploring their connections to permaculture frameworks.

• Ongoing research into silvopasture, fire-resilient systems, Ayurvedic food forests, and circular design practices.

• Academic inquiry into regenerative design theory, shamanic traditions, and the intersection of ecology and spirituality (Designs 7–10).

Implementation and Practice

• Practical application across ten designs, most of which were implemented on-site at Vila Pinheiro.

• Developed real-world systems for food, water, energy, and animal integration,

• Documented challenges and lessons from phased implementation, seasonal observation, and feedback loops.

• Actively integrated permaculture ethics into family life, business development, land stewardship, and teaching.

Reflective Learning

• Maintained journals and design logs for each project to track my process, insights, and adaptive choices.

• Used Looby Macnamara’s Design Web (Design 10) as a reflective framework for integrating personal development and system change.

• Developed original frameworks (GRAZER, GODREAMET, PERMA-SADIMET) as tools to evolve my practice and share with others.

Interconnected Ecosystems

At Vila Pinheiro, the designs do not sit in silos. They are not isolated case studies or technical checklists. They are verses in a living poem—each one echoing the others, forming a regenerative rhythm that breathes across the land.

The ten permaculture designs in this Diploma are intentionally interwoven. They inform, overlap, and strengthen one another like mycelial threads beneath a forest floor. From water harvesting to animal integration, from Ayurvedic guilds to silviculture zones, each system supports and is supported by the others.

To help visualise this systemic integration, two key diagrams are presented:

1. Venn Diagram of Zone Interactions

This graphic illustrates how each design overlaps with specific zones across the land, revealing shared functions, resources, and goals. It highlights that no area is ‘single-use.’ Instead, space is multifunctional and designed for interaction, resilience, and adaptability.

2. Systems Flow & Input–Output Map

This flow diagram maps the movement of resources—such as water, nutrients, labour, and energy—between systems. It shows how outputs from one design become inputs for another, creating regenerative loops that mimic natural ecosystems.

Together, these visuals demonstrate how Vila Pinheiro is more than a homestead. It is a regenerative organism. Ayurvedic wisdom informs forest guilds. Animal movement influences silvopasture. Water design nurtures both crop and canopy. The result is a site where permaculture, Vrikshayurveda, and ecosystem thinking operate not as parallel ideas, but as one living, breathing design.

Designing the Land as Living Poetry

Advancing the Practice of Permaculture Design

1. Regenerative Bonsai: Bonsai Development for Everyone

   Through The Mă-Kè Bonsai Way, bonsai is reimagined as an ethical, regenerative practice. Grounded in permaculture principles, it cultivates care, restraint, and observation — echoing the rhythms of seasonal and ecological cycles.

2. GADIE: A Closed-Loop Learning Framework for Design

   Adapted from instructional design, GADIE strengthens permaculture projects through holistic goal setting, continuous feedback, and iterative evolution. It supports sustainable outcomes and data-informed learning.

3. GoCEAPER: A Prism-Based Framework for Regenerative Projects

   GoCEAPER expands CEAP into a reflective, dynamic model. Each stage, Goals, Collect, Evaluate, Apply, Plan, Evaluate, Reflect, acts like light in a prism, refracting insight through each step and influencing the broader ecosystem.

4. PERMA–SADIMET: Evolution of Design Thinking

   An updated iteration of SADIMET is aligned with permaculture ethics, fostering practical yet mindful design across land, water, and energy systems. Combining systems thinking with emotional intelligence.

5. The Regenerative Trinity: Holistic Land Stewardship

   This design ethos interweaves Permaculture, Vrikshayurveda, and contemplative practice to create holistic, living systems. It reflects a harmony between ancient wisdom, ecological function, and inner awareness.

6. Ayurveda and Permaculture: Health by Design

   This design integrates Ayurvedic principles into land, food, and forest planning. Doshic balance, herbal guilds, and seasonal planting cycles nurture both ecological and human wellness.

7. GODREAMET: Adaptive Silviculture Framework

   An original framework guiding regenerative woodland design through Goals, Observation, and Iterative Management. It combines sacred geometry, succession ecology, and pattern-based planning to create resilient forest systems.

8. GRAZER: Designing Animal Ecosystems with Integrity

   This structured framework supports ethical, multispecies grazing using Montado traditions, Ayurvedic animal care, and zone-based design. Animals become collaborators in regeneration, not just agricultural inputs.

9. Action Learning as Dharma: Design as a Living Spiral

   Design 10 reframes the diploma journey as a regenerative learning spiral. Permaculture becomes not just a method, but a meaningful path grounded in rhythm, reflection, and practice.

10. Permaculture Meets AI: Amplifying Ecological Insight

    AI was quietly woven throughout my process, aiding in pattern recognition, mapping, and design iterations. It didn’t replace intuition; it expanded it, opening up new regenerative possibilities in a digital world.

These ten designs are not simply expressions of regenerative intent. They are living experiments in how we design regeneration. Each project tested the boundaries of existing permaculture frameworks, and in many cases, gave rise to entirely new ones.

From GADIE and GoCEAPER and PERMA–SADIMET to GODREAMET and GRAZER, these frameworks were not lifted from manuals. They were grown from necessity, shaped by context, and refined through grounded practice.

This section highlights more than outcomes. It reveals the design thinking that made them possible and offers a glimpse into how a more adaptive and context-sensitive permaculture can emerge.

Domains of Permaculture Action

This portfolio brings together ten original permaculture designs developed during my Diploma journey. Each one explores a distinct facet of regenerative living, grounded in ethics, ecology, and personal experience. Together, they form a living system of learning, action, and reflection. Below, you’ll find them grouped into four themes that reveal my thinking and patterns behind the process.

Ten Interwoven Pathways to Regeneration at Vila Pinheiro

1. Roots & Reach

Philosophy, Teaching & Meta-Design

These designs establish the ethical, cultural, and pedagogical foundations of my work, shaping how I live, teach, and evolve as a designer.

• Design 1: The Mă-Kè Bonsai Way

  PAB Categories: Art, Media, Culture and Communications, Personal development and the ‘inner transition’,

  Embeds contemplative philosophy into practice; merges regenerative art with cultural expression.

• Design 2: Growing Bonsai Sustainably (Workshop)

  PAB Categories: Education Business, Community Development
  A practical, teachable model of sustainable education with community engagement and enterprise.

• Design 10: Meta-Design & Action Learning Pathway

  PAB Categories: Education Research, Personal development and the ‘inner transition’
  A reflective synthesis of all ten designs, using Looby McNamara’s Design Web to track learning and transformation.

2. Structure & Flow

Infrastructure, Water, Energy & Site Planning

Here, design meets utility. These systems form the backbone of Vila Pinheiro, ensuring resilience in water, energy, and land use.

• Design 3: Vila Pinheiro Masterplan

  PAB Categories: Site Development, System Establishment and Implementation, Design Consultancy

  Whole-site planning integrates zoning, access, and land-use infrastructure.

• Design 4: Energy Self-Sufficiency

  PAB Categories: Architecture, Building and Retrofitting, System Establishment and Implementation, Research
  Integrates renewable systems and tech; uses GoCEAPER to design and test systems.

• Design 5: Water Self-Sufficiency

  PAB Categories: System Establishment and Implementation, Site Development, Research
  Water catchment, swales, stormwater design and hydrological modelling.

3. Planting Resilience

Food Forests, Polycultures & Forest Systems

These designs regenerate the landscape with perennial crops, Ayurvedic guilds, and forest-based productivity, linking food, medicine, and ecology.

• Design 6: Food Self-Sufficiency

  PAB Categories: Site Development, System Establishment and Implementation, Research

  Designs a seasonal, self-reliant food ecosystem using Ayurvedic guilds and patterns.

• Design 7: Ayurvedic Food Forest

  PAB Categories: Site Development, Education, Art, Media, Culture and Communications
  Culturally rooted agroecological system, blending wellness, education, and land regeneration.

• Design 8: Regenerative Silviculture

  PAB Categories: Research, Site Development, System Establishment and Implementation
  Multi-species silvopasture using Ayurvedic principles and the GRAZER framework. Strong implementation and monitoring emphasis.

4. Animals as Allies

Integrated Animal Ecosystems

Animals are not just livestock here; they are ecosystem partners. This design reimagines animal husbandry as a circular, ethical, and land-based practice.

• Design 9: Animal Ecosystem Integration

  PAB Categories: Site Development, System Establishment and Implementation, Research

  Designs a seasonal, self-reliant food ecosystem using Ayurvedic guilds and patterns.

Supporting Annexures and Appendices

1. Design 1:

   • APPENDIX - 01 - The Mă-Kè Bonsai Way
     A regenerative bonsai approach rooted in permaculture ethics, mindfulness, and eco-friendly cultivation practices.

2. Design 2:

   • APPENDIX - 01 - GADIE - A Comprehensive Closed Loop Process for Instructional Design
     Introduces the GADIE framework as a holistic and adaptive design cycle tailored to permaculture learning and implementation.

   • APPENDIX - 02 - FLYER - Beginners Bootcamp - Growing Bonsai Sustainably Workshop
     Workshop flyer detailing a day-long beginners' course on sustainable bonsai cultivation at Vila Pinheiro.

3. Design 3:

   • ANNEXURE - 01 - GOSADIMET Design Framework for the Real World
     Presents GoSADIMET as a dynamic permaculture design framework integrating ethics, adaptability, and regenerative feedback loops.

   • ANNEXURE - 02 - SMARTER GOALS
     Outlines the SMARTER framework as a clear, structured method for setting and evaluating regenerative project goals.

4. Design 4:

   • APPENDIX - 01 - GoCEAPER Framework
     Describes the GoCEAPER Prism as a spiralling permaculture framework for ethical, reflective, and systems-aware design.

   • APPENDIX - 02 - Home Energy Audit
     A detailed analysis of Vila Pinheiro’s current and forecasted energy needs to support a scalable solar and wind hybrid system.

5. Design 5:

   • APPENDIX - 01 - Empowering Regeneration through SADIMET and Permaculture
     Explores how the SADIMET cycle, paired with permaculture principles, fosters continuous ecosystem and community renewal.

   • APPENDIX - 02 - Vila Pinheiro - Water Requirements Analysis
     Calculates household and agricultural daily water needs at Vila Pinheiro, supporting sustainable planning and resource use.

   • APPENDIX - 03 - Vila Pinheiro - Maintenance Plan
     Details a comprehensive, seasonally structured maintenance plan to ensure long-term resilience and functionality of Vila Pinheiro’s water self-sufficiency systems.

   • APPENDIX - 04 - Water Regeneration Design - System and Components
     Outlines a complete, integrated water regeneration system at Vila Pinheiro using swales, ponds, wells, and drip irrigation for year-round sustainability.

6. Design 6:

   • ANNEXURE - 01 - The GOBRADIMENT Framework
     Traces the evolution from OBREDIM to GOBRADIMET as a flexible, iterative permaculture design process focused on reflection, goals, and regenerative feedback loops.

   • APPENDIX - 01 - The Regenerative Trinity - A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Stewardship
     Explores the synthesis of Permaculture, Vrikshayurveda, and The Mă-Kè Bonsai Way to create spiritually grounded, ecologically resilient stewardship systems.

   • APPENDIX - 02 - Flora and Fauna at Vila Pinheiro
     Provides a detailed PASTE analysis of local plant, bird, and pollinator biodiversity at Vila Pinheiro to inform regenerative design and conservation.

   • APPENDIX - 03 - Vila Pinheiro - Food Requirements
     Analyses dietary, land, and labour needs for self-sufficient food production for six humans and two dogs, tailored to Central Portugal's conditions.

   • APPENDIX - 04 - The Regenerative Trinity Personal Insights
     Shares a personal reflection on integrating permaculture, Vrikshayurveda, and bonsai as a life philosophy and multi-generational regenerative practice.

7. Design 7:

   • ANNEXURE - 01 - Ayurveda - A Way of Life
     Introduces Ayurveda as a holistic health system rooted in balancing mind, body, and spirit through diet, lifestyle, and natural therapies.

   • ANNEXURE - 02 - Permaculture Authors
     Profiles leading permaculture thinkers, highlighting their principles, methodologies, and influence on regenerative design across the globe.

   • ANNEXURE - 03 - The Alignment of Permaculture with Ayurveda
     Demonstrates how Ayurveda and permaculture align through shared principles of balance, seasonal attunement, and ecological regeneration.

   • APPENDIX - 01 - DAFOR Analysis of Vila Pinheiro Flora
     A field-based DAFOR study assessing abundance and form of key flora species at Vila Pinheiro to guide planting, restoration, and ecological planning.

   • APPENDIX - 02 – Ayurveda Plant Species
     A comprehensive list of 80 Ayurvedic plant species adaptable to Portugal’s climate, detailing their uses, growth needs, and ecological benefits.

   • APPENDIX - 03 - Ayurveda Food Forest Planting Plan
     Outlines a seven-layer Ayurvedic food forest design for central Portugal, integrating native and naturalised species through permaculture guilds.

   • APPENDIX - 04 - Sourcing and Acquisition Plan – Ayurvedic Food Forest
     Details a multi-phase strategy for acquiring and propagating Ayurvedic plants at Vila Pinheiro using local, online, and on-site nursery systems.

   • APPENDIX - 05 - From Forest Patch to Living System - Designing the Ayurvedic Food Forest through Permaculture and Vrikshayurveda
     Traces the evolution of the Ayurvedic Food Forest from a single-sector experiment into a whole-site regenerative design philosophy.

   • APPENDIX - 06 - Ten Designs - One Ecosystem - Mapping the Interdependence of Vila Pinheiro’s Regenerative Systems
     Explores how ten permaculture designs at Vila Pinheiro interweave into one cohesive, living ecosystem of regenerative practice and learning.

8. Design 8:

   • ANNEXURE - 01 - The Vrikshayurveda Way - Harmony With Nature
     Introduces Vrikshayurveda as an ancient plant science integrating seed care, soil health, and ecological ethics into contemporary regenerative design.

   • ANNEXURE - 02 - Adaptive Management
     Explains adaptive management as a flexible, iterative framework for managing complex ecological systems with continuous learning and stakeholder input.

   • ANNEXURE - 03 - Vrikshayurveda and the Sacred Geometry of Plants in Temple Architecture
     Reveals the alignment of sacred architecture and Vrikshayurveda through botanical symbolism, spatial geometry, and ecological design in temple gardens.

   • APPENDIX - 01 - Properties of a Permaculture Framework
     Defines the core characteristics of effective permaculture frameworks, including ethics, adaptability, systems thinking, and community resilience.

   • APPENDIX - 02 - GODREAMET Regenerative Silviculture Framework
     Presents the GO-DREAM-ET framework as a site-specific silviculture model integrating permaculture, Vrikshayurveda, and adaptive management at Vila Pinheiro.

   • APPENDIX - 03 - Design Tools Summary - Vila Pinheiro Regenerative Silviculture
     Presents a layered toolkit integrating permaculture, Vrikshayurveda, and adaptive management tools used in designing Vila Pinheiro’s regenerative silviculture system.

9. Design 9:

   • ANNEXURE - 01 - Ayurvedic Fodder Species
     Lists Ayurvedic fodder plants suitable for Portugal’s Zone 9b, assessing each species’ viability, cultivation needs, and ecological value.

   • APPENDIX - 01 - The GRAZER Framework - A Regenerative Closed-Loop System
     Introduces the GRAZER framework for regenerative animal husbandry, aligning silvopasture, biodiversity, and Ayurvedic care into a closed-loop design.

   • APPENDIX - 02 - 5 Year Regenerative Animal Husbandry Implementation Plan GANTT
     Outlines a five-year, zone-based plan for implementing regenerative animal systems at Vila Pinheiro using a structured GANTT timeline.

10. Design 10:

    • APPENDIX - 01 - Summation of Frameworks, Ethics, Principles, and Design Tools used in the Designs for Vila Pinheiro
      Summarises all frameworks, ethics, principles, and design tools applied across ten permaculture designs at Vila Pinheiro, showcasing integrated systems thinking.

This section contains supporting documents that deepen and contextualise the ten core permaculture designs at Vila Pinheiro. Each annexure or appendix offers practical tools, frameworks, planting plans, maintenance schedules, and reflective insights that underpin and extend the main design work. From species lists and propagation strategies to design frameworks and implementation charts, these resources serve both as evidence of applied learning and as templates for future regenerative action. Together, they illuminate the integrated and evolving nature of the permaculture systems developed across the site.

Acknowledgement of sources; mentors, bibliography of books, design tools and frameworks.

Influential Voices in My Permaculture and Regenerative Practice

A wide range of thinkers, practitioners, and educators have influenced my approach to permaculture. Below, I’ve grouped them by their primary area of impact on my journey, reflecting the many sources of inspiration that have shaped my designs and learning throughout this diploma.

Foundational Thinkers: Bill Mollison and David Holmgren laid the ethical and conceptual groundwork for permaculture, with principles that guide all my design work.

Design and Systems Thinkers: Christopher Alexander, Daniel Christian Wahl, Dan Palmer, and Tom Henfrey expanded permaculture into system design, pattern language, and co-creative processes.

Land-Based Practitioners: Sepp Holzer, Geoff Lawton, Andrew Millison, Masanobu Fukuoka, Allan Savory, and Tomas Remiarz demonstrated permaculture in action, from natural farming to regenerative grazing and forest gardens.

Agroforestry Visionaries: David Jacke & Eric Toensmeier and Narsanna Koppula pioneered food forests and dryland agroecology rooted in ecological succession and community design.

Social Permaculture Leaders: Looby Macnamara, Abrah Jordan Dresdale, Carla Moss, Chris Evans, and Rosemary Morrow brought permaculture into cultural healing, education, and people care.

Explore the full document: Permaculture Principles Authors (PDF)

Book Bibliography – Permaculture, Ecology & Regeneration

This resource lists key books and research articles that have informed the user's permaculture practice, design thinking, and ecological philosophy. It is divided into two main sections:

1. Permaculture Books (Print & Digital)

A diverse selection of titles spanning gardening, forest gardening, social permaculture, self-sufficiency, and ecological restoration. Notable authors include:

• David Holmgren – Permaculture: Principles & Pathways

• Looby Macnamara – People & Permaculture, Cultural Emergence

• Mark Shepard – Restoration Agriculture

• Peter Wohlleben – The Hidden Life of Trees

• Plants For A Future – Plants for Your Food Forest

• Elizabeth Moynihan – Paradise as a Garden (cultural-historical lens)

These works support practical design, regenerative land use, and deeper ecological understanding.

2. Vrikshayurveda (Science of Plant Life)

A curated list of classical texts and modern research papers exploring ancient Indian plant science and ecological wisdom. Highlights include:

• Surapāla’s Vṛkṣāyurveda – Translations by Nalini Sādhale and S.K. Ramachandra Rao

• Modern studies on nutrient use, geographical influences (Deśa), and medicinal plant cultivation

• Research insights into integrating Vṛkṣāyurveda with permaculture and agroecology

This section bridges ancient botanical knowledge with contemporary sustainable practices.

View Full Bibliography here (PDF)

Core Ethics

• Earth Care: Regenerate soil, water, and ecosystems

• People Care: Support well-being and inclusivity.

• Fair Share: Redistribute surplus and minimise waste

• Future Care: Design for long-term sustainability

Principles Applied

• Holmgren’s 12 principles: e.g. Observe and Interact, Use Small and Slow Solutions, Produce No Waste

• Mollison’s insights: Everything gardens, The problem is the solution

• Vrikshayurveda: Ayurvedic plant care based on soil, water, rhythm, and herbal treatments

• The Mă-Kè Bonsai Way: Mindfulness, seasonal awareness, and ecosystem-based bonsai practice

Key Frameworks & Tools

• Design Frameworks: GoSADIMET, GADIE, Design Web, GoDREAMET, CEAP, GRAZER

• Survey & Analysis Tools: Zones, Sectors, SWOC, Pattern Observation, Soil Sampling

• Implementation Tools: GANTT Charts, Work Plans, Budgeting, Maintenance Schedules

• Creative Tools: Vision Trees, Mind Maps, Pattern Language, Action Learning Questions

See details here (PDF)

Closing Note: A Living Journey

This Diploma has been more than a certification. It has been a living journey of the soil beneath my feet, the soul within my practice, and the systems that weave them into harmony. Each design you’ve explored here is not a conclusion, but a seed. A beginning. A gesture of hope rooted in observation, care, and the courage to act regeneratively.

At Vila Pinheiro, regeneration is not just an outcome; it is a way of being. These ten designs reflect my attempt to walk that path with integrity, learning from land, tradition, and technology alike.

If you feel drawn to explore the intersection of paths like permaculture and Ayurveda, or how AI might intersect with ecology, or where philosophy meets practical design, I’d love to connect. Whether you’re a designer, a land steward, a technologist, a teacher, or simply curious, your presence is part of the pattern. Let’s grow a regenerative future together.

Let’s grow a regenerative future together.

Get in touch or connect with me via LinkedIn

Get in touch

Mark D’Cruz
Vila Pinheiro, Landal, Portugal

Phone

+351 935 820 766

Email

mark@dcruz.net