Planning
Design is an opportunity to continue telling the story.
The protracted and thoughtful nature of Permaculture encourages using the outputs of one system as the inputs to another and strongly emphasizes an iterative mechanism for feedback and progressive design. In Permaculture, sustainability is achieved when a system produces or stores more energy than is required to keep it going, notably banking on today’s sunlight, not on fossil fuels. Permaculture design emphasizes the patterning of landscape, function, and species assemblies. It asks the question, "Where does this (element) go? How is it placed for maximum benefit in the system?" In designing the Earth Basket we followed a series of steps to arrive at the different features of this area. We know that stability and resilience of this project would depend on the notion that everything is connected to everything else, every function is supported by many elements and that every element should serve many functions.
The existing dumping ground poses risks such as odor, smoke, noise, bugs, and water supply contamination. There were signs of burning waste; including plastic in this area. This poses a threat to the health of those who live and work nearby. It also results in leachate, a liquid produced by dumpsites, contaminating nearby water sources, further damaging ecosystems. Because of constant piling of organic matter mixed with plastic waste, over the existing land, many areas are very unstable for building structures. There should be a targeted effort to take out as much plastic from this area.
We want to provide the guests with an authentic Zanzibari farm (shamba) feeling, to produce fruits, vegetables and medicinals to The Residence's restaurants, to have pleasing water features, provide additional activities for kids, to have an outdoor kitchen and dining area for guests, to provide cooking classes for guests from the Earth Basket produce, to have farm animals, to provide propagation area, to provide toolshed, to handle organic waste from kitchen and landscaping through composting and soil building.
The existing dumping ground poses risks such as odor, smoke, noise, bugs, and water supply contamination. There were signs of burning waste; including plastic in this area. This poses a threat to the health of those who live and work nearby. It also results in leachate, a liquid produced by dumpsites, contaminating nearby water sources, further damaging ecosystems. Because of constant piling of organic matter mixed with plastic waste, over the existing land, many areas are very unstable for building structures. There should be a targeted effort to take out as much plastic from this area.
We want to provide the guests with an authentic Zanzibari farm (shamba) feeling, to produce fruits, vegetables and medicinals to The Residence's restaurants, to have pleasing water features, provide additional activities for kids, to have an outdoor kitchen and dining area for guests, to provide cooking classes for guests from the Earth Basket produce, to have farm animals, to provide propagation area, to provide toolshed, to handle organic waste from kitchen and landscaping through composting and soil building.
Features of the Earth basket
Creating a "shamba" feel
We are setting up the following features: a green archway, symbolizing the portal and entrance to the Earth Basket; a flower, medicinals and herb garden; a kitchen and restaurant with an open toilet replicating similar design elements from the main building to have a sense of connection to the overall design at The Residence, still using natural materials to create a shamba feel; a reed bed, which acts as a biological water filtration system, where grey water from the toilet and kitchen would be filtered and treated through the reed bed system and then reused to irrigate the trees; a biogas system; a small cosy tree house which will add a thrilling experience to children and adults alike; vegetable beds and trellises as well as terraced vegetable beds including earthbag constructions for retaining walls; an additional open air dining below naturally-shaded Indian almond tree; a terraced ponds with water lilies to enhance biodiversity and wildlife; a nursery with sink and potting table and toolshed; worm beds as they are the foundation of a productive and healthy garden as well as a composting and soil building area. Furthermore a dragon fruit farm; pergolas for walkway and local benches ("Barazza’s"); chicken, goat and duck houses with a pond; stingless bee hives and many shaded cool areas for seating.
Our theme
"Think globally - Act locally"