Architect Sim Van der Ryn and scientist Stuart Cowan develop the concept of ecological design, design that “minimizes environmentally destructive impacts by integrating itself with natural processes.” The authors acknowledge that “sustainability has become a kind of mantra of the 1990s,” used to “justify a wide variety of connventional large-scale development schemes.” As an alternative, they posit “ecological sustainability” that involves conservation, regeneration and stweardship.

Ecological design is not a utopian vision, but a practical guide for individuals, businesses and communities. The authors contend, “We have already made dramatic progress in many areas by substituting design intelligence for the extravagant use of energy and materials.” And they offer examples to back up their argument:

• Green buildings that are integrated into the environnment,
• Constructed wetlands that serve as “natural” sewage treatment plants, and
• Industrial ecosystems in which the “waste” from one process becomes the “food” for another.

The book offers principles for ecological design and a resource guide that are still relevant ten years after the book was first published.

1996, Island Press

Check out Ecological Design and other books related to eco-travel and sustainable development on the [1] California Vagabond bookshelf at Powells Books.