Our homestead and farm proving ground where ideas meet the land in real time. Goal: a resilient and regenerative land and infrastructure system adaptive and responsive to peak oil, climate change, resource cost increases and environmental toxicity/human health decline.

WSD was engaged by Earth Asset Partnership (www.earthasset.com) and the owners of Smokeshire Valley Preserve to create a Land Capability Prospectus so that Earth Asset could use it in its marketing and representation of this extremely significant landholding. According to Shawn Smith, Earth Asset's founder|owner & broker|counselor, "Smokeshire belongs to an emerging alternative asset class. Investment in such a property demands a level of due diligence not typical of most properties on the market. Because of my experience with Ben's work on another significant property that I represent (Teal Farm Center), I felt that his professional assessment of Smokeshire would serve as an exciting, fresh, and reliable piece of collateral for a prospective buyer to rely upon and, if they purchased the property, to use as the guiding framework for future use and stewardship of Smokeshire." Smokeshire, a nearly 2,000 acre asset in south-central Vermont, represents an increasingly rare type of landholding. Its availability offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a large, contiguous, privately managed forest with untapped land assets that can be leveraged to capitalize on the demands of emerging markets – all of which are identified and contemplated in the WSD Prospectus.

Whole Systems Design was retained by the Hotchkiss School to perform campus master planning, farm property design, campus trail map production and overall sustainable campus advising and strategy.

After conducting a planning charette in August, Whole Systems Design master planned and graphically communicated successes of the organization at both the Island School and Institute campuses.

This is part of a design for a 2nd home which is designed and is being built to serve as a secure getaway location from the owner's primary home in a major metropolitan area should an event occur or slow unfolding of events which make the client desire to do a strategic relocation temporarily or permanently to Vermont. Designed and built to be largely self-reliant, run without electricity, have backups for crucial functions, be quiet-safe-secure in times of civil unrest and other challenges. Also designed to be an enjoyable ski home in the meantime, while basic food and water security/general emergency/shtf preparedness is a background objective.

WSD planned the continuing development of Middlebury's Organic Farm into a leading model of ecological land use that addresses 21st century challenges in climate change, agriculture, ecology, & economics. The student organic farm and garden site offers a unique opportunity to address these challenges through a learning landscape that sets new standards in education for sustainability and design for climate change.

The State of Vermont hired a Whole Systems Design-led team for master planning of the Southeast State Correctional Facility's 900+ acre site in Windsor Vermont. We will be producing a vision, program and plan that will enhance inmate rehabilitation at the former working farm while regenerating agricultural practices, enhancing wildlife, recreation and other services of the site. The plan is aimed to articulate a new economic engine harnessing prison labor, regional interest in a more localized and sustainable food system, and the expansive underutilized former-farm site.

A working land use model for rural New England: The site is planned to be a redeveloped town common for the post-petroleum era. This necessitates the inclusion of localized and intensive food and fuel production, rapid carbon sequestration and topsoil formation, materials and food processing and storage, micro-business enterprise, education and connection with similar models across climates and scales around the globe. Keylining and rotational intensive grazing starting in Spring 2009. Much more to come on this project.

Teal Farm is a future-looking farm, ecological preserve, and residence seeking to prototype perpetual agriculture and energy systems capable of meeting regional food and energy needs within the tumultuous conditions of global warming, fluctuating energy supplies, and an oil-dependent global economy."Ben's ideas are not pie-in-the-sky, they are realizable. We are harvesting seaberries, quince, aronia, goumi, cold hardy kiwis, currants, cherries, plums, raspberries, strawberries, asparagus, horseradish, hazelnuts, and shiitake mushrooms – all of which were planted as part of Ben's Master Plan. Teal Farm is also producing a bumper crop of wild berries (raspberries, blackberries, thimbleberries), and mushrooms (chanterelle, oyster, lobster, pheasant back). We're in our second season of Teal Farm Center Seaberry Juice production – and the feedback from everyone who has been lucky enough to have some has been consistent "it's the best juice I've ever tasted"….and it is." - Shawn Smith

Site identification, evaluation, property procurement, master planning and site development (pending) of a post-peak oil family homestead and farm.

The dual purpose design-build space manifests the best in sustainable ecological design and construction. The structure is timber-framed entirely from lumber that has been horse-logged from the property's 4 acres of woodlot. The envelope is R40+ cellulose with Larsen truss framing. Windows are Loewen, the roof is 150+ year lifespan Vermont slate with copper detailing, interior finishes are clay plaster, cherry trim, beech floors, no VOC oils.

Adapting a historic farm and homestead to the post-peak oil age. Early Vermont farmstead on the National Historic Register undergoes future-preservation retrofits including: cherry, pear, blueberry, seaberry, currant, gooseberry, peach, walnut, oak, chestnut, and many other foods added to the existing heirloom apple grove. White oak pergola and cedar/plaster sauna added to the built elements. Gravity feed water system added to feed house and landscape from a true artesian well source.

A small-scale intensive farm raising chickens, goats, pigs, diversified vegetables, small fruits, fruit and nut trees, fish and wetland crops such as watercress. In collaboration with the clients, WSD produced a master site plan and is nearing the end of the first season of site development which has included pond design and construction, greenhouse design and construction, tree plantings and more.

An intergenerational community perennial food system designed and planted by WSD in Waitsfield Vermont, USA.

Set amid the northern hardwoods of Knoll Farm, the bathhouse serves as a communal bathing space for retreat participants. It was built to the highest ecological standards serving as an example of sustainable working landscape development for the conservation planners who attend the retreats. The structure includes a living roof, cob walls, local stone and a timber frame composed of trees from the site. This gallery covers some of the construction process from raw material to finished product.

WSD conducted site analysis and outlined development challenges, opportunities and strategies for an innovative retreat center, natural healing facility, educational campus, summer camp, monastic setting, research and development center for Tibetan medicine, art gallery and art studio, and organic farm.

Campus food garden, edible outdoor classroom & learning landscape