Integral Design

An ecological approach to design is also a profoundly integral approach to design. It combines a wide range of disciplines and considerations, including long term ecological sustainability (impact on local/regional ecosystems, nonhuman species, future generations), local conditions (sun, wind, water, terrain, material availability), culture and traditions (including local building traditions and that of similar ecoregions), environmental and social psychology (how our physical surroundings influence our behavior, quality of life and well being), and many other areas. It is also a profoundly humble approach to design, taking the cues from the local and regional surroundings, nature, and vernacular traditions. It is human and Earth centered (rather than designer or idea centered).