At Permaculture Designs Cyprus, we’re continually expanding and exploring our designs by investing in technology and new developments. We recognized at an early stage of our work the opportunity to utilize 3D as a vital part of our design process and project delivery, and a great way of testing our ideas. 3D is one aspect of our innovative approach to help our customers who have a hard time visualizing designs from 2D drawings to see how a design will look like before it is physically built.

 
Why is 3D design important?
By designing in 3D we can see and realize things that would not be possible in a 2D design. It allows us to visualize exactly how much space a design element or object takes and helps us decide on the most appropriate design strategies, drawing concepts, plans, sections, zones, elevations, materials, technology and implementation phases. We can also review the design with the client using the 3D walkthrough software giving them a glimpse of what their property will look like in different stages in the future.

Benefits of 3D design
3D is a great communication tool for both the designer and the customer: it lays the foundation for the project's coordination and becomes an excellent way to avoid costly design and construction mistakes. It can also demonstrate how things like the sun path, shadows of structures or plants will affect different areas or, for example, how the wind is moving around.

Some of the advantages are:

• It offers limitless possibilities when exploring surfaces, forms and spaces, and helps in understanding plot levels and spatial arrangements.

• Gives a clear understanding of water volume and movement for rainwater harvesting and management in dams, swales, and bio-retention areas, helping us to tackle flooding and erosion more effectively.

• Provides information for earthworks (natural rock formations, slopes, contour levels) and landscape transitions, road levels, safety and operational access for equipment and and maintenance, existing vegetation etc.

• Helps testing ideas and concepts using different materials, dimensions and approaches and giving a clear understanding to contractors and implementation teams by providing structural drawings, fabrication drawings and material lists.  

• Aids in coordination and project management between the different people involved by helping to effectively prepare a time schedule and the different phases of the project.

• Offers the opportunity for detailed design by illustrating the different structures and elements in the design, like buildings, feature walls, dams, swales, fences, windbreaks, firebreaks, commercial settings, access roads and pathways, power lines and energy production areas (i.e. PV systems and wind generators), vegetation (existing trees, orchards, veggie patches etc.), animal areas and many more.

• Portrays future developments, such as the location and phase of additional buildings, earthworks and water structures, new plantings or animal areas, commercial enterprises etc.