Design - Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration - page 79

Chapter 6
Design
Restoration design can be a challenging, iterative process requiring the individual to satisfy the
project requirements (goals and objectives) while balancing the scope, schedule, and cost con-
straints of the project. Design is the plan or intention of an action or object prior to its actually
being built or executed. We consider any conscious decision to make modifications (e.g., species
introduction, reestablishment of fire) as an act of design.
Several tasks contribute to the final project design, and when they are combined, we refer to
this portion of the project as design development. We begin by describing a conceptual restoration
design. Then we discuss design development, in which the details of the design are worked out
and conflicts in the design are resolved prior to the producing the project plans (fig. 6-1).
Developing the Conceptual Design and Concept Plan
The process of translating the project requirements into project plans begins with the development
of a schematic diagram of the major project features. Several methods can be used to accomplish
part of the design. Several drawing/mapping computer programs can be used, including ArcInfo
and CADD. The diagram shown in figure 6-2, which is sometimes referred to as the “'bubble'” di-
agram because of its bubble-like shapes, is used to depict the key elements of the design. It begins
with a scaled plan (or base map) that depicts the existing features on the project site.
In many cases, the best base map to use for the concept design is the site analysis plan. Working
in a small group to allow everyone to participate in the design process, we begin by diagramming
key project features using a thin overlay of tracing paper on top of the site analysis plan. Whether
you use this technique or a computer program, you should allow for making changes of varying
magnitude and frequency. We use a broad felt-tipped pen to draw the proposed design on the
tracing paper. This technique provides a connection between the field analysis and the project
requirements. The bubble shapes represent the key project features that the design is required to
contain. For example, in figure 6-2, one bubble represents a riparian area that is to remain. Here,
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