Cradle-to-cradle building design is thus the process of discovering beneficial, fitting ways for humans to inhabit the landscape. In every landscape, nature is our guide. We study landforms, hydrology, vegetation and climate, trying to understand all the natural systems at play in each place we work. We investigate environmental and cultural history, study local energy flows, and explore the cycles of sunlight, shade and water. Out of these investigations comes an “essay of clues” – a map for developing healthy and creatively interactive relationships between our designs and the natural world.