Designer Profile: Mark D'Cruz
Integrating Systems Thinking with Regenerative Design
Mark D'Cruz is a regenerative designer, educator, and systems thinker whose practice weaves together ancient traditions and contemporary methodologies. His background spans over four decades in IT consultancy, digital transformation, and higher education, which now inform his work in permaculture, ecological design, and land-based learning.
Rooted in the contemplative discipline of bonsai and influenced by Indian ecological traditions such as Vrikshayurveda, Mark’s approach emphasises the deep interrelationship between people, place, and practice. His work is grounded in permaculture ethics and enriched by original frameworks such as GRAZER, GODREAMET and D.H.A.R.M.A., which support spiral-based learning, applied reflection, and context-sensitive design.
Mark is the founder of Mă-Kè Bonsai and of Vila Pinheiro, a regenerative learning site in Central Portugal. There, he integrates silvopasture, Ayurveda, seed saving, and mindful land stewardship into community-centred education. He delivers workshops and online courses on bonsai, permaculture design, regenerative health, and action learning, with an emphasis on accessibility, systems literacy, and cultural sensitivity.
His vision, “Advancing Regeneration through Technology,” aims to bridge ecological design with digital tools, education, and pattern literacy. Whether mentoring students, creating kitchen gardens, or designing agroecological systems, Mark seeks to cultivate living patterns that regenerate both landscape and livelihood.
Mark’s Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design brings together ten diverse projects across land, learning, livelihood, and personal transformation. His work demonstrates how permaculture can serve not just as a land-use method, but as a lifelong design philosophy rooted in ethics, learning, and care.