Art Ludwig

Art Ludwig’s mission is to develop systems and share information for a higher quality of life with lower ecological impact.

Optimal, integrated design has been his day job since 1980. His specialty is complex, deep green integrated "systems of systems” for water, waste water, energy, shelter, transportation, etc.

He takes a serious, engineer’s eye to developing simple, mostly DIY solutions that really work long term, which he publishes unpatented into the public domain.

At UC Berkeley, he developed the first laundry detergent biocompatible with plants and soil, and founded a successful manufacturing business to distribute it.

His top selling books Create an Oasis with Greywater, Water Storage, and his Laundry to Landscape DVD contain numerous original innovations, including the Branched Drain and Laundry to Landscape greywater systems.

His 500 page website, oasisdesign.net is top ranked for a wide range of topics.

Art has worked professionally on building codes in three states. He is in regular consultation with health, zoning and elected officials about sustainability policy.

His quantitative analysis of the health risks of greywater smoothed the way for more rational regulation of greywater in California, where he played a major role in the crafting of the new standards.

He dedicates approximately a thousand hours a year to public interest research and activism.

He lives with his family in a canyon above Santa Barbara in a deep green house surrounded by fruit trees.