The Ark was a
bioshelter
A bioshelter is a solar greenhouse managed as an indoor ecosystem. The word bioshelter was coined by the New Alchemy Institute and solar designers Sean Wellesley-Miller and Day Chahroudi.Todd, N.J. and Todd J., 1994. From Eco-Cities to Living Mach ...
constructed in
Spry Point, Prince Edward Island
Little Pond is a community in Prince Edward Island, located in Lot 56 of Kings County.
The community attracted media attention in 2010 when the home of a gay couple living in the community was firebombed. Both men escaped the fire unharmed, but t ...
, designed by architects David Bergmark and
Ole Hammarlund
Ole Hammarlund is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the 2019 Prince Edward Island general election. He represents the district of Charlottetown-Brighton as a member of the Green Party of ...
, incorporating
sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture is architecture that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings through improved efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, development space and the ecosystem at large. Sustainable ...
technologies developed by the
New Alchemy Institute
The New Alchemy Institute was a research center that did pioneering investigation into organic agriculture, aquaculture and bioshelter design between 1969 and 1991. It was founded by John Todd, Nancy Jack Todd, and William McLarney. Its purpose wa ...
. Construction began in 1975 and was completed in 1976.
Bergmark's family lived in the Ark for about 18 months from its opening in 1976, demonstrating its potential as a residential structure. It was then used for research in alternative energy by the government of
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
. Over the next decade it was used for various community and commercial activities, including a motel, before being sold and converted to a restaurant in 1991. The restaurant was sold in the late 1990s and the building was demolished.
Today, the Inn at Spry Point stands on the former site of the Ark.
Further reading
*
References
External links
PEI Ark Catalogue
Buildings and structures in Kings County, Prince Edward Island
Residential buildings completed in 1976
Demolished buildings and structures in Canada
Sustainable buildings in Canada
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