Bioshelter Research

“Let us imagine an enclosure of virtually any scale that lets sunlight into itself and that prevents heat from escaping when the interior microclimate is too cool. It also reflects sunlight, and it dumps heat out into the night sky when its interior is too warm . Let us further conceive that, within this enclosure, sufficient heat could be stored in the ground to provide several days worth , even if the sun did not shine. We would then have a system that would maintain a very stable interior microclimate without requiring mechanical heating or cooling Let us then also imagine a building that is designed not only to provide shelter from the weather, but also to provide some food; fresh water: liquid and solid waste disposal ; space heating and cooling; power for cooking and refrigerati on; and electricity for communications, lighting and household appliances.”

Sean Wellesley-Miller and Day Chahroudi., “Bioshelter” Architecture Plus Nov/Dec 1974

From 1971 to 1991, the New Alchemy Institute conducted research and education on behalf of the planet. Among its major tasks was the creation of ecologically derived human support systems – renewable energy, agriculture, aquaculture, housing and landscapes. One of its major achievements was the testing of bioshelters – solar greenhouses which enclose ecosystems of food crops, fish ponds, soil life, and indoor wildlife

This Guidebook is a brief overview of New Alchemy’s research into bioshelters, including prototypes that were built, conceptual designs, and computer models of imaginary structures.

Earle Barnhart

New Alchemy’s first proto-bioshelter was a small cheap plastic dome placed over a small cheap inflated wading pool. The pond was used to grow edibleTilapia fish.

Several larger domes (polyethylene on wood frame) were built over in-ground ponds lined with polyethylene. Food plants were grown in the soil around the pond and were irrigated with warm, nutrient-rich pond water. Later a stronger dome was made with a wood frame and double-glazed fiberglass, over a 3000 gallon in-ground plastic-lined pond.

This structure tested more durable materials :

- a low-slope plexiglass cover over an insulated cement fishpond

The “ Six-Pack” Backyard Solar Greenhouse- 1975

 - built to test materials to be used in the PEI Ark

- cylindrical outer fiberglass glazing for stiffness and diffusion

- multiple inner layers of “Heat Mirror”

- reflective insulated north roof

- cement fish pond in-ground

The Ark was an early exploration into synthesizing ideas of solar heating, winter food production, fish farming, and indoor ecological agriculture. Built as a research bioshelter in 1976, it was used to study the energy dynamics of solar structures and the biochemistry and ecology of contained ecosystems.

The research showed that a specialized solar greenhouse in the Cape Cod climate could maintain a healthy, livable interior climate and could produce fresh food, needing minimal winter fuel.

Cape Cod Ark – 2007

 - steel frame

- glazing with glass and triple-layer polycarbonate

- additions of bottom and top vents

- new solar house attached to the north with a high connecting roof

- rock box chamber used for solar hot water storage

- PV solar panels (electricity ) and solar hot water panels

Prince Edward Island Ark –  1976

 - designed and built by Solsearch architects (now BGHJ PEI, Canada)

- combines greenhouse, residential house, storage/barn space, solar aquaculture ponds, and active solar hot air and hot water heating systems .

Paul Sun’s Village Dome  - 1980

- concept/design by Paul Sun, Architect, Boston MA.

- presented in New Alchemy’s “ The Village as Solar Ecology – Design Conference Proceedings”

- combines village-scale dome bioshelter with earth-sheltered housing

- each house opens to both interior and exterior spaces

- design allows rainwater catchment and gravity distribution, as well as multi-unit utility services of heat/water/electricity

Arkipelago : A Bioshelter Apartment – 1980

 - by Jan Atkins, presented in New Alchemy’s “ The Village as Solar Ecology-Design Conference Proceedings”

- designed for Maine climate

Malcolm Wells’ Meandering Greenway - 1981

- designed by Malcolm Wells, based on sketch by John Todd

- this bioshelter creates a year-round greenway meandering througha landscape, adapting to slopes and contours

- lines of solar ponds inside serve as thermal mass, aquaculture, irrigation, rainwater storage, and wastewater purification, and as linear rivers to move water from place to place.

“Imagine living outdoors indoors in a transparent dome, picking organically grown vegetables right in your kitchen, sleeping in a bed under luxuriant trees or slung beneath the opened apex, comfortable regardless of the weather outside. Your autonomous garden home is heated and cooled by the sun, which also provides electricity and hot water. Solar heat is stored in translucent water tanks that nurture edible fish and furnish nutrient rich irrigation water for the plants …”

J. Baldwin. “The Garden of Eden” Buckyworks 1996.

- designed and built by J.Baldwin, at New Alchemy, Cape Cod

- 50 foot diameter, aluminum tube frame, lightweight structure, minimum shading

- triple-wall inflated pillows made of Tefzel (a flurocarbon polymer), inflated with argon gas

Computer Modeling of Bioshelters  – 1981 , 1982

- computer simulations of domes and other shapes to predict light levels and temperature extremes.

For all shapes except the shallowest dome, some reflective insulation up the north wall to about 15 degrees results in higher light levels on the ground, since some light that would have gone out the north wall is reflected back inside.

For all shapes, reflective insulation up the north wall to about 40 degrees results in higher interior temperatures, since some heat that would have gone out the north wall is retained inside. However, light levels are reduced

Note that a quonset shape maintains significantly higher temperatures than the other shapes.

Residential Quonset Bioshelters - 1983

- designs proposed by Earle Barnhart as residential bioshelter concepts

- quonset shaped

- suited for rainwater catchment, water storage and gravity distribution

- internal thermal mass wall for utilitiy lines, water storage, heat management equipment

- designs by architect Frank Oliva to New Alchemy as residential bioshelter concepts

- half greenhouse, half residence

- rainwater collected from house roof, stored and gravity-distributed to multi-level ponds and plant beds

Composting Greenhouse -1984

- designed and built by Bruce Fulford, at New Alchemy, Cape Cod.

- used to research the concept of heating a greenhouse with the heat from compost

- inexpensive hoop house; double polyethylene, inflated glazing

Future Bioshelters

While New Alchemy’s work offers promising directions for future bioshelters, many other researchers have created bioshelter structures that contain valuable concepts :

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Mahatma Gandi

IX. Agriculture & Aquaculture in Bioshelters : The New Alchemy Experience.

X. The Energetics of Solar Pond Aquaculture. by John Wolfe