Montreal’s Biosphere Environmental Museum Resides Inside Massive Buckminster Fuller Geodesic Dome

Posted By Lori Zimmer On February 6, 2012 @ 5:56 pm In Architecture,carousel showcase,Eco Tourism,gallery,Renewable Energy | 2 Comments

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Looking much like the Epcot Center in Disney World, Montreal’s Biosphere ^[6] is in fact a museum dedicated to the environment. Originally built as the United States' pavilion for the 1967 World Fair Expo ^[7], the dome was repurposed into a museum in 1990. The interactive museum ^[8] initially showcased the water ecosystem of the Great Lakes region, but has since expanded to encompasses environmental issues such as climate change, air, eco-technologies and sustainable development.

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The Biosphere is one of the only museums of its kind, dedicated solely to the environment and environmental education. Each of the halls in the museum are dedicated to a series of rotating exhibitions, such as recycling, water issues of the world ^[10], and even trash trackers, which teaches visitors just what happens when they throw something away. Most recently, Inhabitat visited the O.N.E. Fashion exhibition ^[11], which featured pieces by 16 designers who upcycled consumer garbage into innovative fashions.

The geodesic pavilion was originally designed by Buckminster Fuller ^[12], but several green technologies have been added since the additional buildings were constructed inside in 1995. Inside of the orb, two types of wind turbines- a horizontal domestic model and a vertical commercial model- were installed to educate the public and provide green energy. The naturally windy peak on St. Helen’s island ^[13] helps the turbines generate 18kW per day.

Although Inhabitat visited in the winter, the Biosphere has a lush green roof and indoor garden ^[14], which reduce energy needs for the building as well as extend the park inside the sphere. When the museum was established in 1995, a geothermic system was also installed, drawing from an open loop in the water table 90 meters below the surface. The sphere is also surrounded with a natural wastewater filtration system ^[15], made up of indigenous wetland plants that treat 80% of the building’s wastewaters.

The Ecoological Solar House sits in front of the geodesic sphere ^[16]. The self-sufficient solar powered house is a model home not for the future, but for the eco-conscious of today. Created with a minimal environmental footprint, it fuses energy efficiency with comfort. Solar panels line the roof ^[17], and it is positioned to maximize solar efficiency. The building materials are durable yet recyclable, and sustainably sourced. Thermal solar panels heat and cool along with a radiant floor, and a green roof and wall aids in water filtration, insulation, and provide edibles for the inhabitants.

Both the Biosphere and the Ecoological Solar House ^[18] teach visitors that greening their lifestyles is not only easy, but effective and necessary. From adaptive reuse of the World Fair Pavilion to setting up an eco-house of the future, the Biosphere Environmental Museum is an icon of modern environmentalism ^[19].

+ Montreal Biosphere Environmental Museum ^[6]

All Images ©Lori Zimmer ^[20] for Inhabitat

Article printed from Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building: http://inhabitat.com

URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/photos-biosphere-environmental-museum-resides-inside-a-buckminster-fuller-masterpiece/

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[3] Email: mailto:?subject=http://inhabitat.com/photos-biosphere-environmental-museum-resides-inside-a-buckminster-fuller-masterpiece/

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[5]  : http://inhabitat.com/photos-biosphere-environmental-museum-resides-inside-a-buckminster-fuller-masterpiece/biosphere18/?extend=1

[6] Biosphere: http://www.ec.gc.ca/biosphere/default.asp?lang=En&n=3C2E8507-1

[7] 1967 World Fair Expo: http://inhabitat.com/video-buckminster-fuller-institute-announces-2010-challenge-winner/

[8] interactive museum: http://inhabitat.com/lpas-explorocean-newport-beach-museum-is-draped-in-green-capped-with-solar-panels/

[9] Image: http://inhabitat.com/photos-biosphere-environmental-museum-resides-inside-a-buckminster-fuller-masterpiece/biosphere9/

[10] water issues of the world: http://inhabitat.com/epa-to-provide-clean-drinking-water-to-families-near-fracking-sites-in-pennsylvania/

[11] O.N.E. Fashion exhibition: http://www.ecouterre.com/montreal-artists-transform-industry-garbage-into-high-end-fashions/

[12] Buckminster Fuller: http://inhabitat.com/50-year-old-buckminster-fuller-project-in-ohio-gets-a-7-million-upgrade/

[13] St. Helen’s island: http://inhabitat.com/montreals-snow-village-is-a-hotel-and-bar-made-entirely-from-ice/

[14] green roof and indoor garden: http://inhabitat.com/gorgeous-green-roofed-2-bar-house-springs-up-in-menlo-park-ca/

[15] natural wastewater filtration system: http://inhabitat.com/floating-pool-could-clean-the-water-in-pragues-vltava-river/

[16] geodesic sphere: http://inhabitat.com/the-roskildes-beautiful-geodesic-dome-looks-like-a-tortoise-in-a-field/

[17] Solar panels line the roof: http://inhabitat.com/electric-utility-to-buy-university-of-marylands-solar-decathlon-winning-watershed-house/

[18] Solar House: http://inhabitat.com/ignatov-architects-super-efficient-solar-equinox-passivhaus-tracks-the-sun/

[19] modern environmentalism: http://inhabitat.com/montreals-historic-fairmont-the-queen-elizabeth-hotel-grows-its-own-produce-on-an-edible-roof-garden/

[20] Lori Zimmer: http://www.artnerdnewyork.com

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