Self-sustaining villages start here
For us, The ARK is about pioneering contemporary regenerative villages around the world. We’re doing this without relying on excessive external investment, which allows us to focus on benefiting the community members — not the investors.
Everyone knows that real estate development is expensive. It demands significant upfront capital, a professional team, large operational costs, and often, additional bank financing. This system works for standard real estate developments, but not for communities like ecovillages.
Ecovillages, unlike traditional developments, offer a response to capitalist and post-capitalist models. They’re about change — a new way of living. As Einstein said, “You can’t solve a problem using the same consciousness that created it.” Different approaches are needed, especially when it comes to financing.
When investors come into play, everything shifts. Community interests get compromised, and suddenly, it’s all about the ROI. Community members are no longer neighbors; they’re clients and consumers, reduced to numbers. We’ve all seen projects like this — real estate developments disguised as communities. They market the concept because it sells. People are seeking alternative ways of living, and they buy into this idea.
At The ARK, we face challenges that standard real estate developments don’t. Yet, we are determined to stay true to our values. Community-building is complex, and the unseen costs of infrastructure — roads, electricity, water — are significant but often overlooked by future residents.
It’s not surprising that many community founders turn to outside funding, unknowingly falling into the capitalist trap. Who doesn’t want beautiful underground electricity in their project? But in rural areas, where governmental infrastructure is lacking, these improvements come at a high cost.
However, one solution that often gets overlooked is energy autonomy. It’s not always considered due to a lack of knowledge, trust, or expertise. I was lucky to serve as the Director of Content, Events, and Post-Use at Expo 2017 Astana, which was dedicated to future energy and technology. Even in 2017, we had the technology to create fully autonomous, remote villages without needing to connect to the electrical grid. Since then, these solutions have become even more accessible.
So, when we started planning The ARK’s infrastructure in 2021, there was no debate about which direction to take. Installing an expensive electrical grid, which would tether our community to a system where members pay monthly bills to the state, seemed absurd.
If we were truly creating a new way of living, this new way had to embrace all the freedoms technology could provide. The solutions were already there — we just needed to make them work for the entire project.
After countless hours of research, provider meetings, and system comparisons, we developed a solution: solar panels and batteries sufficient for at least two homes (with four people per house) per lot, all included in the land price.
Now, our residents live without electricity bills or power outages. Electric cars — which seem to be the future of transportation — can be charged free of charge, eliminating gas bills as well. Our residents have complete control over their energy.
It might not be a one-size-fits-all solution for every community development, but it’s a clear example of how embracing different approaches can lead to better outcomes.
Sometimes, the solutions are there, you just have to be open to them.
