Arkna Eco-Park

In Rakvere, Estonia, within 100 kilometers of Tallinn, a 16th-century manor estate became the seed for a self-reliant eco-park. The 671-hectare Arkna site dates back to 1527, and the brief was to make a heritage destination that could sustain itself well into the future. Except developed the masterplan and the park's full identity.

The integrated plan ties together the things a place usually treats separately. On-site dairy, cheese, herbs, bread, and vegetable production feed the community and the manor, and those food systems are woven into the park's energy and waste systems through closed loops wherever possible. Except produced a series of system maps to build the strategy, and carried the design down to events schedules, building guidelines, and even employee clothing.

A distinctive addition is the EU-supported Polydome, a polyculture greenhouse for fresh produce. Alongside the restored manor, the park holds a wellness center, botanical gardens, artisan workshops, and a working sustainable farm, set in open woodland meant to restore mind and body as much as land.

What makes Arkna regenerative is that the historical estate is not preserved as a museum piece but reactivated as a living, productive system. It generates its own food and revenue, supports the surrounding community and producers, and shows that a self-reliant living environment can be commercially viable. The park has been in operation since 2015.