OUR STORY & TEAM

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​The Ark was originally designed and built in 2013 by Coll Bell, a keen inventor and boat builder by trade.  Coll was frustrated with the paper work and expense of building a granny flat/cabin on his property; so he came up with a solution. Since the council will allow you to store a boat without consent, then why not build a houseboat bestowing a small kitchenette, bathroom, & loft.   

With the present day risk of climate change and sea level rising, Coll achieved his desire of having a granny flat with an environmental conscience.

Fast-forward a couple of years and Ark Designs is in full swing.  Keeping the design in the family, Coll’s daughter Melany and son in law Anton decided to see where the Ark could take them.  From here the Ark has been systematically refined, allowing for an affordable housing solution alongside the ever-popular tiny house movement.

Alas, the concept of the Ark not needing building consent has not survived the clutches of the M.B.I.E.  Needless to say, this has not stopped the voyage and progression of the Ark.  Ark Designs has achieved a multi-proof approval, which means our designs have been pre-approved by the M.B.I.E, making the building consent process more straight-forward.