ARCHIMEDE INSTITUTE


1980-1985

1980 is the year when Jacques Poirier, our founding derector at the Institute and Placide Poulin, a successful businessman got together to set up Archimede Systems Inc. This new housing manufacturer set in Eastern Quebec got its start in an incredibly bad financial crisis (interest rates at around 20%!) yet quickly sold hundreds of revolutionary houses in several countries. Based on the rhombic dodecahedral geometry as shown in our top of the page spinner, these shells were incredibly sturdy*. Poirier designed the machinery and modified an injection process he had earlier learned in the RV and in the ski business. Canadian and US Patents were granted in 84, at which time Poirier chose to pursue the development of these ideas in the US, seling his Canadian Patent to his partner(s).