| content |
 |
This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (November 2008) |
Arcosanti is an experimental town that began construction in 1970 in central Arizona, 70 miles (110 km) north of Phoenix, at Coordinates: , elevation 3,732 feet (1,130 meters). Architect Paolo Soleri, using a concept he calls arcology (a portmanteau of architecture and ecology), started the town to demonstrate how urban conditions could be improved while minimizing the destructive impact on the earth.
Contents |
Overview
Arcosanti is being built on 25 acres (0.1 km²) of a 4,060 acre (16 km²) land preserve, keeping its inhabitants near the natural countryside. The Arcosanti web site describes how an arcology functions in Arcosanti: "The built and the living interact as organs would in a highly evolved being. Many systems work together, with efficient circulation of people and resources, multi-use buildings, and solar orientation for lighting, heating and cooling." Paolo Soleri is the founding architect of Arcosanti. Soleri coined the term Arcology.1 In an arcology, architecture and ecology come together in the design of the city. The major concepts of an arcology are complexity, miniaturization, and duration.
The long-term design of Arcosanti has changed somewhat multiple times since work began. The eventual target population is somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000. The current population generally varies between 70 and 160, depending on the number of students and interns working at the time. Existing structures include a four-story visitors' center/cafe/gift shop, the bronze-casting apse (quarter-dome) carefully situated to admit maximal winter sun and minimal summer sun, a ceramics apse, two large barrel vaults, a ring of apartment residences and storefronts around an outdoor amphitheatre, a community swimming pool, an office complex, and Soleri's suite. A two-bedroom "Sky Suite" occupies the highest point in the complex and is available for overnight guests.
In Arcosanti, apartments, businesses, production, technology, open space, studios, and educational and cultural events are all accessible, while privacy is paramount in the overall design. Greenhouses are planned to provide gardening space for public and private use, and act as solar collectors for winter heat.
Architecturally, Arcosanti is remarkable for its use of tilt-up concrete panels cast in a bed of silt from the local landscape. The silt gives the concrete a unique texture and color, helping the structure to blend with the land. Art is ever-present in the city, with most ceilings having silt-cast art panels embedded on them. All rooftops are accessible, adding another dimension to the city. The intricate, organic design of the city maximizes land use, so the city feels much bigger than it actually is. Similarly, the entire population of the city may be small, but living closely in a dynamic environment increases interactions and bonds, creating abundant stimulus and opportunity.
The city serves as an educational complex where workshops and classes are offered. Students from around the world are constructing Arcosanti. In addition, many tourists visit Arcosanti each year. The Cosanti Foundation routinely exaggerates this number as "50,000" in order to keep the State of Arizona-sponosored "Arcosanti Next Exit" sign on the freeway. The actual number of visitors is much lower.citation needed
Funds to build Arcosanti are raised through the sale of windbells. More funds are raised from workshop tuitions, which people ("workshoppers") pay for a five-week hands-on experience. Workshoppers, together with the resident construction crew, are the principal means by which Arcosanti is constructed.
Jon Jerde acknowledged Paolo Soleri as being one of his influences, and continues to build arcologies throughout the world.
Criticism
 |
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (November 2008) |
Arcosanti has been criticized for a lack of funding to realize its vision within a practical timeframe.citation needed
It has been suggested that even if any major discoveries or theories are achieved through the gradual development of the Arcosanti project, there is now no formal structure to gather, record, and disseminate these ideas to interested stakeholders. The internet, however, may be a perfect host for these purposes.
Others argue that Arcosanti has succeeded more as an educational project.citation needed It has hosted over 6,000 participants over what has been almost 40 years. Each person that participates brings part of their experience home with them and to their communities and professional disciplines, disseminating the principles learned.
References
- ^ Paolo Soleri Biography, Arcosanti.org
See also
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Arcosanti |
External links
- Official Arcosanti website
- Arcosanti alumni address book
- The Arcosanti Work Song (c)1972
- Andrea Sachs, "Arcosanti: A 'City' Grows Green in the Arizona Desert", Washington Post, April 20, 2008
- Chris Colin, "Sipping From a Utopian Well in the Desert", New York Times, September 16, 2007
