The Ecosa Institute was founded in 1996 by Arcosanti alumnus Tony Brown. His dedication to issues of sustainability and ecological design developed after joining Paolo Soleri's Cosanti Foundation where he worked for thirteen years on conceptual designs for a new vision of urban settlements. He worked with Soleri as architect in residence supervising both design and construction. Tony Brown: 'It became clear that only a design education that is comprehensive, interactive, and innovative can bring any understanding of a subject as complex as ecological design'.
[Image: Ecosa Institute & Text: sa]
Ecosa Spring Semester 2004 focuses on Sustainable Design. The class visits Arcosanti for 2 days of lectures and hands-on activities.
[Photo: Mirelle Packer & Text: sa]
Paolo Soleri's method of construction with silt is widely used at Cosanti and Arcosanti. The silt workshop provides instruction in the use of this versatile material.
[Photo: Mirelle Packer & Text: sa]
The Ecosa group had a tour of the Arcosanti planning department and visited Soleri archives. Arcosanti chief of Design, Tomiaki Tamura, gave a presentation on the sustainable design aspects of the Arcosanti project and Paolo Soleri's design philosophy. For hands-on experience the group helped with plaster application in the East Crescent complex and worked on a project in agriculture.
[Photo & Text: sa]
Paolo Soleri met with the students for an hour of Q&A. The group also participated in the weekly 'School of Thought'.
For more information on the Ecosa program contact their web-site at www.ecosainstitute.org.
To schedule a special tour or workshop at Arcosanti contact Kelli Huth in our Public Relations department.
[Photo & Text: sa]
Leslie Helpert came to Arcosanti on 4/21 to give a special performance for the Arcosanti community and friends. We thank her for sharing her beautiful voice with us in a dynamic mixture of music and spoken word. To find out more about Leslie go to her website. In the photo Leslie warms up for the evening performance.
[Photo & Text: sa]
The twice delayed and much anticipated garden tea party finally took place in the beautiful peach orchard in camp.
[Photo: Carolyn Campbell & text: sa]
Croquet.
[Photo: Carolyn Campbell & text: sa]
Bocce ball.
[Photo: Carolyn Campbell & text: sa]
Badminton.
[Photo: Carolyn Campbell & text: sa]
Cards. Everyone had a very enjoyable time.
[Photo: Carolyn Campbell & text: sa]
SCHOOL OF THOUGHT is a weekly dialogue with Paolo Soleri, open to the public, held at Arcosanti every Wednesday 4 - 5 pm. Every week a different subject is discussed. Topic papers are available at the session or on-line at
[Photo & Text: sa]
Paolo Soleri, at 84, is still very fond of philosophical discussion.
[Photo: Peter Waldenberger & Text: sa]
Moderator Jim Huth [middle, next to Paolo], prepares and reads topic papers, and adds a sparkle of humor to the conversation.
[Photo & Text: sa]
Paolo Soleri.
[Photo: Peter Waldenberger & Text: sa]
A crew from BACDON FLOORS in Camp Verde mixes gypcrete for three rooms on the second floor of the East Crescent complex.
[Photo: Haley Byrd & Text: sa]
The soupy gypcrete is pumped to the second floor. Note the elevated rubber boots to protect the hydronic system.
[Photo: Haley Byrd & Text: sa]
Floors were finished in the main rooms of Unit 6 and Unit 7 and in the light-scoop apartment of Unit 7.
[Photo & Text: sa]
The main room in Unit 7 will be a classroom. Here are the connections to the main solar panel behind the Crescent and its storage batteries. Plumbing, ducts and the hydronic system control are left exposed for future class instruction in solar system set-up and utilities.
[Photo & Text: sa]
In the East Crescent complex, the workshop and construction crew prepare the second floor of Unit 7 for a hydronic floor heating system.
[Photo: Mirelle Packer & Text: sa]
The heating coils have to be carefully secured to the metal mesh, which sits on a layer of styrofoam.
[Photo: Mirelle Packer & Text: sa]
The system is in place.
[Photo & Text: sa]
Planned wall partitions and built-in cabinet spaces are marked.
[Photo: Haley Byrd & Text: sa]
The completed hydronic system connects into a control unit on the wall. Next step will be to pour a layer of gypcrete to cover the system.
[Photo: Haley Byrd & Text: sa]
The backdrop panels on the Colly Soleri Amphitheater stage get a facelift, to prepare for the 2004 Events series.
[Photo & Text: sa]
Maintenance crew member Mark Wigham [left] and Jack Appelt [right].
[Photo & Text: sa]
Maintenance crew member Mark Baris.
Check our home page for news on upcoming events.
[Photo & Text: sa]
It is Spring break and past and present resident children are having a fun week. Robert is warning the Smithsonian Exhibition robot, in the Arcosanti Visitors Center, to keep his distance.
[Photo & Text: sa]
The riverbed below camp is a great place to play. >left> Adrienne and Tristan. >right> Charlie, Anisa and Robert.
[Photo & Text: sa]
The kids visit a clutch of new chickens in the Arcosanti gardens. Tristan.
[Photo & Text: sa]
Chickens and ducks. Tristan and Charlie.
[Photo & Text: sa]
The kids investigate the new aquaponic pond in the greenhouse. Tristan, Charlie and Adrienne.
[Photo & Text: sa]
And there is always a good sand-pile to play in. Charlie, Tristan, Robert and Anisa.
[Photo & Text: sa]
Welcome to the workshop of April 11:
>>top from left: Janet Schurmann, Graziella Pazzanese, Ben Powell and Yuki Yanagimoto.
>>front from left: Joachim Schurmann, Scott Dolan, Alecia Stewart and Masami Sakata. >not pictured> Silvia Pazzanese.
[Photo & Text: sa]
Congratulations to March 7. workshop participants for completing their 5 week program today. >>top from left: Luigi Ciaccia, Jack Appelt, Sean Smith, Mark Baris, Dino Orsato, Guido Parigi and workshop coordinator Kelli Huth. >>middle from left: Chieko Shimizu, Takeshi Notsuki, Tomoya Shiota and Haruhisa Nakada. >>bottom from left: Jacob Schwartz, Ryoko Yamanaka, Maki Minakuchi and Takako Ueyama.
[Photo & Text: sa]
The architecture of a butterfly delights the eye and comprehension. This beauty visits the vine-leaves next to Easthousing.
[Photo: Siobhan Watts & Text: sa]
'Farewell' to Ayano Atsumi [front middle white shirt]. Ayano has been part of the Soleri Archives team for the past 9 months. Her contributions and hard work have pushed the ongoing work in archives many steps forward. Her thoughtful input has made a lot of the tasks more efficient. We thank Ayano for all of her good work and we will miss her.
[Photo: Siobhan Watts & Text: sa]
It rained all night and continues through the day, a rare occasion here at Arcosanti.
[Photo: Yuki & Text: sa]
For rainy day activity the work-shoppers help in the foundry.
[Photo & Text: sa]
The Civil Engineering students from Osaka go over their drawings, to wait out the rain to continue their surveying.
[Photo & Text: sa]
The parched desert breathes an almost audible sigh of relief.
[Photo & Text: sa]