Teacher Mrs. Susan Thompson, from Cactus High School in Glendale, brought 74 students from her Global Humanities Class to Arcosanti.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

After a tour and lunch the class had an hour of Q&A with a panel of Arcosanti residents. >> from left >> Joshua Kuensting [Workshop participant and tour-guide], Ruth-Claire Weintraub [Soleri editor], Charles Provine [Public Relations], Krystofer Lanceaux [Landscaping and tour-guide] and Sue Anaya [Soleri Archives]. For more information on student tours or other group tours, please contact Charles Provine in Public Relations.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

Guest and alumni joined the Arcosanti crew for a cheerful Thanksgiving dinner in the Crafts III Cafe.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

All the kitchens in Arcosanti were buzzing with activity as different crews and individuals prepared an amazing selection of traditional holiday dishes from around the world ...
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

..... and a variety of delicious dessert.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

A toast to friends and family all around the globe. Happy Holiday!
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

A new addition is on display in the Crafts III building. Tomiaki Tamura and Selvam Rajmani of the Arcosanti Graphics department, put together a collection of visual history.
[Photo & text: sa]

In the staircase from the Cafe to the Visitors Center - Gallery, a set of 19 panels give a small taste of construction history of each building on the Arcosanti site.
[Photo & text: sa]

Photos taken during construction, next to photos of each completed structure, add to the understanding of an immense history. Since 1970, close to 6,000 workshop participants have built Arcosanti, and worked and lived in this ever growing "Urban Laboratory".
[Photo & text: sa]

The current Metal Shop project is a steel railing for one of two access bridges at the back of the East Crescent. Each steel piece was cut to length in the Metal Shop, according to drafted specifications, and now the railing is welded in place.
[Photo & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

The railings around the East Crescent feature a recurrent circular motif. Achieving an accurate replica was one of the challenges for current workshoppers in the metal shop.
[Photo & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

After a thorough introduction to the use of metalworking tools, November 6th workshop participants Joshua Kuensting and David Hershberger will spend their workshop on metal shop projects.
[Photo & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

Chanel 10 Fox roving reporters Jayme King and Tom Fergus visit Arcosanti. Visitor center manager Nina Howard gives a short overview of Arcosanti atop one of the buildings before touring the two reporters around site.
[Photo & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

The reporters are given a walkthrough of the Ceramics Studio by manager Ed Werman, and catch some footage of the carving of a bell.
[Photo & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

A bronze pour scheduled especially for the reporters, is caught on camera, and afterwards Bronze Foundry manager Jim Huth describes the bronze bell-making process.
[Photo & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

One of the stops includes a tour of the West Foundry Residential Unit, housing a family of three. Long term residents Dave Tollas and Nadia Begin show their apartment during the interview. The reporters also interview Matteo Di Michele, Italian Project coordinator ...
[Photo & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

... and head down to the orchards for a tour of Arcosanti's Agriculture operation.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

Arcosanti alumnus Tony Brown formally founded the Ecosa Institute in 1996. The goal he defined for the Institute was to bring innovative thinking, new pedagogical models and a complexity to design education that used nature as its underlying model. The vision for the Ecosa Institute was formulated over a period of years by the English architect/educator. 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. These concepts led to work on constructing an urban prototype – Arcosanti. He worked with Soleri as architect in residence supervising both design work and construction. While learning from Soleri, discussing his philosophy, and coordinating the Arcosanti project he began developing his own vision of an ecological future. He taught the arcology concept to workshop participants which began to formulate an approach to design education.

Soleri Archives houses the collection of Paolo Soleri's work. Archive staff and interns are in the process of cataloging and digitizing the work of Soleri, as well as the construction history of Cosanti and Arcosanti. Staff member Sue Anaya unrolls one of Soleri's dramatic scroll drawings. The collection includes over 200 scrolls of length from 5 feet to about 170 feet.
[PhotoYuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

Recent rainstorms have given welcome relief to the drought- parched desert that surrounds the Arcosanti site. So much rain that the lake-bed has filled .....
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

.... high enough to submerge some of the trees.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

The peach orchard has changed into a colorful autumn costume. Ornamental pistachio trees around the site delight the eye with colors of brilliant red and gold.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

Welcome to the last Workshop of the 2004 season. The group started on November 7.: >> top from left >> Margot Bos-Ham, Segolene Gautier, Kim Chikyung, Sean Leigh and Saravanen Mahalingam. >> middle from left >> Virgil Wiegand, Ryan McTigue, Lisa LeBlanc [seminar week only], and Daniel Prioste. >> front from left >> Angela Forget [seminar week only], David Hershberger, Cristiano Macchi, Eric Halbach and Joshua Kuensting.
[Photo & Text: sa]

A group synergy is organized every 5 weeks to prepare for the arrival of each new workshop. People from different departments get together for a good clean-up of camp, as well as maintenance and weather proofing.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

The Cubes in camp are the first structures built in 1970 to provide simple accommodations. Both co-ed bathrooms and showers are attached to and warmed by the experimental greenhouses.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

As we prepare for the Nov.7. workshop, the Oct.3. workshop completes their 5-week program. Workshop coordinator Kelli Huth hands out certificates during morning meeting in the Vaults. >>left>> Camilla Jolda completed her work-exchange program. >>right>> Jenna Bagnall.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

Manjula Selvam worked half of her workshop in construction and the second half in the Soleri Archives, where she continues as a much appreciated volunteer. Graduates from the October 3. 2004 are: Manjula, Isabel Hankart continues as a volunteer in construction, Della Hansmann, Susannah Mira, Lakhena Raingsan starts work in the foundry, Jenna Bagnall, Bruno Larios stays on, Maria Rita Rodino, Leah Ellis, Kim Meyer and Sarah Cox.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

Michael Bittman, aka Dr. Sparks, supervises construction crewleader Brendan Scott and October 3. workshopper Lakhena Raingsan in the installation of the solar electrical system in the East Crescent. Dr Sparks is a part-time member of the construction crew, spending much of the year off-site installing renewable energy systems in locations around the United States.
[Photo & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

Workshoppers are treated to a tour of the renewable-energy technologies incorporated into the East Crescent. Dr. Sparks explains some of the technical aspects of active solar technology developements for the future, and points out parts of the construction site for examples.
[Photo & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

Dr. Sparks pauses in front of the electric solar panel array to demonstrate the use of a solar pathfinder. The group also visits the solar hot water systems of tubing panels on the roof of the East Crescent, and the hydronics system of under-floor climate control on the first and second floor of the East Crescent units.
[Photo & Text: Jacob Schwartz]

Project coordinator for Foundry improvements, David Tollas, and a crew of workshoppers and volunteers, prepare a new access ramp to the bronze bell production area.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

This new access ramp will lead up the furnace area.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

The crew screed the surface of a retaining wall against the rocks that border the new access ramp. >>from left>> Workshopper Isabell Hankart, volunteer Bruno Larios and August 29. workshopper Angela Boyce.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

This is the last time that a chain of people have to move the bronze ingots up the foundry. With the new access ramp, the delivery truck will be able to pull up right next to the ingot storage area.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]

One of the construction crews working on a small concrete loading dock for the Arcosanti cement shed. First, the footings for the new dock are marked out and a volume of earth is excavated.
[Photo: Therese Kristiansson & text: Jacob Schwartz]

Construction manager Scott Riley supervises planning interns Dennis Gerrigk (left) and Boris Pizzeghello (right). The team mark out the boundaries of the future concrete slab, pegging string above the soil to mark edges.
[Photo: Therese Kristiansson & text: Jacob Schwartz]

First the footings are poured...
[Photo: Therese Kristiansson & text: Jacob Schwartz]

... and then the slab itself. The full crew mixes the concrete (left), including (from right) American crew leader Ray Shong, Swedish planning intern Therese Kristiansson, Brazilian construction volunteer Erika Peres, Italian October 3. workshopper Maria Rita Rodino and construction volunteer Chihiro Adachi from Japan. The international crew transfers the concrete into wheelbarrows and pours the slab. Therese and Chihiro shovel the concrete out of a wheelbarrow (right), and into the formed loading dock space.
 
Apart from the ongoing construction of the East Crescent, small projects like the new cement shed loading dock allow workshoppers and interns to participate in a wide variety of construction.
[Photo: & text: Jacob Schwartz]

Construction and Planning crews have been working together with workshoppers to finish out the new units in the East Crescent. The 3-story building includes residential units, class rooms, public restrooms, community and commercial spaces. Straight ahead is the 2nd story entrance to Unit 6.
[Photo: ASP & text: JS]

The Light-scoop apartment in Unit 6, a residential unit for 1 or 2 people, is fitted with a glass block wall around the shower. Planning Coordinator Dan Kelliher and June 20. workshopper Steve Kelly are taking great care to ensure the blocks are installed with a professional finish.
[Photo: ASP & text: JS]

Dan finishes the project, smoothing the grout between blocks.
[Photo: SA & text: JS]