To continue the report from 5/27: The first event of the afternoon was Paolo Soleri's presentation of SOLARE. For details on the SOLARE design see Today@Arcosanti 4/20/05.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]
Highlight of the day was Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya, with a dynamic performance on Santoor, a 100 string instrument. He was accompanied by another disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, Arup Chattopadhyay on Tabla.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]
A classical Odissi dance performance by Sanchita Bhattacharya was followed with a lecture VISIONS OF FUTURE SOCIETIES by Dabshish Banerji. Debashish Banerji is Director of the Sri Aurobindo Center in Los Angeles. The evening ended with a video presentation of the Auroville Community in India.
[Photo & text: sa]
AN IMPROVED TOMORROW, a Panel Discussion with Paolo Soleri and Debashish Banerji, took place the following morning. It was moderated by alumnus Tony Brown, now director of the ECOSA Institute in Prescott. All discussions and presentations were followed by question and answer sessions, which made for lively interaction with presentors, visitors and staff.
[Photo & text: sa]
The Event Season of the Colly Soleri Music Center opens with a day of music, dance and discussion. Sanchita Bhattacharya starts the schedule with a dance workship. Sanchita is a classical Indian Dancer and Choreographer. A faculty member of the Omega Institute in New York, she performs the highly technical, yet classical form of dance, Odissi.
[Photo & text: sa]
Arcosanti staff and workshop participants prepare a traditional Indian feast.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]
The menu: Shrimp in Coconut Milk, Basmati Rice w/mixed Nuts, Palak Panir Sak - a chopped Spinach w/homemade Panir Cheese, Potato and green Peas stuffed Samosa's, Mint Chutney, Pumpkin Dal Soup, Papadamm Bread - a fried flat bread, and Mango Ice Cream with Gulab Jamun, which are fried Milk Balls, dipped in rose-scented Syrup.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]
Lunch is enjoyed in the congenial atmosphere of the Crafts III cafe.
More photos from this event will be posted on 5/29.[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]
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. Ecosa Spring Semester 2005 class visits Arcosanti for 2 days of lectures and hands-on activities. Part of the schedule is a visit to the Soleri Archives.
[Photo Yuki Y & Text: sa]
One lunch during this visit is a FRUGAL MEAL. The group sits in a circle with simple soup and bread to remember people less fortunate. After some minutes of silence, people share thoughts about hunger and related issues.
[Photo Yuki Y & Text: sa]
The silt-workshop is always a popular activity.
[Photo & Text: sa]
The Ecosa group helps to plant grape vines in a prepared field. They also help to plant some corn with the Agriculture department crew.
[Photo & Text: Yuki Y]
Welcome to the April 17. 2005 workshop: [from left] Julia Adzuki, Mark Szulgit, Janeen Jang, Matthew Bittleston, Joanna Wice, Andrew Woodard, Amelia Cates, Tim Andonian, Phillip Smith and Christopher Brown.
[Photo: Yuki Yanagimoto & text: sa]
Paolo Soleri introduced his most recent design in Arcology Theory during a conference at FALA 2005 in Macau, China. FALA stands for The Forum of Asia's Leading Architects. SOLARE, the Lean Linear City, is proposed as a possible alternative to the developing technocracy now endorsed and pursued by China. SOLARE proposes the development of a habitat that may respond to some of the critical situations now taking form in China.
[Image: Cosanti Foundation & text: sa]
SOLARE proposes a continuous urban ribbon, designed to intercept wind patterns of the region. Two main parallel structures of thirty or more stories extending for kilometers to hundreds of kilometers are one of it's main characteristics. Each module can accommodate a population of about 1500 people and the spaces for productive, commercial, institutional, cultural, recreational, and health activities. Each module is able to harvest a percentage of its energy needs on the spot, in addition to the staple harvests, such as fruits and vegetables.
[Image: Cosanti Foundation & text: sa]
The climate controlled volume constituting the inner park defined by the two structures features a greenhouse in winter and a parasol in summer.
[Image: Dennis Gerigk & text: sa]
At the base of the city are the greenhouse aprons [southerly side] and orchard aprons [northerly side].
Paolo Soleri will present this new concept of SOLARE during the event scheduled at Arcosanti this week-end, April. 23.[Image: Dennis Gerigk & text: sa]
Our last report on a series of improvements at the Bronze Foundry was posted on 1/3/05. We reported the installation of a winged shade frame. The second tarp has been installed into the frame.
[Photo & text: sa]
The last part of a new access ramp to the kiln area of the foundry is poured by the foundry crew.
[Photo & text: sa]
Foundry employee Lakhena Raingsan screeds the concrete into place.
[Photo & text: sa]
Project manager for foundry improvements is Dave Tollas. The concrete has set for a few hours. Dave washes and scrubs the surface with a brush, to reveal the gravel in the concrete mix. This will give better traction for a vehicle backing up this steep slope. In future, bronze deliveries will be able to pull right up to the storage area for the bronze ingots.
[Photo & text: sa]
The Verde Historical Society visits Arcosanti.
[Photo & Text: sa]
The group starts with an introduction to the Arcosanti project in the Visitors Center.
[Photo & Text: sa]
Tour guide Charles Provine explains the silt cast process in the Ceramics Apse.
[Photo & Text: sa]
For more information on group tours, also available with lunch in the Arcosanti Cafe, contact Charles Provine of Arcosanti Public Relation.
[Photo & Text: sa]
Keeping the Arcosanti site in good condition is a matter of attending to many small details. This keeps our Maintenance crew very busy. The recent rains brought to attention a detached rubber gasket on one of the East Crescent apartment skylights. Gustav Bjoereman, Randall Schultz, and Segolene Gautier (L to R) work to repair the skylight.
[Photo & text: laura manville]
Using a trick learned by Randall from an automotive repairman, the crew inserts a string into the gap between the torn rubber and the edge of the glass. Gustav then pulls the string up and towards him, tearing what remains of the gasket from the skylight.
[Photo & text: laura manville]
Randall cuts and glues a new gasket into place, sealing and securing the glass.
[Photo & text: laura manville]
Kelley McLaughlin, a volunteer in the Agriculture program, shovels deer manure to fertilize the peach trees in the orchard.
[Photo: yy and text: laura manville]
Allison Paul, a workshop participant, chose to do her workshop in Agriculture to learn more about organic farming.
[Photo: yy and text: laura manville]
All agriculture at Arcosanti is organic and locally-focused; the manure came from a farm nearby.
[Photo: yy and text: laura manville]
Many congratulations to Arcosanti residents Kelli and Jim Huth on the birth of their beautiful, healthy twins! The babies were born the night of April 5th.
[Photo: Stacy Bilby & text: lm]
Barbara Ivy was born 6 pounds 2.4 ounces and 18.5 inches long at 11:31 pm.
[Photo: Stacy Bilby & text: lm]
Fletcher Levi was born 6 pounds 9 ounces and 19 inches long at 11:54 pm.
[Photo: Stacy Bilby & text: lm]
Welcome to Ivy and Fletcher.
[Photo: Huth Family & text: sa]
Fourth-graders from Prescott Public Schools visit Arcosanti. The students work on a project to design their own homes, and they are excited to talk about architecture.
Joshua Kuensting, Construction crew member, shows the students a blueprint of the ceramics apse, and describes the process of silt-casting concrete.
[Photo & Text: laura manville]
Arcosanti volunteer Segolene Gautier explains how the pool was designed to aesthetically blend into the cliff it rests on and the mesa beyond.
[Photo & Text: laura manville]
Randall Schultz of Maintenance gives students a tour of the Lab Building and shows off its abundant daytime lighting. Arcosanti buildings take advantage of the sun's energy for both heat and light. The students have gathered many new ideas for their own buildings.
[Photo & Text: laura manville]
Karen Good's high school ceramics class from the Orme School in Mayer, Arizona, visits Arcosanti on a field trip. They are here to learn silt-casting, a technique used to make many of the concrete forms on site. They, however, will apply the technique to make plaster tiles. The students pack silt (very fine deposits) from the Agua Fria River into wooden forms, and then carve and paint designs into their square of silt.
[Photo & text: laura manville]
Charles Provine, Arcosanti's public relations coordinator, helps students pour plaster over his design. The plaster will take the negative form of the carving, and harden into a finished tile.
Arcosanti often hosts student groups for silt-cast and other workshops; for more information, please contact Charles Provine.
[Photo & text: laura manville]
The March workshop participants experience many facets of participation at Arcosanti. Virginia Schutte spends part-time in Construction. Here she solders a pipe for the plumbing in the new East Crescent apartments.
[Photo & text: Laura Manville]
Virginia also participates in the Arcosanti Bakery, making biscotti and other delicious items.
[Photo & text: Laura Manville]
Gustav Bjoereman spends time in the Maintenance department. Today he varnishes the wooden bridge at the entrance of the Crafts III building.
[Photo & text: Laura Manville]