Continuation from 1/29/07 report.
[from upper left] Planning coordinator Dan Kelliher installs custom built cabinets in the kitchen area of Unit 7 light-scoop studio. A brick-red pigment was used in the concrete counter. The black sink complements the counter very well. Splashguard tiles are interspersed with tiles from the Arcosanti Ceramics Studio.

[from upper left] On one side of the kitchen area is a deep closet with folding doors. The doors were custom made by construction crew and workshop participants. [Distortion is due to taking photos in a very tightl space. The walls are straight].
On the other side of the kitchen is the entrance to the bathroom. Tiles in the small shower are if of the same color scheme as the splashguard in the kitchen area.

An efficiency refrigerator was installed and the kitchen area is complete.
Facing into the opposite direction in the same space (north, with a view towards the Minds Garden), a loft has been installed and now waits for a movable wooden ladder to reach it.
The design on the silt ceiling is by Paolo Soleri.
This report will continue.

Continuation from 1/26/07. [from upper left] The counter top and custom shelving was installed in the kitchen area of Unit 9 light-scoop studio in the East Crescent.
Matching tiles provide a splash-guard.
The small additional counter top has been mounted onto its metal frame and a wooden storage shelf was installed below it.

The tiny restroom was beautifully finished [see reports of tiling process on 9/20 and 9/22/06].
[Distortion is due to having to take photos in a very small space. The walls are straight]

[from upper left] Looking into the other direction within the same space, note the loft that has been installed to provide a sleeping area. Small details, like a nicely finished wooden shelf in the slim window box, greatly enhance this very efficient space.
A bank of windows above the loft provide good lighting and ventilation. This report will continue.

This continues the report from 12/20/06 of casting two custom counters with sink for the Light-scoop apartments in Unit 7 and Unit 9 of the East Crescent.
[from upper left] Planning coordinator Dan Kelliher designed and cast a series of custom fitted counters for bathrooms in the East Crescent. This greenish tinted counter is for the kitchen area in Unit 7.

[from upper left] Dan has removed the form, cleaned and waxed the surface, and polished this counter to a high gloss shine.
Once installed the counter is supported by a metal brace. Note the metal frame on the other side of the bathroom door parallel to the kitchen counter. [last image]

[from upper left] Dan prepares a red tinted counter for Unit 7. When the two counters were poured Dan also poured several small counters. The long pieces will be mounted onto steel frames [as shown above], to add to kitchen counter space. This report will continue

This continues the report on the new wall behind the Crafts III building from 1/22/07.
[from upper left] The first four panels have been welded to the underlying retaining wall. Three panels sit on the north-east corner of the recycling slab. One panel sits parallel to the visitors passenger bridge. Steel reinforcement has been installed next to this panel in preparation for a column to be poured in this location.
Two additional panels will complete the wall. One of the panels [in front] will have an opening for a door. This panel will connect with the north wall of Crafts III next to the back entrance to the bakery. Crew chief David Tollas, with his group of volunteers, prepares the steel reinforcement cage. Again, fine silt has been spread on the slab, to help separate the panel. Steel weld plates are connected to the inside of the steel form.

[from upper left] Concrete has been poured into the prepared forms and construction staff Brandon Scott screeds the wet concrete to smoothen the surface of the wall panel.
These last two wall panels now have to cure for at least two weeks. This report will continue with the placement of these panels.

This continues the report from 1/19/07 on the construction of a new wall behind the Crafts III building.
[from upper left] The first panel is in place and the crew hooks up cables to the imbedded connections on the next panel.
Landscaping coordinator Ron Chandler manages the crane arm, as David and his crew guide the next panel into place

[from upper left] Note the small square steel weld plates imbedded in the retaining wall. The squares are lined up with identical size steel squares on the underside if each panel.
The crew installs a heavy brace on the upper back of each panel, to stabilize the panels until the weld plates on the bottom of each panel have been welded into place.

[from upper left] The brace connections at both ends are adjustable.
Square steel pieces [see report of 1/10/07], are installed between the weld plates of each panel and the retaining wall. The steel connections are cleaned of rust one more time and crew chief David Tollas welds each panel into place. After welding the steel is painted with a rust proof protection. This report will continue 1/24/07.

The report continues on the construction of a new wall behind the Crafts III building.
[from upper left] The crane is in place and crew leader David Tollas unhooks the big steel beam that is painted with the Arcosanti sign. Two cables of equal length are connected to imbedded loops on the first panel.


[from upper left] As the crane arm lifts, the cables pick up the slack.
Due to a clean layer of silt between the panels, the first panel separates easily.
The crew guides the moving panel with additional ropes.

[from upper left] The first panel moved is the panel with a cavity on one side [see report from 1/10]. It is carefully guided into position parallel to the visitors passenger bridge and butts up against the
Crafts III north wall at bakery level. The cavity provides room for existing utility lines. This report will continue 1/22/07.

The report continues on the construction of a new wall behind the Crafts III building.
[from upper left] This is a very exciting moment. The faithful old crane stately moves along the old batch-plant and down the incline parallel with the Lab Building.
The lower kiln slab with the first two sets of panels is viewed from the roof of Cafts III. Dave Tollas slowly maneuvers the crane into place with Ron Chandlers guidance.

[from upper left] Movement of the crane is viewed from the visitors path, again from the roof of Crafts III and from right next to the precast wall panels.
The last photo in this sequence, again taken from the Crafts III roof, shows the recycling slab with a walk-in refrigerator on the right, surrounded by the new retaining wall. Small squares anchored at intervals into the retaining wall are steel weld plates to which the wall panels will be welded.

[from upper left] Site electrician Dr. Sparks, aka Michael Bittman, climbs the visitor's bridge railing [hidden by the walk-in refrigerator] with one end of a measuring tape. The other end of the tape is held by Ron Chandler, who stands right next to the crane. This measurement gives a clear idea of the reach of the crane boom. Once the crane is in the best possible position, support feet are re-applied.
Report will continue 1/19/07.

This continues the report on construction of a new wall enclosing the recycling area behind the Crafts III building at Bakery level.
As the first four concrete wall panels cure and are prepared for lifting, the crew focuses their attention on the crane. This solid old crane has been a vital tool of construction at Arcosanti since the mid 70's, and its help is needed to move the concrete wall panels into place.
The construction and crane team is an international crew of volunteers, architect Alfonso Elia from Italy, student of urban planning, Jung Ju Lee from Korea, architect Jeffrey Meylan from Switzerland and architect Bernardo Claus from Italy.

The crane has been dormant since the finish of major construction of Phase 5 of the East Crescent. Every few weeks it is started and let run for a while, to keep the battery charged and to make sure it remains in running condition.
Now team leader Dave Tollas takes his crew through the crane to check and oil where needed. The boom is moved from its upright storage position. The steel cables are cleaned and greased.

A few days later the crane is ready to move. This is an exciting moment. Everyone comes out to see this faithful old crane move majestically from its storage place behind the East Crescent to a slab above the Ceramics kiln area. Report will continue 1/17/07.

The report on construction of a new wall, enclosing the recycling area behind the Crafts III building at Bakery level, continues.
The concrete retaining walls have been poured and need a minimum of two weeks to cure. Now the first four panels are prepared for lifting and anchoring into place.
[from upper left] Note the half-moon indentation on the upper front panel.
[four small photos] During preparation for this panel, crew chief Dave Tollas cut out some small pieces of styrofoam and taped them in place, to create this cavity on the side of the panel. The reason for it will become aparent when the panel is lifted into place. This panel will connect to a wall with an large utility line and the cavity will make room for this line.
The small squares inbetted in the side of the panels are steel weld plates.

Square steel pieces have been cut. They will act as connecting pieces between each panel and the retaining wall on which the panels will stand.
Also note the silt ring between the two panels. A thin level of fine silt was spread onto the lower panel before the conrete for the upper panel was poured. It will make for easy separation when the upper panel is lifted.

Welding crew Philip Bonham has welded one of the square steel support pieces to a weldplate inbetted into the side of one of the panels. He now grinds the steel piece very clean, so that no rust will prevent a solid welding connection.
Report will continue 1/12/07. The next step is to move the crane into position to hoist the panels in place.

This continues the on-going report, last segment posted on 1/5/07, of a new wall at the entrance to the Crafts III Visitors Center. The old wall was a combination of wood-slat fence, covered with honeysuckle and star-jasmin vines, and a large diagonal section of solid wood, painted blue, with ARCOSANTI in large cast letters. One of the more drastic monsoon storms last year completely demolished the Arcosanti sign and now the whole wall will be replaced.
Wood forms and steel reinforcement have been installed in the trench and the construction crew, as well as the landscaping crew, prepares concrete.

The concrete mixing area is above the kiln area next to the Cermaics Apse. There is a slide from the upper level that usually servers to transport clay from a delivery truck into the Ceramics studio. This time concrete will be poured down into wheel barrows close to the trench. Most of the construction crew is with this wall project from the beginning and has developed into a well coordinated team under leader Dave Tollas tutalage.

As part of the team pours concrete at one end of the trench, some team members work on the visitors bridge side. Some of the landscaping was left in place and an existing water run-off chanel is deepened and re-inforced.
A small retaining wall will be poured parallel to the bridge. This will support the panel that connects to the north wall of Crafts III.
Report will continue on 1/10/07.

Wall project manager David Tollas and volunteer crew member Darina Trendafilova remove hard frozen earth to prepare the trench for a retaining wall.

The edges of the trench are carefully cleaned and leveled and lined with a wooden form.
David teaches workshop participants and volunteer crew members Sung Sik Cho, John Foster, Jeffrey Meylan and Bernardo Claus.

Steel reinforcement bars are cut and installed. This report will continue on January 8. 2007.

This continues the report from December 1. 2006, about a series of wall panels that will surround the walk-in refrigerator and recycling area behind the bakery, and upgrade the general entrance to the Arcosanti site.
[from upper left] This is one of the sites that was damaged during a mini-tornado [see report from July 24. 2006].

The first four panels have been cast and are now curing. The next step is the removal of the old wood-slat fence that surrounds the recycling area behind the bakery.

The crew demolishes the fence and carefully digs out and transplants the old Star Jasmin and Honeysuckle plants. This is in preparation for a trench to be dug for the new wall panel footings. This report will continue January 5. 2007.

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.
Staff and volunteers at Arcosanti had a very nice Christmas. Christmas Eve was celebrated at the Begin-Tollas residence in one of the Foundry apartments.

A wonderful array of Christmas delicacies, fun games for the kids and adults, thoughtful presents, made it a very cosy event.
Christmas Day began with a delicious breakfast prepared by Ron Chandler, who started this tradition a few years ago. And everyone met for a big pot-luck dinner at the EC3 household.