We continue our report from 8/27/08 on construction of the new access ramp from the Visitors parking lot to the Crafts III Visitors Center.
The crew of staff, workshop participants and volunteers is working on the upper most part of a six-stage zig-zag ramp.

As part of the crew uses wheelbarrows to transports the concrete, another group distributes it evenly between the form and yet another team screeds, using the carefully surveyed surface edge of the form for guide.
A large bull-float is used to smoothen the surface of the concrete.

[from upper left] All of the concrete for this part of the ramp has been poured. Now the crew is fine-fishing the surface, as well as cutting grooves every 5 feet into the suface of the ramp.
Carefully applied even strokes of a hard bristle wide broom roughens the surface and the last step is application of concrete sealant.
The first step of the ramp is complete. See upcoming report on 9/3/08 for the next pour on another part of this ramp.

On 7/16/08 and 8/8/08 we posted our last two reports on the new access ramp from the visitors parking lot to the Crafts III Visitors Center. In the interval a lot of hard work was done to completely prepare the six-part ramp for concrete to be poured.
Now, and especially with the recent cement donation [see 8/25 report], the crew is ready and excited to pour the first stage of the ramp, the uppermost portion, part six.

The crew started mixing concrete at daybreak to take advantage of the cool early morning.
[from upper left] Crew chief Ron Chandler wets the surface of the slope.
The closest the concrete truck could get to the slope was at the south-east corner of the visitors parking lot, quite a distance from the work site.

A rotating crew with four wheel barrows moved loads of concrete to the second crew, starting the work at the lowest part of slope 6.
Report continues on 8/29/08.

Part one of a two-part donation from SRMG arrived at Arcosanti.

This generous donation of many bags of cement was graciously contributed by the Salt River Materials Group (SRMG).
In 2003, the marketing activities of Phoenix Cement Company and Salt River Sand and Rock were integrated under the Salt River Materials Group (SRMG) commercial trade name to better capitalize on the synergies of related products for the concrete products industry. Head quartered at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community's (SRP-MIC) Chaparral Business Park near Scottsdale, AZ, SRMG is currently a leading supplier of portland and masonry cements, fly ash and other pozzolans, both normal and light weight aggregates, and natural gypsum products throughout Arizona and the Southwestern United States.

Salt River Materials Group is also a leader promoting sustainable products and practices in its industries. With over two decades of experience producing and marketing blended cements and coal combustion products to the concrete industry, SRMG has helped pioneer the use of recycled materials, using its uniquely integrated experience and expertise in the development of new applications.

We thank the management of the Salt River Materials Group (SRMG) for this generous donation. This will allow for the building of the handicap access ramp from the visitors parking lot to the visitors center, to better serve the entire community.
We continue this report on 8/27/08.

Congratulations upon completion of the 5-week workshop program to the July 20. Workshop participants.

Graduates are:
[from left] Raffaele Elba, Natalie Logan, Melissa Garmann, Marta d'Alessandro, Marco Gissara, Maki Yamamoto, Daiki Iwata, Arianna Urban and Sonnik Vedel.
[not in photo] Danielle Gould.

This continues the report from August 13, 2008 about the Crafts III bathroom concrete countertop. Planning coordinator Jenn Epstein and planning intern Alex Dixon executed the finishing process with great skill and ingenuity. First, after opening the formwork, they used sandpaper to remove sharp edges from the surface. Next, Jenn put a slurry coat that would fill in small holes. These holes could be avoided if more vibration is introduced to the concrete mix during the pour. In this case, the small holes were quite desirable, since Jenn wanted to introduce another color that would tie the concrete with the color of the beautifully inset tiles. After a period of 24 hours allowed for hardening of the slurry, Jenn and Alex removed the top extra layer of slurry film. In a few hours, they returned to the countertop with a polishing grinder. Since the procedure demands a wet grinder in order to avoid burns on the concrete surface, the team combined efforts and while Jenn used the grinder, Alex sprayed water on the surface. The last finishing procedure involves the application of a couple of layers of water based acrylic countertop sealer.

Finally, Jenn and Alex are ready to install the countertop in its future home. With great caution over the safety of the exquisite piece, Alex, Jeffrey Michael, and house residents Rebecca Manning and Tyler Scott, carry the countertop from its place of birth – the Arcosanti Lab building, to its final destination – the Crafts III northeast apartment bathroom.

The following day, Alex and Jenn caulked the edges between the countertop and the walls and installed the sink faucet. Seeing the remarkable result of their first concrete countertop, the planning team walked away with smiles on their faces.

We continue our report from 8/15/08 about the construction of a new counter top for one of the restrooms in Crafts III.
The counter top will be made of a mixture of gray and white cement, sand, aggregate, and yellow pigment to get a beige coloration. The combination is dry mixed and then the water and water reducer is added and remixed.

Jenn Epstein and Alex Dixon work in the concrete mixture by vibrating it with their hands to ensure an even fill around the sink and faucet knockouts.

After letting the concrete set for 24 hours Rebecca Manning, Alex Dixon and Tyler Scott unscrew the sides of the formwork preparing to remove it...CAREFULLY! Report will continue 8/20/08.

We continue the report from 8/13/08 about the Crafts III bathroom renovation project.
Planning coordinator Jenn Epstein and intern Alex Dixon have installed the metal frame that will support the future concrete countertop. Jenn and Alex have to ensure that the support is level in order to avoid distortion and cracks in the 2'' thick concrete.

In attempt to refurbish, yet keep the distinctive design features of the apartment, the planning team has reinstalled the newly painted original wooden cabinets from this bathroom.

The next step of the project entails the actual making of the concrete countertop. Alex and Jenn have constructed a formwork out of Melamine to achieve a smooth surface on the upper side of the counter top. Elevated above the wood they placed a #3 rebar steel frame for structural stability.
The Arcosanti ceramic tiles in the four corners of the formwork have been a significant part of the plan, discussed both with site-design supervisor Tomiaki Tamura and with residents of the apartment.
The tiles also present a technical challenge, since they have to be attached to the wood frame in order to avoid concrete seeping underneath the tiles, while at the same time they should easily detach from the formwork once the concrete has set.
This report continues next week.

One of the projects of the Planning department is design and construction of a new countertop and cabinet.
Planning coordinator Jenn Epstein heads this project with planning intern Alex Dixon.
Alex removes the original sink and a counter top that is wedged into the surrounding walls.

Location is the restroom that is part of the East and South residence on the second floor of the Crafts III building.
June 15. workshop participants Magda Lojewska and Rebecca Brown use hammer and crowbar to remove the original wooden support structure.

Alex learns how to custom cut and weld a steel frame to support the new counter top.
Report continues on 8/15/08.

The agriculture workshop participants, Melissa, Danielle and Daiki, have been very busy; planting young tomato stalks took up most of a morning for the crew, as it is necessary to handle the delicate seedlings carefully.
Another undertaking was the need for a new fence around the coop for camp's beloved chickens, and their new downy companions, three vociferous ducks.
Arcosanti peaches have been a hot commodity, as always, and are selling very well at various farmer's markets in the area. The entire garden team has eagerly harvested the delicious peaches meticulously, happy to provide both Arcosanti residents and the locals with juicy, healthy (and organic!) treats.

Workshop participant Sonnik was lucky enough to secure a much-coveted spot in the bronze foundry. He has since been working fervently, assisting the foundry staff with odd jobs and making hundreds and hundreds of bell fins!

Two of the workshop participants joined the Soleri Archives team, myself, Arianna, and Raffaele. Currently we are carrying out the task of physically renumbering a massive slide collection, which has shown to be both interesting and therapeutic for the whole archives team.
Also ongoing is our task of cataloging English and Italian Soleri news articles and books.

Our latest workshop participants started to get a taste of daily life here at Arcosanti this week, as they were assigned to separate departments of their choice and began their respective projects. This workshop finds participants in the agriculture, foundry, construction, and archives departments.

The construction team has been surveying, leveling, and ensuring a proper drainage system in preparation for the new handicap accessible ramp between the visitor's parking lot and the Crafts III entrance. The exact grade of the zig-zag design is challenging to work with, but the workshop team and interns alike, under careful direction, have been able to tackle the ramp with dedication and enthusiasm.

The team was scheduled for this weeks recycling duty. After an early morning came an exciting foray into the intricate world of reusable materials, with a ride around site in the truck as an added bonus. Don't be mistaken, the construction workshop team performed their trying (and sometimes messy) recycling tasks with diligence, culminating in a pungent compost delivery to the agriculture department in the camp gardens.

The Upper Agua Fria Watershed Partnership, consisting "of area stakeholders, residents of the various communities, ranchers, members of community groups and public service agencies in the study area" meets at Arcosanti every first Tuesday of the month.
The group met yesterday to conclude a three part series of meetings aimed at creating a vision statement and a mission statement for the organization, and to set goals for the future of the Partnership.
Member Kip Hersted, in attendance, remarked that all the objectives for the triad of meetings were accomplished. The meeting was professionally facilitated, funded by the Prescott National Forest.
Arcosanti residents and Partnership members Hersted and site coordinator Mary Hoadley have been instrumental in the group's development and progress since 1999.
There was a positive air in the Red Room on Tuesday morning, as various members of the Partnership came together to plan for the future of the Upper Agua Fria's precious water.

Welcome to Group Motion Dance workshop participants.

Group Motion Company is a professional dance theater ensemble of versatile artists, melding dance, theater, music and visual arts into a provocative and innovative performance experience.
The group from Philadelphia has held one-week workshops at Arcosanti, starting about 20 years ago.

Group Motion was originally founded in 1962 as Gruppe Motion Berlin, a chamber dance company evolving from the Mary Wigman School of Dance. In 1968, under the direction of Brigitta Herrmann, Helmut Gottschild, and Manfred Fischbeck, the company relocated to Philadelphia and was quick to receive critical success - making historic appearances at Judson Church in New York in 1968 and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in 1969 and joining the NEA touring program in the 1970s.
Group Motion came under the sole artistic and executive direction of Manfred Fischbeck in 1989 and has continued to develop within the forefront of contemporary dance, working with nationally and internationally known choreographers and artists and creating a substantial body of more than 45 dance theater pieces.
The company began a world-wide touring program in the mid-1990s and has since taken its repertory to France, Argentina, Japan, Germany, Cyprus, and Taiwan as well as to locations throughout the United States. Group Motion has also continually expanded its scope as a performing arts organization, with its performance series, workshops, and co-creation of the Kumquat Dance Center.

We continue our report from 7/30/08 on work in the Bronze Foundry.
After the melted bronze is poured into the snap-flask molds, it takes only minutes to cool back to its solid state. At this point, the bells are 'broken' out of their sand molds, given a quick hammer, and a flash of compressed air to clean off excess sand particles.

Then, these bells are tossed into metal cages to be taken down to the lower deck. Here, they are taken to the grinder where the edges are smoothed and sprus sawed off [to be melted again in subsequent pours].

Once the bells are 'cleaned up' a bit, a hole is drilled through the top of each bell. This makes it possible to attach the clapper and ft-links [which can comprise the hanging chain attachment off the tops of the bells].
This is otherwise known as the Assembly Process. Following this stage, the bells are given a patina - but, this can be explored next time ...