Happy New Year To All.
This is a 1972 aerial view of the Arcosanti site with the completed South Vault, and to the West are visible scaffolding for the shell of the Ceramics Apse and the footing for the Foundry Apse.

Great efforts from more than 6000 volunteers have made possible Arcosanti's construction and development throughout the years.
Today in 2008, Arcosanti is a home for more than 60 people, a venue for musical and theatrical performances, a favorite tourist destination, and above all - an inspiring urban laboratory.

This picture was taken by local journalist Bruce Colbert.


Once again,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On 9/15/08 we reported on a long-standing mystery that has finally been solved.
Alum from the late 1970’s and early 1980’s will remember this beautiful painting.
It was on display on the back wall of the original Arcosanti café for many years.

The painting was done by artist and alumna Paula Wittner, commissioned in 1977 by alum Russ Adams and it disappeared in the mid 1980’s. Apparently it was stored in Phoenix and the storage company had gone out of business. The painting reappeared in Prescott, at Drake Station Trading Company. Their owners, trying to trace the origin of the painting, got in touch with Paula Wittner just recently.

This prompted Russ Adams and Paula to visit the new owners and Russ Adams bought the painting back.
It has been stored in the Arcosanti Soleri Archives, and now facilities manager Randall Schultz built a crate to ship the beautiful painting back to Russ Adams. [Randall Schultz and Cliff Hersted]

Christmas Eve was again celebrated at the Begin-Tollas residence. For many years now, residents, volunteers and family, and sometimes visiting alumi, get together at the cosy foundry apartment for a delicious pot-luck, and fun and games.
For Christmas morning, Ron Chandler cooked his annual Christmas breakfast for everyone, and Christmas dinner this year was at the EC1 residence, hosted by Melanie Husband and Darina Trendafilova.
It all was super delicious.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Best Wishes for the Holiday Season to the Cosanti and Arcosanti alumni, friends and family near and far.

It's almost Christmas and Paolo Soleri bells, tiles, pots and sculptures, make very nice presents indeed.

Arcosanti Holiday Bell Sale is going on. It is extended to the end of the year, December 31, 2008. The gallery offers a 20% discount on select items. This sale is at Arcosanti location only.

The Arcosanti site will close at 1:00 pm on December 24, and will be closed all day on Christmas Day, December 25, 2008.

We will also close at 1:00 pm on December 31, and all day on New Year's Day, January 1, 2009.

Arcosanti received another 480 bags of cement donated from the Maricopa Salt River Materials Group in Clarkdale.
The construction and landscaping crew unloaded the bags into the cement storage unit.

This delivery constisted of Portland Pozzolan Cement, which uses fly-ash instead of kiln-fired limestone in its mixture. Since the limestone has been replaced with fly-ash from coal plants, Pozzolan Cement is an excellent way to include recycled content in the most widely used building material – concrete.

The Clarkdale Plant achieved an Energy Star status in 2007, and after several technological innovations, is now able to produce 1 1/2 times the amount of cement without increase in its energy use.
Once again, we would like to thank SRMG Clarkdale Plant for the generous donation.

Two TV journalists from the Italian car-travel show "Easy Driver" came to interview Paolo Soleri on December 3rd. Currently, the show is exploring the roads of The United States, Canada, The United Kingdom and Ireland. Ilaria Moscato and Marcello Mariucci stopped at Arcosanti on their way between Phoenix and the Grand Canyon.

Matteo di Micchele, Arcosanti' s Human Resources Coordinator, assisted the film crew as Paolo Soleri was leading them through the walkways of Arcosanti.

Even though Arcosanti is not a city designed around the automobile, the reporters found it an intriguing tourist destination, well worth a stop off the highway.

In these images, Paolo Soleri is showing The Vaults and The Ceramics Apse - some of his unique passive solar, silt-cast structures.

This Wednesday, Arcosanti residents had our annual Christmas Party at the Cafè level of the Crafts III building. About 50 people gathered in a jovial atmosphere of good food and high spirits. Some of the gourmet specialties included chicken soup, chicken puffs and chicken salad, all made with Arcosanti raised poultry.

Each table had the heavy task of opening at least one bottle of champagne.

Everybody was presented with a little Christmas gift and a big hug from Paolo Soleri.

Arcosanti's Planning Department presented Lean Linear City in the discussion "Forum Sustainable Urban Growth in Arizona", the second of the Desert Environment Series, initiated by Alex Barragan. The forum, held at the Phoenix Burton Barr Library on December 6th, started with photographer David Muench's presentation on the powerful beauty of desert environments.

After the introduction by the moderator, Phoenix Architect Steven J. Gottesman, AIA LEED, Nadia Begin, a member of Paolo Soleri's design studio, acquainted the audience with his plans for the model arcology Solare, an urban environment designed with mass transit transportation in mind. Solare's other name, Lean Linear City, stems from the metropolis footprint which follows a continuous line. Due to this design, Solare could use fast-speed Maglev trains for transportation between different sections of the city.
All other essential arcology features, like density, mixed-use, pedestrian oriented spaces, and maximum use of sun and wind energy are also integrated in Solare's design.
Following Soleri, Rakesh Tripathi, Director of the Multimodal Planning Division of Arizona's Department of Transportation, supported the notion of developing a rail systems as an efficient and sustainable mode of transportation in population-growing Arizona.
The discussion was finalized by John Meunier, a Professor from ASU's School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Everyone at the lecture eagerly focused attention on Prof. Meunier's speech on the history and future of compact urbanism.

Besides a voluminous research in architecture and humanity, Paolo Soleri has also influenced a number of practicing architects. The Burton Barr Library building was designed by award-winning architect
Will Bruder, a student of Paolo Soleri in the 1960s.

On Tuesday, November 25. 2008, the Arcosanti Community was treated to a concert by Jenny Bird and Tina Collins, two great musicians from Taos, New Mexico.

The duo accompanied their beautiful voices with the guitar, banjo and washboard.

After the concert, Tina Collins had fun taking requests from and singing along with the audience.

Congratulations to the November 2008 Workshop participants for successfully completing the Arcosanti program!

[top from left]
Rabia Handan Celebi,
Sara Landau, Jae Ko,
Pietro Viscomi, and Brian Fritz.
[bottom from left]
Helen Wright, Marco Cerati, and Shawna Craig.
Brian and Helen are staying as Arcosanti residents, and Handan will start a planning internship in February.

One highlight of Arcosanti Thanksgiving Holidays is the annual Football Game where residents play against a team comprised of workshop-participants and alumni. On Friday afternoon, a cheerful group of players and a small audience headed to the Football Field of Mayer High School.

After a well contended match, the resident team won this year's game and everyone headed home in good spirits.

[center]
Workshop-participant
Brian Fritz and resident
Brendan Scott are both trying to catch the ball.

More photos of the Thanksgiving feast:

[from left] Cafe manager Peter Lindgren and sister cooked four turkeys for this years crowd.
Workshop participant from Turkey, Rabia Handan Celebi, prepared a delicous turkish eggplant dish.
Residents Gabriel Hendrix and Maggie Lamb.

Appetizers and cold dishes were presented on the serving island, and as in previous years, there was a wonderful selection of dessert.

A cheerful time was had by all.