We continue the report on the construction of the new Visitor's Center Entrance AOT ramp. The Construction crew and workshop-participants completed the form for a retaining wall below level 2.
[Photo:sa & text: dkt]
The crew works with a dry-pack technique, often used by Paolo Soleri for creating slanted surfaces. Concrete is packed and shaped into the form from the bottom up.
[Photo:dkt, sa, csa, ts & text: dkt]
The wall is complete. Once the concrete has set, a soupy concrete slip will be applied to give it a specific pattern, see report schedule for 3/2/09. Notice the railing above has been painted with a rust-prevention primer.
[Photo:dkt, sa, csa, ts & text: sa]
Posted by sue on February 27, 2009 4:31:18 PM MST
Work continues on the AOT ramp which leads from the visitors parking lot to the Crafts III building. The railing posts on the first and second part of the ramp have been leveled and now extensions are welded onto each post.
Workshop participant Stefano Massa learns the welding process.
[Photos & text: sa]
Brian Fritz and Stefano work through every step to get a perfectly bent end of the hand rail.
[Photos: Chihiro Saito, sa & text: sa]
Meanwhile the construction team, with teamleader Andrew Woodard and workshop participants Andrew Chesley and Ryan Weinman, is in the process of installing formwork for a sloped concrete retaining wall below the second level. We continue on 2/27/09 with a report on the concrete pour on part of this retaining wall.
[Photo: Darina Trandafilova & text: sa]
Posted by sue on February 25, 2009 3:22:23 PM MST
We return the our report about the AOT ramp from the Visitors Parking Lot to the Crafts III Visitors Center. Construction staff Andrew Woodard and volunteer Chihiro Saito measure the individual railing posts and cut the tops to align to an exact slope.
[Photo: Darina Trendafilova & text: sa]
Andrew and Brian Fritz grind to even the tops of the posts. See snow on the Bradshaw Mountains in the background.
[Photo: Darina Trendafilova & text: sa]
Landscaping chief Ron Chandler has cut individual extension pieces for each post and is welding a small plate onto each piece, on which the railing will rest. We continue this report on 2/25/09.
[Photo: Darina Trendafilova & text: sa]
Posted by sue on February 23, 2009 4:46:10 PM MST
The "NOW JUMP" exhibition at the Nam June Paik Art Center closed on February 5. and exhibition items returned this week . The center is outside of Seoul, South Korea and the exhibition featured numerous international artists including Paolo Soleri.
For photos about the exhibition opening, see reports from 10/15/08, 10/17/08 and 10/20/08.
[Photo & text: sa]
Alumnus Young Soo Kim restored the URBIS ET ORBIS Space Arcology model for the 2005 exhibition in Rome. Here Young Soo inspects the returned model and its electrical connections. All items returned in perfect condition.
"Thank you!" to Claudia Pestana, contact at the Nam June Paik Art Center, for awesome support.
Claudia reports that they received great feedback from their visitors on the Soleri part of the exhibition.
Also, thank you to Doug and crew at "Art Solutions" in Scottsdale, AZ, for excellent service.
[Photo & text: sa]
Posted by sue on February 20, 2009 4:21:38 PM MST
We continued the 2/16/09 report about construction on the AOT ramp for visitors. Construction team Andrew Woodard and Kyle Engoian, and landscaping crew Brian Fritz use a coring machine to prepare the holes that will hold post's for the railing.
[Photos & text: sa]
Brian and Andrew apply a level to each post to assure a smooth attachment of the handrail.
[Photo: Darina Trendafilova & text: sa]
Posts are completed on the first and second levels of the ramp. This report continues.
[Photo: Darina Trendafilova & text: sa]
Posted by sue on February 18, 2009 2:25:11 PM MST
Construction continues at the Visitors center entrance ADA ramp. The connecting walkway from the visitors parking lot to the upper part of the ramp has been formed up and a small graveled walk-way was prepared right next to it for visitors access.
[Photo:dkt & text: sa]
The actual concrete pours are a favorite part of the construction team's responsibilities and the long ramp is worked in high spirits and with vigorous activity.
[Photos: dkt & text: sa]
When we look at the ramp from the visitors center window, we can see this part of the concrete work at the very entrance to the visitors parking lot. In the foreground, on the lowest level of the ramp, we can see the first signs of railing posts.
This report will proceed with photos of the metalwork for the railing and it's installation.
[Photo: dkt & text: sa]
Posted by sue on February 16, 2009 7:24:42 PM MST
The 2009 Arcosanti Resident Artshow opens tomorrow, Valentines Day, with a reception from 1 pm to 5 pm. Resident artists and Arcosanti alumni artists will present works of sculpture, photography, ceramics, painting, drawing, crafts, woodworking and jewelry.
[Image & text: Kip Hersted]
The show can be viewed in the Arcosanti Cafe daily from 9 am to 5 pm and will run until April 1. 2009.
[Photos: Kip Hersted, Kyle Engoian & text: Kip Hersted]
Posted by sue on February 13, 2009 3:38:44 PM MST
Arcosanti had its first snow for this winter! On Monday night, a velvety white blanket covered the arcology.
The construction crew, together with workshop-participants, continued work on the new Visitors' Entryway, even though the temperatures were really low.
[Photo: Eric Davis & text: dkt]
This is a photo of the site early Tuesday morning.
[Photo & text: dkt]
With the sunrise,the ephemeral snow cover started to vanish.
[Photo & text: dkt]
Posted by sue on February 11, 2009 5:23:09 PM MST
We continue our report from 2/6/09. Construction staff Kyle Engoian and alumnus Dan Kelliher moved on to tile the floor of the two-bedroom apartment in Unit 7 in the East Crescent complex. At this time the apartments of Unit 6, 7, 9 and 10 are used for workshop participants and visiting groups.
[Photo: Darina Trendafilova & text: sa]
Kyle applies an adhesive, 'thinset', to the back of a tile, before putting the tile in place. As all of the East Crescent units are wedge shaped, a lot of the tiles had to be custom cut to fit.
[Photos: Darina Trendafilova & text: sa
Some of the dividing walls between the bedrooms and the living space are curved, another challenge for tile cutting. The tile work on the floors is complete. A dark grout works very well with the lighter tiles.
Here one of the rooms has been made ready for the incoming workshop.
[Photos: Kyle Engoian & text: sa]
Posted by sue on February 9, 2009 5:25:43 PM MST
Today, we report on the interior finish work in East Crescent Unit 9-2. Alumnus Dan Kelliher and construction crew member Kyle Engoian tiled the floors in the 2-bedroom apartment.
This photo shows one of the bedrooms. The full square tiles have been already set in, and Kyle is removing the spacers used for assuring an even layout.
[Photo & text: dkt]
In this photo from the second bedroom, Kyle is in the process of setting in the tiles. First, he spreads out a thin layer of thin-set, and then carefully positions each tile.
[Photo & text: dkt]
The odd-shaped tiles are set in last. In the left-side photo, Kyle is about to set a tile in the threshold. In the right-side photo, he is using the tile-saw machine.
[Photo & text: dkt]
Posted by sue on February 6, 2009 11:59:01 AM MST
Welcome to the first Arcosanti workshop-participants of 2009. In the back from left to right are Andrew Chesley, Christopher Reighley,
Eric Davis, Robert Cichocki (seminar week), Laura Dunn, Ryan Weinman, Stefano Massa, and Nathan Hodgson. In the front row are Kengo Kurimoto and Jenny Druda (seminar week)
[Photo & text: dkt]
On Tuesday, everybody had a chance to work with the Construction and
Landscaping department on the project of the new Visitor's entrance pathway.
People worked on different levels, preparing drainage lines for the sides of the already poured slabs.
[Photo: Tyler Scott & text: dkt]
The final section of the pathway will be poured next week. In this photo, we see construction crew-leaders and workshop-participants leveling the ground and securing formwork for the slab. We will continue with a report on the concrete pour for this project.
[Photo: Scott Riley & text: dkt]
Posted by sue on February 4, 2009 5:18:40 PM MST
We continue the report from 1/30/09 on the tile work in Unit 10 in the East Crescent Complex. This photo shows the recently inset corner tiles that make a smooth connection between the wall and floor tiles.
[Photo & text: Darina Trendafilova]
This is an image of the shower pan with finished tiles. Next step in this bathroom will be installation of the showerhead, toilette and sink.
Tile work continued in the second floor apartments of Unit 7 and Unit 9 in the East Crescent and we will report on this soon.
[Photo & text: Darina Trendafilova]
Posted by sue on February 2, 2009 4:12:35 PM MST