At the latest quarterly All Site meeting held in the Red Room, the departmental progress reports were presented, business related information was disseminated, and some community issues were raised for discussion.
The All Site meeting welcomes all employees and Arcosanti residents in the community to participate in the discussions. Contribution to this meeting is a valuable form of community engagement in the process and to help assure that everyone's voice is heard. Some of the topics discussed included the planning of exhibitions, new promotional DVDs of Soleri cities, new book publications dedicated to Paolo Soleri, the launching of a new Arcosanti website, and the construction of the Soleri Pedestrian Bridge in Scottsdale. The meeting ended with a consensus election for the Community Council.

Young Soo Kim, 3-D rendering wizard, initiated the first annual "Burning Tongue Dinner". This was a pot-luck dinner where everyone had to bring something super spicy, per Young Soo "participants needed – no spectators allowed.

In other words, participation involved willingness to cry. Delicious 'burning' choices included spicy watermelon, very spicy brownies, spicy hot chocolate, several curries, spicy kimchi, fried bananas with orange-chocolate sauce, hot wings, spicy sauces to put over rice, wasabi chicken, spicy Arcosanti peach chutney with hot cinnamon rice, jalapeno canape's, spicy vegetable juice with ginger and habanero.

The table was set up with dishes ranging from mild to medium to little mercy to no mercy.

We had a great time.

This report continues from 8/24.
Here we see the pour of the heat duct tunnel wall in full swing. The construction crew laid a bridge on the scaffolding to facilitate the workers and equipment during the course of the pouring process. Many people came from different departments to help with the pour.

The mixed concrete was placed into wheelbarrows and buckets and shuttled down to the scaffolding to be poured into the formwork. Here we see the entire work in process.

The crew disassembled the wall forms after the concrete cured.
The next section of the wall will be under way with erection of the formwork and we will continue to report on this next week.

The slab pour last week was a great success. For drainage purposes, the two slabs were created to slope down towards the center of the heat duct tunnel floor in order to accommodate water flow.

This week, the volunteers, workshop participants and construction staff have already begun building the formwork for the heat duct tunnel wall. Snap ties were used to hold both sides of the forms together.

Pictures of the pour will be posted on the next report 8/26.

To continue the report from 8/19:
Here we see the first pour, distribution and leveling of the concrete onto the framework for the floor slab.

The staff and volunteers had to work fast to flatten and smoothen out the liquid material before it hardened.

The other half of the slab was poured early next morning.
Report continues on 8/24/09.

To continue the report from 7/24: The formwork of the retaining wall has been removed. Next step is to have the floor of this heat duct tunnel extension raised and leveled. Here we see three workshop participants bringing in filler, which will be used to level the ground in preparation for a slab pour.

The filler helped level the ground creating just the right slope and foundation for pouring the concrete slab onto it. Another form was built at the end of the retaining wall to frame in this first part of the floor slab.

The new form has been completed for the base of the heat duct tunnel. The next stage involves pouring the concrete slab. Here we see part of the crew preparing and mixing the concrete early in the morning.

Volunteers made sure the framework is in ready shape before the concrete is poured down the chute. A slab pour is now in progress.
We will continue this report with more photos on Friday 8/21/09.

The renderings of "Solare - The Lean Linear City" and "Arcosanti: Critical Mass," presented over the past few weeks,
were produced by the Cosanti Foundation planning department.
The primary design team included Tomiaki Tamura, Scott Riley, Young Soo Kim, Alfonso Elia, and Valentina Lucherini, with help from others.
This effort was made possible in part with the addition of two new, more powerful computers, custom built for us by The CAD Store of Peoria, AZ.
[photo from front to back]: Planning interns Felly Tesei Limpangui, Erica Bazzini and Vittorio Leone.
Valentina Lucherini and Young Soo Kim.

The renderings were first presented at Paolo Soleri's 90th birthday celebration, to an audience mostly comprised of alumni.
The next day Arcosanti supporter Joan Baron assisted in collecting over $2000 in donations from alumni and others for a new computer. Many thanks to Joan and the donors for their support!

[photo from front to back]: Young Soo Kim, Valentina Lucherini, Erica Bazzini and Felly Tesei Limpangui.

The most recent computer is now in use at the workstation of Valentina Lucherini.
Also custom built by The CAD Store, this computer includes an Intel i7 Quad Core processor and an Nvidea Quadro FX 3700 Graphics card.
When Vale's computer is "thinking" we can toast bread with the heat!
Work continues on both the Arcosanti and Solare projects, including program and population studies and new renderings.
[photo: Valentina Lucherini]

Many Thanks for your generous donation to the following alumni:
MOPPY BARR
MONIQUE DE LOS RIOS-URBAN
GEOFFREY BRUCE
KAREN CARTWRIGHT
PRESTON CLOCKSIN
BRUCE JOSEPH
L. MICHAEL KALOUSEK
RALPH H. KRATZ
TRACY MCQUADE
BILL PAUL
LAURA POWERS
TOM PRICE
ELLEN RYAN
MARIETTA STRANO
ANNE TONKS
GEORGE KOSMIDES
RUTHCLAIRE WEINTRAUB
JAK KEYSER
JOSEPH MATCHEY
JOAN BARON
ANTHONY FLOYD
CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON
SUMNER ANDREWS
ALEX BARRAGAN
DAVID BELSKIS
CHRISTINA BODNAR-ANDERSON
DAVID CLEVELAND
ABBY GELLES KNOTT
DONNA HOPSON
MICHAEL JOHNSTON
SAM KORNHAUSER
JUANITA MERSEREAU
IRA MURFIN
PETER VAN ERP
JEFFREY ZUCKER
NADIA BEGIN
BERGEN CARLSON-PRICE
LITA BYERLY
MICHAEL GOSNEY
RICHARD JOHNSON
CHRISTIAN STRAIGHT
TOM SUNDERLAND

This is the fifth and last installment in this series of reports with the most recent 3D renderings of "SOLARE The Lean Linear City".

Excerpts from
BEYOND GRIDLOCK
Paolo Soleri's Lean Linear City
by Tomiaki Tamura, Cosanti Foundation, August 2009.

[Transportation]
Although the lifestyle within SOLARE occurs primarily in pedestrian mode, the linear nature of the urban ribbon structure is meant to follow the urban logistical system connecting different cultural interests and economic needs both horizontally and linearly. Mass-transit systems are employed; local shuttles and moving walkways, as well as regional trains occasionally 'touching down' at major urban centers (existing cities or new arcologies) where SOLARE intersects.

This urban logistical approach provides a more controlled urban growth strategy as opposed to a seemingly unstoppable urban sprawl driven especially by our automobile dependence.

SOLARE is also high density (20+ stories) enough to justify the multi-level public circulation system including the integration of vertical transport systems such as elevators and escalators.

Public accessibility at multiple levels encourages walking, as well as cycling and the use of other low impact transport mechanisms. Sustainable mobility should address less polluting and healthier lifestyles for citizens.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the unique aspect of Solare: Lean Linear City.
It is a complimentary piece to the existing cities in need of urban growth and re-development, as well as an integral part of proposed 'ecological' communities forming urban nodes along the way.
We can certainly plan and build ecological cities (arcology?)' as Soleri has suggested in the past and some countries are already attempting to do so.
We must, however, realize that arcology alone cannot remedy all urban developmental challenges. No matter how robust arcological community may become, we still have to address 'urban growth' issues beyond its 'protective' ecological envelope.
While the Lean Linear City possesses arcological elements within the system, its main focus is to map out the urban growth pattern in more controlled manner by linearizing the ecological footprint needed to support the activities in urban nodes (larger cities) along its path.
Macro (logistical) urbanization is the key to transcend our daily life in gridlock.

YoungSoo Kim and the Arcosanti planning team are in the process of refining and updating 3D renderings of "SOLARE - The Lean Linear City". We will continue this report as new renderings become available.

This is the fourth installment in a series of reports with the most recent 3D renderings of "SOLARE The Lean Linear City".

Excerpts from
BEYOND GRIDLOCK
Paolo Soleri's Lean Linear City
by Tomiaki Tamura,
Cosanti Foundation,
August 2009.

[Waste Management]
SOLARE's urban structures certainly make waste material collection more efficient. The linear transportation system also provides easier access to processing and recycling locations, and to waste disposal sites.

The biologically processed (composting) materials fill the landscaping and garden soil enrichment needs. The energy recovery system in forms of solid, liquid and gaseous materials can also be adopted.

Perhaps the largest contribution to waste management in SOLARE is the reduction in the absolute amount of material consumption; redefining the "quality of life" by giving its residents pedestrian access to many amenities, so that each resident does not have to own everything (but can share), therefore creating an environment in which less materials are needed.

[Agriculture/Greenhouse] Sustainable agriculture may be a somewhat elusive concept, especially with the complexity of varied and shifting environmental conditions, and socio-economic needs of the communities that produce and consume the goods involved in the process.

However, humanity’s attempt to reduce the ecological footprint that supports our lifestyle necessitates bringing agricultural activities much closer to the habitat where the consumption occurs.
SOLARE explores urban agriculture in the adjacent open field (close proximity to the human habitat) and vertical farm built into the structure where applicable.
Another unique feature of SOLARE is the terraced greenhouse unit (Energy Apron) intended to extend the growing season and provide diversified horticulture and floriculture practices within its stratified micro-climatic conditions.
This glazed productive environment substantially reduces the amount of water usage, while diverting excess heat to upper structures for space heating when needed.

This report continues on 8/14/2009.

This is the third installment in a series of reports with the most recent 3D renderings of "SOLARE The Lean Linear City".

Excerpts from
BEYOND GRIDLOCK
Paolo Soleri's Lean Linear City
by Tomiaki Tamura,
Cosanti Foundation,
August 2009.

[Energy Production]
The relatively low-cost and highly efficient (in dollar value per energy output) form of non-renewable energy, namely fossil fuels, has certainly brought our western world unprecedented progress in the last century. We are also aware of the environmental and human costs that have resulted from progress’ ever-increasing carbon emission in our atmosphere, as the rest of the world began sharing a piece of our prosperity.
Depending on regional climatic and topographical conditions, SOLARE introduces alternative energy production options: continuous arrays of photovoltaic modules harvesting solar energy and a series of windmills capturing wind energy.

Both systems are located at the top of the structures to take advantage of non-polluting renewable energies.
Passive solar features such as glazed atrium spaces and attached greenhouses (Energy Apron) add to the energy efficiency of the building.
If all the combinations of the suggested energy production systems are employed for the urban modules, they would support 80-100% of their energy needs.

[Water Usage]
Efficient organization of water supply and wastewater reclamation systems requires substantial capital investment even in a highly dense lean linear urban environment.

However, SOLARE tries to focus especially on the reduction of water usage by introducing a climate-controlled atrium for urban activity spaces and greenhouses for agricultural production.

Additionally alternative energy production systems certainly reduce the dependence on the more conventional energy production facilities such as power plants and/or oil refineries that consume substantial amounts of water for their industrial needs.
The residents also enjoy immediate access to recreational areas that feature bodies of water such as rivers and lakes within pedestrian reach or via other means of transportation.
The open agricultural fields are in close proximity to reusable treated water augmenting their irrigation needs. Water storages are located in the upper part of the SOLARE structure to give plenty of gravitational pressure for reliable water distribution system.
Depending on geographical location, desalination technology can be employed to optimize available water resources.

This report continues on 8/12/2009.

This is the second part in a series of reports about the most recent version of 3D renderings of SOLARE THE LEAN LINEAR CITY.

Excerpts from
BEYOND GRIDLOCK - Paolo Soleri's Lean Linear City - by Tomiaki Tamura, Cosanti Foundation, August 2009.

The project SOLARE: Lean Linear City, proposed by Paolo Soleri, is a suggestion that may trigger a positive change in how we develop the human habitat in harmony with the environment.
Here is how Soleri imagines sustainable urban mobility.
SOLARE proposes a continuous urban ribbon of twenty or more stories high, extending for many kilometers.

Two main parallel structures are built of modules measuring 150 meters (500 feet) in length. Each module accommodates about 1500 residents, and spaces for commercial, industrial, institutional, cultural, recreational and health maintenance activities.

SOLARE suggests a possibility of sustainable urban development within its structure and the environment beyond. While carbon neutrality is within its reach through innovations in building efficiency and energy conservation, the most important contribution of SOLARE is perhaps its logistical approach to define and control urban growth for future cities and the expansion of the existing cities.

Here are some issues addressed as examples of "lean alternatives" in SOLARE:

[Urban Environment]
24/7 use of the SOLARE continuum provides an efficient and lively urban environment through mixed-use activities such as living, working, learning and leisure. Although such life will be intense and exciting, at times it could be taxing on individuals. For this reason, SOLARE also features immediate access to open space and nature that may provide an opportunity to decompress one's stress. Commuting occurs on foot and/or by train. While providing substantial urban activities within its linear structures, SOLARE is meant to 'connect' and give the residents access to larger urban nodes (existing cities and new arcologies). These are city centers that have different socio-cultural and economic dynamism that may be lacking in the linear city.

Report continues on 8/10/2009.

The planning department has put together a new collection of 3D renderings of "SOLARE The Lean Linear City".

Contemplation of a Linear City threads throughout Paolo Soleri's work and with this first of a series of reports we introduce a small fraction of a rich history on this subject.

[image] from "Macro Cosanti" scroll drawings, 1963.

Page 156 from "The Sketchbooks of Paolo Soleri", published 1970 by M.I.T.:
The oddest thing about the automobile is that it is a very sophisticated machine devised for the purposes of the most primitive logistics with the sophisticated intent of liberating man from the slavery of time and space.
The result is (1) a savagely convulsive primitivism of interrelation between man and man, man and institutions; (2) an inflation of physical interstices and functions; (3) a progressively widening time lapse between stimulus and response; (4) the poisoning of the environment; (5) a sacrificial heap of metal and upholstery offered to the god of waste; (6) an endless network of cement and asphalt; (7) a systematic butchering and maiming of the software, man, trapped in his hardware, the machine; (8) a mindless depletion of the energetic sources of the earth’s fuels; (9) an insularity of action represented by the busts of men and women visible inside their own moving and mystical cages; (10) an explosion into fragments and a segregation of the urban fabric; (11) the paralysis of ugliness and chaos, a possibly irreversible decadence of the human environment.

[image] from Paolo Soleri sketchbooks, ca. 1964-1965.

Page 156 continues from "The Sketchbooks of Paolo Soleri", published 1970 by M.I.T.:
The obscurantism of the automobile age might well go down in history on par with some of the most fierce catastrophies man has brought upon himself. A cultural catastrophe, first of all. An ecological catastrophe. A logistical catastrophe. A social catastrophe. Those are some of my comments on the car now, when my naivety in seeing redeeming features in the idea “car” is all but gone. Only at the service of leisure might the car redeem itself and then only with well-defined limitations. The major reason why the car is an insult to life is its use as a “work” device. Work has a mandatory character: survival; thus the linkage car-survival and, among others, the folly of the commuters’ tide. Eliminate the car as a means of survival, and we can return to the pleasure of the country drive for the sake of leisure and family outings. This would automatically deflate the intrusion of steel tonnage and rubber tires and submission to a major catastrophe.

[image] from "City in the Image of Man" drawings, 1970.

Page 231 from "The Sketchbooks of Paolo Soleri", published 1970 by M.I.T.:
Le Courbusier, as a god prophet, saw that, where there is a function demanding large investments and substantial intrusion on the land, you might as well make full and multiple use of the instrument you construct (the road becoming the roof of a continuous building). One of the things that marks an instrument for obsolescence is its narrow specialization. This is certainly a virtue when the instrument is a small fraction of a larger process and its task is so "absorbing" as to veto distraction or secondary actions. One can hardly object to the narrowness of a bench drill or a fan. The aberrant thing comes about when the instrument achieves environmental proportions and becomes a preponderant part of the envelope sheltering and serving man. If the envelope was built in obsolescence (often defined by a mortgage coverage), the expediency of the instrument imprints itself on the people who are tied to its performance. Obsolescent environment makes expedient people.

[image] from Paolo Soleri sketchbooks, 1989-1991.

Page 231 continues from "The Sketchbooks of Paolo Soleri", published 1970 by M.I.T.:
The specter of not keeping up with the times because of an environment that is too "permanent" is one of the afflictions of poor perspective. Even though communication time has enormously decreased and production time has been separated from hand manipulation and its "organic" pulse, psychological growth and real knowledge have not left the channel where they develop for a faster one, certainly not much faster. How could they? Biological changes are enormously slow for our limited patience, and the mind can go only so far out without balking. The naked mind is a dangerous and savage mind, a mind of abstraction and segregation, a deadly mind. It is unfortunate, but possibly unavoidable, that the inventible mind, the technologically inclined, tends to be the naked mind. (The most productive age span of discoverers and inventors is in the twenties.) It is the naked mind and the desensitized body that find an obsolescent environment to their liking. They indeed are alike, both sensing the presence of a dark chasm of senselessness only one step ahead of themselves, as if man's fall reflected itself endlessly on the sloping bastions of a deterministic and indifferent universe.

[image] from "Two Suns" scroll drawings, 1975.

Introduction from
"BEYOND GRIDLOCK - Paolo Soleri's Lean Linear City", written by Tomiaki Tamura:

The project SOLARE: Lean Linear City, proposed by Paolo Soleri, is a suggestion that may trigger a positive change in how we develop the human habitat in harmony with the environment. [the complete text will be featured in the upcoming reports].
This series continues on 8/7/2009.

Welcome to the July 26 Workshop participants!

Back row from left: David Gori [seminar week], Jason Kipp, Roni Kobrosly, Ander Bilbao, and Silvia Dal Prato [2 weeks].

Middle row from left: Kevin Bruno [2 weeks], Elijah Rushefsky [seminar week], Filippo Bazzoni [Arcosanti scholarship], Andrea Perletti [2weeks], Claudia Ardolino, and Pasquale Lacovone [Arcosanti scholarship].

Front row from left: Chintana Phenphanh [2 weeks], Valentina Leardi [2 weeks], Dorothy Thurston, Giorgia Aquilar and Marzio DiPace [both 2 weeks], and Claudia Cimino.