Today@Arcosanti

LECTURES - PHOENIX PUBLIC LIBRARY

Last Thursday, February 2. 2012, Arcosanti Planning Interns mounted the exhibition of Arcosanti/Cosanti images, that Planning Coordinator Nadia Begin put together at the downtown Phoenix Public Library (Bruder Building).

On Thursday, Feb 9, Nadia and Jeff Stein have a public presentation/conversation there at 6:30-8PM with William Eaton, guitarist and instrument maker about THE ARCHITECTURAL INSTRUMENT.

[text: Jeff Stein]

[photos: Planning interns Yasaman Esmaili and Nick Klever are placing the last photos of the wall display for the exhibit on the second floor of the Burton Barr Phoenix Public Library].

The event is part of

PHOENIX RISING: The next 100 years
Color+Art in Contemporary Architecture

The Desert Environment Series presents "conversations" with educators, architects, musicians and visual artists every Thursday during the month of February alongside a month long exhibition in the Second Floor of the Burton Barr Library to celebrate the Arizona Centennial.

February 2nd,
5:30pm -6:30pm
Desert Environment Series Opening
Exhibit will be on display from Feb. 2- 29th on the second floor of the Burton Barr Library.

[photo & text: Nadia Begin]

[photo: Planning Coordinator Nadia Begin is giving final touches to the display].

February 2nd (Opening Night)
6:30pm- 8:00pm
Desert Sights & Sound and Simple Shelter
Rob Resetar - Videographer/Composer,
Teresa Rosano & Luis Ibarra - Architects.

February 9th,
6:30pm- 8:00pm
The Instrument Maker and the Architectural Instrument William Eaton - Musician.
Jeff Stein & Nadia Begin - Cosanti Foundation.

[photo & text: Nadia Begin]

[photo: The finished display that will be exhibited until the end of the month of February].

February 16th,
6:30pm- 8:00pm
The Education of an Architect
Victor Sidy - Dean at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.
Joslyn Hicks - Adolescent Program Director for Mission Montessori.

February 23rd,
6:30pm-8:00pm
Color in Hospital Architecture & the Grand Canyon Sergio Mejia - Architect from Mexico City.
Bruce Aiken - Painter.

The desert environment series started in 2008 by Alumni Alex Barragan as a Forum to discuss ideas on Engineering, Architecture, Industrial Design, Education and the Arts as they influence Arizona's Most Spectacular Environment.

The concept behind this month long event is:
*To ENCOURAGE the study of the great disciplines of Engineering, Architecture, Industrial Design, Education and the Arts.
*To EXPLORE new ideas, re-sharpen our imaginative skills and find ways to develop hidden talent.
*To REORGANIZE our studios, our business, or to take our projects to the next level.
*To APPRENTICE with the experts in the field of your interest.

[photo & text: Nadia Begin]

VISIT - BOSTON ARCHITECTURAL COLLEGE

Cosanti President Jeff Stein in Boston this week presented a copy of the new book from Cosanti Press, LEAN LINEAR CITY: ARTERIAL ARCOLOGY to Susan Lewis, Library Director of the Boston Architectural College. The BAC’s architecture library, one of America’s real treasures, hosted a reception several years ago for Paolo Soleri when he was named Cascieri Lecturer at the BAC. The library’s collection includes several of Soleri’s earlier books.

Photo: Jeff Stein and Susan Lewis

[photo & text: Jeff Stein]

COSANTI - ANNUAL BIKE RIDE

This year Cosanti was one of the pit stops for the United Blood Services "Tour de Hero" annual bike ride, which took place last Saturday, January 28. 2012.

[photos & text: Aimee Madsen]

Many in the valley of sun grabbed their bikes to help United Blood Services save lives in honor of National Volunteer Blood Donor Month, created to help raise awareness and recruit donors for the Arizona community blood program.

[photos & text: Aimee Madsen]

Seeing many on bikes buzz by Cosanti, seemed fitting on a couple different levels; Paolo Soleri being pro-citizen involvement and an avid bicyclist himself.

[photos & text: Aimee Madsen]

MEETING - FIBER ARTISANS

The first "Meet & Greet Fiber Retreat" for Fiber Artisans - spinners, weavers, knitters, took place this past Saturday Jan. 28, from 9 am - 3 pm in the Arcosanti cafe.

[photo & text: Sue]

The meeting was a great success. Over 30 artisans came to share their work and expertise.

[photo & text: Sue]

There was quite a variety of finished items, lots of unusual yarn.

The general public was able to visit and peruse lots of handmade crafts, felted hats and bags, knitted items, wonderful scarfs and gorgeous yarns.

[photo & text: Sue]

VISIT - TO ESD ENERGY SYSTEMS DESIGN

Arcosanti Habitat Coordinator Scott Riley and Cosanti President Jeff Stein met Monday morning with engineers Halleh Landon and Ali Ardebili of ESD/Energy Systems Design in Scottsdale. ESD is an electrical and mechanical engineering firm at the cutting edge of sustainable design, recommended to us by Arcosanti alum and City of Scottsdale Sustainability Director Anthony Floyd.

Scott and Jeff are seeking proposals for heating and cooling Arcosanti’s bakery upgrade/renovation on the third floor mezzanine of the Crafts III building. Solutions for this small but complex space will be a test for larger systems (including how to use greenhouse air) throughout Arcosanti.

The work is meant to continue to support the reason we are here: BECAUSE of our location in central Arizona, not in spite of it. ESD will research ways to meet codes and comfort requirements while still allowing folks at Arcosanti to feel connected to sun and seasons and place.

ESD’s own LEED-certified offices overlook the Soleri pedestrian bridge and plaza and themselves take advantage of serious and elegant (as in ‘mathematically elegant’) energy-saving mechanical and electrical designs/devices. More to come…

[photos: Halleh Landon and Ali Ardebili,engineers at ESD, Scott Riley at EDS with low-flow A/C vents as wainscote]

[photos & text: Jeff Stein]