The Cosanti Foundation
About The Cosanti Foundation
Since its inception in 1965, the nonprofit Cosanti Foundation has sought to influence the way the built environment is created with little negative effect to the surrounding natural environment. Through tours of the experimental architecture and sustainability-minded programming offered at its two sites, Cosanti and Arcosanti, The Cosanti Foundation contributes to a larger conversation about the importance of balancing humankind’s needs with the planet’s natural resource capacity.
Cosanti, in Paradise Valley, is a designated site on Arizona’s Register of Historic Places and is home to the former design and architectural studios of Paolo Soleri and where the earliest examples of Soleri’s earth-cast structures, dwellings, and workspaces are found. Here, he established The Cosanti Foundation and began producing ceramic and bronze Windbells, large-scale sculptures, and silt-cast panels as a revenue stream through Cosanti Originals to support the important work of The Foundation. Today, skilled artisans continue to design and cast the world-renowned Cosanti Originals Windbells in the spirit of Soleri’s design aesthetic and tradition.
In 1969, Soleri established his groundbreaking theory of “arcology,” a portmanteau of “architecture” and “ecology” to describe his architectural philosophy that directly contrasted to what Soleri saw as sprawling suburbanization and the decline of America’s urban culture. Fifty years ago, in 1970, Soleri began experimenting with his theories on a larger scale at Arcosanti, a 25 acre “urban laboratory” on 860 acres in Yavapai County, high on a 4,000-foot mesa, just 70 miles north of Phoenix.
In addition to experimental and theoretical architecture, Soleri is known for his forward-thinking environmental sensibility, his advocacy for creating connected communities through vertically-dense live-work mixed-use spaces, and a focus on frugal, minimalist living.
The Cosanti Foundation’s Core Values
Little has changed about the core values of The Cosanti Foundation over the past 55 years. These central tenets still resonate with society’s heightened environmental consciousness today.
Embracing Frugality & Resourcefulness
Thoughtfully approaching the built world and our practices in daily life in ways that are experientially rich but materially frugal.
Nurturing Ecological Accountability
Supporting the world’s human habitat without burdening the Earth’s capacity and limited natural resources.
Creating an Experiential Learning Environment
Promoting the empowering impact of “learning by doing” and the dynamic educational experience that comes from immersion in one’s work.
Leaving a Limited Carbon Footprint
Advocating for an urban density model where mixed-use spaces make better use of limited resources and connect to economic, social, and cultural outlets.
The Cosanti Foundation has developed educational programs that help to increase our understanding of the importance of embracing these four concepts that guide our work. Through hands-on art-making workshops, lectures, publications, academic and cultural collaborations, and tours of the experimental architecture at both Cosanti and Arcosanti, The Cosanti Foundation continues to advance the idea of a better built world, one that is in balance with its natural surroundings.
The Meaning Behind The Name Cosanti?
Like arcology, “Cosanti” is a combination of two words that embody the spirit of Paolo Soleri’s emphasis against hyper-consumerism: the Italian words, “cosa” and “anti”, which translate as “against things.” The Cosanti Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1965 to advance a philosophy of forming communities focused on living more fully with less… and with less detrimental impact to the ecology of the Earth.
Embracing the concept of arcology, The Cosanti Foundation’s mission becomes more and more relevant in today’s world as human civilization grows larger and more complex. The need to live more sustainably is critical when society is faced with designing cities to accommodate a growing population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050.
Compounding the projected population explosion is the notion of how the Earth’s natural resources – the ecology – become compromised as food shortages, climate change, and a culture of relentless consumer consumption continue unchecked. To this end, the guiding principles of The Cosanti Foundation are a progressive rationale for why re-examining the way communities are formed and the human habitat is built is essential in the 21st century.
Cosanti in the Valley
Cosanti in Paradise Valley, Arizona is home to the former architectural and design studios of Paolo Soleri (1919-2013). Here, Soleri perfected his silt-casting construction technique; wrote his magnum opus, Arcology: City in the Image of Man in 1969; established The Cosanti Foundation in 1965; and created Cosanti Originals, a modest bronze and ceramic Windbell business as a revenue stream to support his Foundation and his explorations into theoretical architecture.
Cosanti sits on a small 5-acre property, in a quiet residential neighborhood where it is surrounded by extravagant homes on land worth millions of dollars. Cosanti’s land was purchased for a mere $12,000, and given to Soleri and his wife, Colly, as a wedding gift. Having this land, and the freedom to experiment with building innovative structures on it, allowed Soleri to concentrate on his architectural and scholarly pursuits.
Cosanti was the catalyst for beginning to create Arcosanti in 1970 which, with its focus on sustainable building, passive heating and cooling, integrated live-work spaces, and a sensibility about preserving the environment, was ahead of its time.
The People Guiding the Mission
The leadership of The Cosanti Foundation includes its Board of Directors and Executive Staff.
The Cosanti Foundation Board of Directors
Matteo Di Michele
Chair
Charlotte, NC
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After working in Milan as a contract law adviser with a large telecommunications company, Matteo moved to Arcosanti where he resided and worked for more than 10 years with a variety of responsibilities including human resources management, workshop coordination, operations management, and the development of strategic partnerships with cultural institutions and universities.
In 2012 Matteo received his MBA in Supply Chain and Operations Management at Arizona State University and relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he lives with his wife Emily, and their two daughters. Matteo currently works with Bank of America where he holds the position of Senior Vice President with the Global Corporate Services team.
Jeff Stein
Secretary
Boston, MA
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Mr. Stein has lectured about the work of Cosanti Foundation/Arcosanti in numerous public arenas including DOCOMOMO, FORBES’ Techonomy Conferences, AIA Conferences, The Santa Fe Institute, Oregon’s HOPES conference; and throughout Europe and the Middle East. Jeff was a longtime board member of the Boston Society of Architects, The Frank Lloyd Wright School, Ecosa Institute, and EcoCity Builders. He has published widely, including “Visionary Architecture” in the AIA 150th Anniversary book, ARCHITECTURE: CELEBRATING THE PAST, DESIGNING THE FUTURE.
Stephen Ostwinkle
Treasurer
Phoenix, AZ
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Stephen became acquainted with The Cosanti Foundation in 2005 as a contractor selected to construct silt cast wall panels as art features for the Soleri Bridge Project. Paolo Soleri and Roger Tomalty were involved in the project as artist and artistic consultant respectively. The Architecture of Cosanti intrigues Stephen, and served as the catalyst to become more involved with the organization as a volunteer.
Jai Singh Khalsa
Cambridge, MA
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Khalsa Design currently averages around 150 jobs a year. Projects scale from three family to mixed-use projects of 500,000 square feet with hotel, retail, residential and parking components.
On the community side, Jai has been involved in the administration of many Sikh related nonprofits and business boards for more than 40 years. Jai is also an Arcosanti Alumnus – he spent 6 to 8 months living and working in the Urban Laboratory and says, “I often reflect on it as a foundational moment in my development as an architect.”
Sarah Marino
Phoenix, AZ
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As former Director of Team Experience at Tuft & Needle (TN.com), the company that disrupted the mattress industry and revolutionized the employee experience, Sarah nurtured the award-winning start-up culture by producing large scale team events and a best-in-class work environment that enabled breakthrough work and team execution. Tuft & Needle’s culture accolades include earning Entrepreneur’s 2017 Top Company Culture Award and being named one of Phoenix Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in 2017.
After her time in the start-up world, she transitioned to focus on ceramics, where she currently creates both functional and sculptural designs that feature high-contrast, familiar silhouettes, with an eye for the underrated every day.
In 2019, Sarah and her husband, JT, purchased Paolo Soleri’s only commissioned residential home to preserve and share its unique history.
As a board member, Sarah brings a passionate drive to help develop and progress Cosanti’s big vision with a fresh perspective from her experience operating high-performance teams and creatively supporting digitally native brands.
Kim Ruggiero
Scottsdale, AZ
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Kim is Professor of Practice for the Professional Sales and Relationship Management Class and Chair of the Professional Sales Advisory Board for the Department of Marketing, W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University – consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the top 25 of undergraduate marketing disciplines.
Kim recently retired from leadership positions in the information technology field spanning 4 decades with Verizon Business Group; AT&T Business; Co-founder in a technology start up; and technology solution-provider firm. As a global technology leader, Kim is recognized for her strategic and technical savvy, building high-performance teams, and intrapreneurial vision.
Kim’s philanthropic efforts include Chair of the ASU Professional Sales Advisory Board; co-chairing the 2019 Crozier Gala; member of the Diocesan Finance Council; Chair of the inaugural Forever Young (Steve Young) Foundation Sophie’s Place Event.
Kim’s passion is international travel, focusing on experiential adventure. Recent trips included Costa Rica eco-travel, Israel pilgrimage; Iceland hiking and wildlife photography; and Egypt to experience the rich history of the country. With 50 countries visited, Kim is excited about future locations and experiences.
Ivan Fritz
Hopewell, NJ
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Kelli Huth
New York, NY
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Kelli was a resident at Arcosanti from 2002 to 2006, along with her husband, Jim, and twins (born in 2005). During that time, Kelli served for a year as the public relations coordinator and for three years as the workshop/internship coordinator. She was also a member of the Arcosanti Leadership Team, focusing on human resources procedures.
Youngsoo Kim
New York, NY
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He lived and worked in Arcosanti from 2009 to 2012 as a research and design expert for Arcosanti planning department. During his three and half years of residency his main focus was on strategizing and visualization of Arcology. In 2012, Youngsoo coauthored book Lean Linear City: Arterial Arcology with Paolo Soleri and other alumni. Also he helped curation of Paolo Soleri’s exhibition in China back in 2011. Youngsoo believes Arcology as vision and Arcosanti as community have unique place in the era of climate change.
The Cosanti Foundation Executive Staff
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John’s skill set is business development, strategic planning, brand positioning, team building and organization. Over the years, John has turned around failing businesses, started new businesses and established organic growth strategies with proven success. John believes in building strong leadership teams that aspire to top quartile performance. Teams that lead through example and take every opportunity to train and counsel new talent with an eye toward succession. Guiding thought; A team is only as strong as its weakest link.
Kate Bemesderfer
Senior Director of Development & Communications
Interim Chief of Staff
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In 2012, she spent two life-changing years living at Arcosanti, where she was the PR & Development Coordinator as well as a member of Arcosanti Community Council. Her time with Cosanti Foundation was one of growth and transition, and her work included significant expansion of both digital engagement and Arcosanti’s live events, including the establishment of the multi-day FORM festival. She has since served on both the Strategic Plan Steering Committee and the Arcosanti Cooperative Board of Directors. She remains close with the current Arcosanti community and its extended alumni network, and active with the co-op in the planning and production of its annual Convergence festival.
Since 2014, Kate has resided in Portland, Oregon, where she is currently the Development Director of 1000 Friends of Oregon, a statewide nonprofit that safeguards Oregon’s unique land use planning program. This program began in 1973 as a means of protecting Oregon’s vital farmland and environmental treasures from unchecked urban sprawl, while also ensuring the development of compact, highly-livable towns and cities inside of intentionally-set urban growth boundaries. For Kate, it’s a logic that resonates strongly with the principles of arcology upon which Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti are founded. Perhaps that’s why there are so many Cosanti Originals windbells in Oregon!
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As the Director, Rob focuses on managing Arcosanti as a business, community, and place. Acting as the lead facilitator, he works with internal and external stakeholders to deliver programs and services at Arcosanti.
Rob joined The Cosanti Foundation in 2018, fresh off of taking the legacy 5-Week Workshop. Change was a central theme during his first three years with the Foundation, which would see him move from Workshop Coordinator to Director of Education to Director of Talent Development before assuming the Director of Arcosanti role in December of 2020. This progression allowed Rob to gain a deep and intimate understanding of the organization’s history, mission, and culture.
Before joining The Cosanti Foundation’s leadership team, Rob worked as an HR Business Manager, a martial arts coach and competitor, a Project Coordinator for large scale construction projects, and an independent coach and consultant. In 2018, Rob was selected to participate in the inaugural group of Emerging Sustainability Leaders by Arizona Forward.
Throughout his career, Rob has cultivated a passion for developing people, advancing culture, and improving workflows within organizations. All of this is done through the lens of environmental, economic, and social justice.
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Our Financial Reports
Optimizing our limited resources is an intrinsic part of lean operations and is a core principle of arcology design. The nonprofit Cosanti Foundation prides itself on its commitment to operating frugally and responsibly and is grateful for the contributed income of foundations, corporations, and individuals who support its mission and vision.
See below for links to recent 990 financial reports and the GuideStar profile for The Cosanti Foundation.
#metoo
The #metoo movement has brought to light many abuses against women around the world that were not previously acknowledged and addressed. As a microcosm of the macrocosm, The Cosanti Foundation has had its own issues relating to abuse that we have chosen to address directly and proactively. Visit our #MeToo page to learn more.
Black Lives Matter
For over two decades at Arcosanti, The Cosanti Foundation celebrated Juneteenth with performances, concerts, and programming to celebrate and draw attention to the historic and profound significance of this day. While we are not able to gather together publicly this year, we mark Juneteenth once again with a pledge to continue listening, learning, and identifying the steps we can take to continue our commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement and add our support and voice to a movement that has long moved us.
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