Phoenix - Paulo Soleri's "Arcosanti"; Upcycle Living; Heard Museum

JourArcosanti: An Urban Laboratory

Yesterday we visited Cosanti, which today I learned means "Anti-Thing" (Cosa + Anti, in Italian, I suppose). And today we visited Arcosanti, which is Arcology (Architecture + Ecology, remember?) combined with the Anti-Thing. Are you starting to get a picture of how legendary architect Paulo Soleri's mind works? My understanding is that the "Thing" Soleri objects to is consumerism, urban sprawl, isolation of the individual, cars and commuting -- and other things about Phoenix that are quite objectively objectionable.

Gray = existing build; White = projected build

There's also a hint of the apocalyptic about his vision - a sense that America is at the forefront of modern urban development (ie that the rest of the West will follow in America's footsteps) and if 'we' continue on this trajectory, we'll run out of space... and will need to resort to colonizing deserts and other currently un- (or marginally) habitable places, so we'd best start preparing now. Soleri's solution seems to be to get people to live and work in one place, together -- using space and resources (and time, for that matter) more efficiently and in closer harmony with the environment.

Outdoor Assembly Area

Stage with 'cooling' moat and amphitheatre seating

Joseph, a Columbia grad student in Sociology or Urban Planning gave us a guided tour of the premises: a cube-framed 3-storey building housing the visitor center, bakery and cafeteria; two concrete 'apses' -- bandshell-like structures -- shading the bronze foundry and clay kilns; double-arches shading a large meeting area; a couple single family homes and some dormitory spaces; the 'Sky Suite' for visitors wanting to pay $100 for the night; the swimming pool; the amphitheatre -- proudly pointing out the fig and olive and pistachio trees, grape arbor and bed of mint ("fruits and nuts and herbs, there for the picking") along the way.

Joseph, I dare say, had drunk (or was drinking) the koolaid. He's writing about how architecture impacts social relations, and talked to us about the communal dining area and shared swimming pool as though these were revolutionary concepts. Perhaps in Phoenix they are. Then there's the notion of producing food for the community on a giant slope covered in glass in front of the buildings (hmm, might work if you like your greens burnt to a crisp by the Arizona sun), and using the heat from the bronze forge to warm the buildings on winter nights (no plans yet though for how to cool the buildings in the

Single Family Home

summer). Leave stand that they is no plan for dealing with 'gray' and 'black' water sustainably -- there is a pond on the property that can cope with the 'sewage' generated by the 100 or so people living on the premises, but for anything about that number (and Arcosanti broadcasts its intention to grow to a 5,000-strong community), the municipality requires Arcosanti to meet mandated hygiene standards.

For all the talk of 'ecology' there seems to be little effort to incorporate readily available 2010 technologies -- eg composting toilets (or even the kind that give you the option to flush with only half the water), or solar energy on a large scale.

Arcosanti is a marvel in that it's been built out of concrete -- by hand. And in that a utopia conceived in the 1970s and lacking any update for the 21st century continues to attract bright young minds to contribute their manual labor to its upkeep. Apparently, while Arcology was 'hot' in the '70s (Soleri got coverage in Newsweek and an Architecture Award), it went through a slump in the '80s and '90s, and it's only recently that interest (and a volunteer work force) has been resurgent.

Here's a link to a good article about Arcosanti from the 2007 Travel Section of the New York Times, if you'd like to read more: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/travel/16next.html?pagewanted=2

Jason Anderson, co-founder of Upcycle Living

When asked what he thought about Arcosanti, Jason Anderson said, "Well, I'm 30... I can't relate to that era... I'd like to just go off and think about things... but there's so much to be doing right here and now in society, real-time, I can't afford that luxury..."

Jason is an architect-contractor and co-founder of Upcycle Living (http://www.upcycleliving.com/) which recycles shipping containers into homes outfitted with the latest in green appliances, locally sourced materials, and solar power.

He's selling them to low-income families -- largely Native American -- but has also found a market with mining companies which need medium-term temporary accommodation for workers, and in disaster zones (eg earthquake-stricken Haiti) where structurally-sound solutions capable of functioning off-grid are at a premium.

Water Jug, Heard Museum

The Heard Museum in downtown Phoenix has a phenomenal collection of artifacts, historical and contemporary, covering all the native Arizona peoples: Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Apache, Havasupai, Hualapai, Yavupai -- to name but a handful.

Katsina Dolls, Heard Museum

Katsina dolls -- titihu in Hopi -- are gifts from the Katsinam to Hopi girls, and have been called 'visible prayers' and 'books in wood'.

Rain Clouds Over Phoenix

Journal:

Resolved to get an 'early' start today, what with all we wanted to do before leaving Phoenix. Alarm went off at 7.45am. Took a dip in the pool (what a great way to start the day!) before our Super 8 'continental breakfast' of bagel + yoghurt + tea/coffee + oatmeal. Drove north to Arcosanti on I-17, with the tire pressure warning light showing the last part of the way. Arrived just in time to join the 11am tour -- there were just the two of us and another young male tourist who didn't say a word. Had cafeteria lunch at Arcosanti (quinoa with chicken, enchilada casserole, scaloped potatoes and cod; all homecooked) and then wateched the 13min film on the origins of Arcosanti (nodded off, my defense mechanism against ideological ranting). Rain clouds gathering as we left Arcosanti about 2.30pm. Visited the Heard Museum back in downtown Phoenix from 3-5pm. Then met with Jason Anderson at the Upcycle Living show-home on Roosevelt from 5.30-6.30pm or so. Picnic dinner back at the motel of olive bread and salami and avocado. Evening of researching and writing.