ARCOSANTI Home Tour

Welcome to the Arcosanti Home Tour!

Simone enjoying life on the Le Corbusier Chaise Lounge. A gift to Paolo, it now lives in his Arcosanti Apartment

Grand Staircase in EC1. I love the cabinets that get smaller and smaller as you reach the second level.

EC1. Another view of the staircase. We can see the influence that Le Corbusier had in Paolo's design style. Overall the room was elegant and simple with touches of handcrafted elements.  

In the Kitchen of EC1. Featuring a large silt ceiling panel and a spacious kitchen island.

 Next we have the lovely EC3

This space is impressive because standing on one level you can look out over the bottom two levels. The plants are on the wall in the lower den/living area. It is the back of this wall the creates the kitchen counter. 

A view from the kitchen to the third level. Everything is open , meaning that  Simone is looking at the tv in the den over the wall of plants. 

Loved the design element of the triangle cut away in the stair well. 

Living room of EC1. The tubular steel column is an element of International style movement with added personal touch . A will add that Soleri provided a framework and the majority of the woodwork and interior elements were added by residents. Much of the furniture is hand-crafted and the artwork is primarily by residents.

 West Housing also shows influence of the international style movement. A wonderful apartment off the vaults that has two bedrooms and one bath in the upstairs mezzanine and a large open kitchen and living room downstairs.

Living room

The recently renovated Kitchen stove showcases a custom tile back splash.

Cantilevered kitchen peninsula. A favorite of mine on the house tour because the steel support intersects the concrete slab. A wonderful moment and connection point that is poetic and uplifting. 

 

 The upstairs loft has a fantastic ceiling design the balances the arched ceiling and custom windows.

Beautiful woodwork added to this bedroom by a resident.

 The living just gets better and better. This House is located above the foundry and includes organic level changes and comfortable custom seating!

The windows look out over the Foundry and help with the passive cooling at night. I love the bench seating.!

Archway from the kitchen to the office area

House owner on the stairs looking down at his bedroom. A skylight provides natural light and because the bedroom is the lowest room in the house it stays so very cool in the summer.

Fireplace heats the space in the winter

Custom kitchen has a view of their outside garden which makes the space calm and restorative.

Check out that rack! I am talking about the pot rack that was added to the construction that mimics the shape of the counter! The resident also installed the tile and wood veneer floor.  

Arcosanti is known for niches that Soleri created! Everyday I find a new cranny to explore

 One bedroom apartment in Crafts III

The wood squares in contrast to the large painted circles is a favorite element  in this living space. 

A beautiful view from a beautiful place!

If you complete a workshop at Arcosanti you will always have a beautiful place to gather inspiration!

Learn about Arcosanti Workshops

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Happy 92nd Paolo!

Paolo with blue hat on knee at his birthday lunch

Yesterday, June 21st 2011 was the Summer Solstice and also the 92nd Birthday of Paolo Soleri! A tradition of Arcosanti to celebrate Soleri's birthday is Frugal Soup. Know as the Tiger and Flea meal in which the tiger represents the beast of world hunger. A simple vegetable and rice soup is served with water. Truly powerful when everyone is eating in silence under the shade of the vaults. As more people joined we did not have enough bowls for the entire circle and personally it was humbling to sit with only a spoon watching your neighbors eat across the circle. A great moment to be thankful and appreciate all that life provides us. 

Abby Frost snapped a quick photo at lunch

Arcosanti is truly a great place to converse with like minded individuals, one great example is Abby Frost! The founder of Save Maumee Grassroots Organization (http://www.savemaumee.org/index.htm) in Indiana. She has been at Arcosanti for the past month doing watershed research and is a very inspiring individual who has been encouraging conservation since 2001. Keep up the good work Abby!

ARCOSANTI

What a wonderful few days! I have just begun the five-week workshop at Arcosanti, the urban laboratory envisioned by Paolo Soleri. A beautiful vision created to incorporate architecture, ecology, urban design, and art.  The past two days have been enlightening; exploring the history behind the construction of Arcosanti as well as the many philosophies Soleri is exploring.

The Vaults and Juneteeth Jazz Festival

Parachute Solar Shade.
Don't you want one in your backyard?

To dreamers, artists, creative souls and innovative minds this is a wonderful location to be inspired and produce what I am now terming Artitecture, the synthesis of art and architecture. Soleri is famous for his philosophy of Arcology. "Arcology is Paolo Soleri's concept of cities which embody the fusion of architecture with ecology."


 "The arcology concept proposes a highly integrated and compact three-dimensional urban form that is the opposite of urban sprawl with its inherently wasteful consumption of land, energy and time, tending to isolate people from each other and the community. The complexification and miniaturization of the city enables radical conservation of land, energy and resources." 


As a designer it is apparent that Soleri has provided a framework in which artist and craftsmen can come together to create and explore their own interpretations of Arcology. The individual living spaces are each unique and beautiful. Arcosanti truly is a labor of love!


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Sierra Ancha Wilderness

A Few Imprints of Nature and Design found along the trails of the Sierra Ancha Wilderness.

      In the dry wilderness found in the Tonto National Forest life can sustain using less water. The beauty of such a discovery shows the possibility of growth. A native of Colorado, I will always be entranced by wild flowers and their tenacity. Upon seeing yellow columbine in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness area, my camera and I were drawn in to explore. 

Columbine Falls

Handmade Paper

Welcome to Imprints!

A blog created by Ailsa to showcase sustainable ideas. To begin, above you are looking at a low tech art project. Handmade paper made from recycled paper pulp which was then feed through my typewriter. The creative possibilities are endless! I typed this without ink to play with the idea of IMPRINTS!



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