Arcosanti City of the Future
Arcosanti Memories
On 9-11-2025, I started to write a book with Stephen Budner about Arcosanti, so stay tuned for updates as I progress. This is about that which is concert, that which is plastic, and that which can be.
My photographs are of some beautiful Olive trees at Arcosanti AZ on the Mesa in a high desert region of Arizona. These trees aren’t supposed to grow in this region. You should never, don’t tell that to the famous Italian architect Paolo Soleri. Paolo who is the man who created the city of the future Arcosanti. Great place to visit and it is highly recommended.
The trees behind the olive trees are Italian cypress trees standing guard over the vaults. Arcosanti is a great place to visit.
Arcosanti is an experimental town and urban laboratory in the Arizona desert, founded by Paolo Soleri in the 1970s to demonstrate his concept of arcology, a fusion of architecture and ecology to create a sustainable urban environment with reduced environmental impact. The ongoing project serves as an education center where students and volunteers learn about innovative design, community living, and sustainable practices while assisting with construction. Arcosanti hosts workshops and tours, and its residents live and work on-site, supporting the project through the sale of bronze and ceramic bells made in the community’s foundry.
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Location:
Situated in the high desert of central Arizona, a short distance from major cities like Phoenix and Flagstaff.
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Founder:
Paolo Soleri, an Italian architect who envisioned arcology as a radical alternative to suburban growth.
Activities:Arcosanti is an active urban experiment, hosting educational workshops, offering guided tours, and providing overnight guest accommodation
Economy:A significant source of funding comes from the sale of bronze and ceramic bells crafted by artisans at the community’s foundry.
Community:A community of residents and students live and work at the site, with daily community meetings and communal activities.
Sustainability:The design emphasizes natural light, utilizes integrated greenhouses for heat distribution, and incorporates a closed-loop water system.
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Ownership:
The project is managed by the Cosanti Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting arcology and sustainable urban development
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Arcosanti | The World’s First Arcology Prototype & Urban LaboratoryArcosanti
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Arcosanti was conceived of and remains primarily an education center, with students from around the world visiting to attend works…
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I hope to finish it some day
Bells of Arcosanti, Cosanti
Amazing night
Create a vision
Upstairs
Papa’s place is a steakhouse restaurant that was the source of entertainment for the members of the Arcosanti work-shoppers experience. I spent many a wonderful evening chatting with some of Cordes Junction locals. The food was good and the natives were friendly and it was convenient to the site.
Enjoy my snapshot of the signage.
I found this image in my archives from a trip to Arcosanti Az.
This is a great site to take pictures. I recommend it highly, if in the area be sure and stop by. Living close to nature is a great adventure, I am lucky to have experienced it.
Review 2023 Rewrite
Arcosanti is an experimental town in Arizona that aims to explore the concept of arcology, which is a combination of architecture and ecology. Arcosanti was founded in 1970 by Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri, who wanted to create a sustainable and compact urban environment that minimizes the impact on the natural world1
Arcosanti is located in the high desert of Arizona, about 70 miles north of Phoenix. It covers 25 acres of a 4,060-acre land preserve, of which 860 acres are owned by the Cosanti Foundation, a nonprofit organization that operates Arcosanti. The project has been under construction since 1970, with varying pace and funding. The current population of Arcosanti is between 50 and 150 people, mostly students and volunteers. The goal is to eventually house 5,000 people in a complex of buildings that integrate living, working, and cultural spaces23
Some of the features that make Arcosanti unique are its tilt-up concrete panels that are cast in silt from the surrounding area, giving them a distinctive texture and color; its south-facing orientation that maximizes solar gain and natural lighting; its apse-shaped structures that shelter the bronze and ceramic workshops; its barrel vaults that provide shade and ventilation; its ring of apartments and public spaces around an outdoor amphitheater; and its community swimming pool, office complex, café, gift shop, gallery, and guest rooms23
Arcosanti is also known for its production of Cosanti Originals bronze and ceramic wind bells, which are handmade by resident artisans using earth-cast and silt-cast techniques. These wind bells are sold at Arcosanti and online, and they help support the project financially. The wind bells also reflect Soleri’s philosophy of frugality, resourcefulness, ecological accountability, experiential learning, and leaving a limited footprint2
Arcosanti is open to the public year-round, except for some holidays. Visitors can take guided tours, see live demonstrations, shop for wind bells and other items, stay overnight in guest rooms, enjoy hiking trails, attend workshops, and participate in cultural events. Arcosanti also hosts a Spring Speaker Series that features experts and innovators in various fields related to arcology and sustainability2
Arcosanti is a fascinating example of an alternative approach to urban design and living that challenges the conventional models of sprawl, consumption, isolation, and environmental degradation. It is a place where art, architecture, ecology, and community come together to create a vision for the future4
Arcosanti Archetype::The Rebirth of Cities by Renaissance Thinker Paolo Soleri
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