A thought provoking book about Arcosanti, that features an ongoing community project reflecting the philosophy of architect Paolo Soleri, Ph.d. The town is being built near Phoenix, Arizona, by workshop participants and residents on just 15 acres of a 4,000 acre preserve that will be left in its natural state. Arcosanti is designed to lessen the impact on the environment by reducing the size of cities to eliminate urban sprawl. Soleri's urban laboratory allows the opportunity to study social and ecological issues and interpret the process as it is being built.
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Arcosanti is a continuing living experiment of what our future could be - if we paid attention to the design of place and the human spirit. paolo Soleri has shown us a way to live in which art, nature and humanity become whole. -- Sim van der Ryn, Ecological Design
Of all the ways of sheltering people, this suburban way is the most consuming, the most demanding, the most wasteful, the most polluting and the most segregational. Arcosanti Archetype is an accessible introduction to Paolo Soleri's alternatives. -- Jerry Brown, Oakland Mayor & former California Governor
Wilson first introduces the reader to the man himself and his philosophy in regard to the Arcosanti project. She then proceeds to the project site itself and a tour of the facility begins. We learn about the history of the project as well as future plans for this bold experiment. This book gives the reader an excellent overview of the project and I recommend it highly as introductory material on this subject. -- David Ellefsen, Librarian - MLS, Fountain Hills, AZ.
Of all the ways of sheltering people, this suburban way is the most consuming, the most demanding, the most wasteful, the most polluting and the most segregational. Arcosanti Archetype is an accessible introduction to Paolo Soleri's alternatives. -- Jerry Brown, Oakland Mayor & former California Governor
Wilson first introduces the reader to the man himself and his philosophy in regard to the Arcosanti project. She then proceeds to the project site itself and a tour of the facility begins. We learn about the history of the project as well as future plans for this bold experiment. This book gives the reader an excellent overview of the project and I recommend it highly as introductory material on this subject. -- David Ellefsen, Librarian - MLS, Fountain Hills, AZ.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Close look at the actualization of a great urban living idea,
By A Customer
This review is from: Arcosanti Archetype:The Rebirth of Cities by Renaissance Thinker Paolo Soleri (Hardcover)
This is an introduction to one of the very few new urban experiments being performed in the western world. It's an intimate portrait of a great vision that is in the birthing process. The Arcosanti vision attempts to solve the problem of urban sprawl and high consumption of resources, while embracing the fundamental human needs to develop and to be social. Cities have developed in response to these fundamental drives. Urban living allows us to arrange our lives so that we can interact to provide for our mutual needs in efficient ways, to enjoy social activities, and to promote our human inventiveness and creativity. But it has led to urban sprawl, high resource consumption and serious pollution. Arcosanti is an alternative that appears to have promise. But why has the Arcosanti experiment, in existence for thirty years, not yet created the movement needed to attract the support it needs to be completed, much less be a major force in our society? I liked the book because it examines the personalities that have given the experiment life, and lets us make judgements on how personalities have helped -- and may have hurt -- the promulgation of the vision. It includes a portrait of Paolo Soleri, the reticent genius behind its creation. I wished it probed the visions a little deeper, because all of Soleri's books are out of print. However, the potential of the vision is clear and made goose bumps rise on my arm. It locked the architectural vision in my mind, and has sparked many conversations about it. Hopefully it will open the vision to many more people.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Arcosanti Archetype is a very good read,
By A Customer
This review is from: Arcosanti Archetype:The Rebirth of Cities by Renaissance Thinker Paolo Soleri (Hardcover)
Arcosanti Archetype accomplishes what the author, Marie Wilson, set out to do. That is, provoke thought in people about issues related to urban sprawl. The book features the ideology of Paolo Soleri who has dedicated his life to environmental issues through his innovative project located between Phoenix and the Grand Canyon. Wilson has depicted the project and people through colorful photographs and interviews including quotes from Soleri. Even if you have not visited Arcosanti, you will find that this reasonably priced book is a worthwhile read with facts about the world population, quotes from Aldo Leopold's, A Sand County Almanac, and thoughts from philosopher Teilhard de Chardin on happiness and "our task to turn the physical universe into a divine universe". A great book to give students or teachers interested in architecture and lifestyles.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The perfect introduction to arcologies.,
This review is from: Arcosanti Archetype:The Rebirth of Cities by Renaissance Thinker Paolo Soleri (Hardcover)
This book is the perfect introduction to the concept of arcologies in general and Arcosanti in particular. It tells just enough about the history of arcologies, background on Paolo Soleri, and the social and ecological roles that arcologies can and should play in our future to whet the appetite for more. (The word arcology is formed from the words architecture and ecology.) The great and plentiful photos help to turn a concept into a real place where readers can imagine-or dream of-living and working. If you have an interest in arcologies, trends in architecture, the future of city design, or ways people can live more harmoniously with nature, this book is a wonderful place to start.
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