Arcosanti

Paolo Soleri's Arcosanti

Unique Community Design

Description

Arcosanti is a community located north of Phoenix that's built on a unique idea--it mixes ecology and architecture (coined as "Arcology") to create a fully-functioning, efficient community. Construction on the settlement began in 1970 as the brainchild of Italian architect Paolo Soleri, a student of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The buildings here all work in harmony with each other and with the earth using systems such as evaporative cooling and solar lighting and power, all wrapped in a space-age-looking design. The buildings serve multiple purposes, from apartments to libraries to storage--it just depends on what the Arcosanti system needs for that space. This is definitely a unique, eye-opener attraction to see and imagine what future community designs could look like.