Visiting Arcosanti, the City of the Future

Have you ever wondered who names those random freeway exits that look like there’s nothing else around but a truck stop or dirt road? I have, (like Zzyzx on the way to Vegas)! Well, about an hour north of Phoenix or and hour south of Sedona on US 17, you’ve probably never noticed an exit called Arcosanti, until now! While it appears nothing but a quick pit stop can be found off this exit, we were entirely wrong! Drive East past the McDonald’s and Love’s gas station and you’ll find an indiscrete sign that says “Arcosanti”. This is the entrance to the city of the future.

As you drive down the dirt road, you’ll begin to make out the building’s unique, geometric facade through the dust flying in front of your windshield. Upon first glimpse, it looks like something out of a Minority Report movie. Or, that you just made a wrong turn onto another planet. What you’re about to encounter is unlike anything you’ve seen before.

The History of Arcosanti

Tucked deep into the Sonoran desert of Arizona miles away from civilization, this 24-acre piece of land was listed for sale in the late 60’s. It was very cheap and laid adjacent to the Agua Fria, a perennial river, which serves as the village’s main water source. Founder Paolo Soleri, a former student of Frank Lloyd Wright, had that AHA moment when he saw it, deciding “this will be the future home of Arcosanti!”

Soleri believed in the study of Arcology, which says that a building’s structure should work in harmony with the environment. All the structures at Arcosanti are built to experiment with passive solar heating and cooling based on the sun’s path throughout the year. Most of the outdoor communal spaces are partially shaded, like the apse-shaped buildings, to warm during the winter and cool during the summer.

The purpose of this off-the-grid “urban laboratory” is to bring nature closer to people and people closer to one another through vertically-dense live-work mixed-use spaces. Soleri wanted to introduce the world to a more sustainable society focused on community and minimalism, rather than urban sprawl and mass transit. His inspiration comes from his upbringing in Turin, Italy where neighbors are family and everything you need is within walking distance. He hoped that Arcosanti would serve as a prototype for other architects to try this progressive urban planning concept.

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Visiting and Living at Arcosanti

Since the 1970s, thousands of individuals have visited and moved to Arcosanti, to learn about its environment-first architecture style. Through workshops, volunteering, and educational programs, people from around the world have found passion, inspiration, and community at Arcosanti.

Visiting the City of the Future

There are tours of Arcosanti multiple times a day, every day (except holidays), led by knowledgeable local. Or, you can book an overnight stay to get a more immersive experience.

Daily Tours

The general tour covers the 50-year history of Arcosanti, founder Paolo Soleri, and his study of Arcology. This tour lasts 1 – 2 hours and cost $15 per person.

For a more focused look into Arcosanti, consider signing up for one of their 3 additional tours: Architectural Insights Tour, Inside The Paolo Soleri Archives at Arcosanti Tour, and Sustainable Arcosanti Tour. They offer these tours a few times per year and cost $30 each.

Overnight Stays

To get the full Arcosanti experience, I highly recommend booking an overnight stay. The complete opposite of a luxury resort, Arcosanti is a getaway for solitude and relaxation. You’ll have access to parts of the town that day visitors don’t. These include, the gardens, swimming pool overlooking the canyon, Sky Theater, Music Center, and miles of hiking trails.

There are several overnight stay options on the premises, all in a minimalist fashion. We stayed in one of the 7 Greenhouse Guest Room, with our bed view overlooking the stunning Sonoran desert. There are also two-story loft-style dorms, which aren’t currently open due to COVID. Seasonally, camping on the grounds is also a possibility. The grand stay is in one of 3 guest suites with the most picturesque views and private accommodations. You can book these suites through AirBnB, but they are hard to come by as they’re often booked months in advance.

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If you do an overnight stay, make sure to wander around the area. You’ll see some stunning viewpoints, magnificent architecture, and random art pieces that aren’t listed on their website. I also recommend taking a short hike across the canyon to the neighboring hilltop for the best views of the city.

During my stay, I took a stroll down a dirt road away from the main campus to another living area called “the camp.” This area is filled with 11 small cube structures measuring between 8×8 to 12×12 feet wide. These were used as housing units for volunteers during the early building days in the 1970’s. They are still used as additional housing today and have fun, colorful designs on each.

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Life at Arcosanti

Arcosanti is largely a community of doers and creators. While anyone can apply to live here, residents must bring a unique skill, or willingness to learn, in order to aid in the continued development of the village. The residents are more of a big family than neighbors, just as Soleri wanted. They cook for one another, celebrate occasions together, teach each other new skills, and even babysit other people’s kids. Yes, there are kids living at Arcosanti! There is a mixture of single family units and apartments, as well as many communal living spaces. My favorite room that we learned about on the tour was Ferguson’s, the free store. Anything you don’t need, you take to Ferguson’s in case other residents can use it. As the saying goes, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

Many of the locals are part of the volunteer program. This offers housing, utilities, education, and programming events in exchange for weekly work hours. Just like any society, there’s a wide range of positions available: educators, artists, environmentalists, admins, etc. Arcosanti is living proof that it takes a village.

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Some residents are paid for their services, if they are a leader in their trade. Many have also set up side hustles, like selling handcrafted goods online, that provide additional income.

Most individuals who show interest in an extended stay have attended one of their many immersive workshops and have a passion for sustainable living. You can choose from a wide range of artisanal craft workshops, like silt casting (one of the main building methods used on site), photography, and metal working. These workshops range from 1-day to several weeks.

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Future Plans for Arcosanti

Soleri’s original plan was to create a place where 1000’s could live and work together. However, Arcosanti is currently only able to provide habitation for about 75 full-time residents. There are plans in the works to expand accommodations to serve over 100 full-time residents by building another floor of live-work spaces. But, a project like this requires additional funding which they haven’t quite reached yet.

They have even larger blue prints for 3 additional structures that would house up to 250 people and a new visitor center. However, the state will not approve these plans until they build a paved road, and improve the water lines and waste management system.

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Funding and Revenue

Arcosanti is part of the larger Cosanti Foundation non-profit, whose mission is to improve how we develop societies by minimizing the negative impact on our surrounding natural environment. Cosanti is the other location under the organization in the Phoenix area. It served as Soleri’s workshop and home until his death in 2013. It’s still used as a workshop and storefront for all art pieces created at both locations.

Workshops, lectures, and private events are some of the main revenue sources for the foundation. Between daily tours and overnight stays, tourism also provides substantial revenue.

The Arcosanti Bells

The largest revenue source comes from sales of the main product manufactured at Arcosanti and Cosanti: wind bells. The artists produce these world-renowned bells through two different processes: slip-casting and sand molding. All bells are handcrafted using Soleri’s praised building methods, and hand-carved with unique, one-of-a-kind designs by local artists. The Arcosanti wind chimes come in all different shapes and sizes, and can be shipped worldwide.

Sand Molding: Using one of Soleri’s original 32 bell shapes, the artist will carve a one-of-a-kind, geometric design into the sand bell mold. Then molten bronze is poured into the mold, which hardens almost immediately.

Slip-casting: Ceramic materials are poured into one of the slip-cast molds and left to air dry. Once dry, artists will carve one-of-a-kind designs into the bells, then fire them up in a kiln.

A huge thanks to Arcosanti and The Cosanti Foundation for making this an unforgettable trip.

Interested in visiting other unique towns in Arizona? Hike down to Havasupai Falls and experience how Supai Native Americans live firsthand. Or, head north to the vortex mecca of Sedona for hikes with some of the most stunning red rock views you’ll ever witness.

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