Arcosanti, AZ-
an urban laboratory in the desert of central Arizona. A place where Paolo Soleri, an Italian architect, had visions of creating a community able to support 5,000 people on 25 acres, thus leaving the rest open and wild. www.arcosanti.org To date it is 5% complete because they do not hire outside contractors. All of the work is done by individuals in their 5-week courses, or those who wish to live and work there. Most of the structures are concrete, durable, but not wholely sustainable or affordable in these times. The apse design to the right creates a shady outdoor space in the summer and a sunny winter outdoor work space. It can also be used throughout the day as a meeting place, and a concert hall. Every built area has multiple functions and times of day to be used. A very inspirational idea, but at this rate, it is taking more to keep in functioning than able to expand it to really be a feasible alternative for urban sprawl. The tour consisted of mostly showing how their famous wind chims were made, since they are Arcosanti's main source of revenue. A strange little oasis with their own sparkling swimming pool. Luckily it is situated at the mouth of a very large aquifer otherwise since they "only get 12 inches of rain a year, that wouldn't be enough to run this place." That attitude won't get them very far in creating a place that treads lightly on the earth.