In Arcology, the built & the living interact

Paolo Soleri's 'Arcosanti' & 'Theory of Arcology': AV a prototype for "a new species?" by rjon on June 21, 2006 12:00PM (PDT)

As I was reading this introduction to Paolo's theory of "arcology," a strange idea suddenly came to mind. What if the "new species" predicted by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother appears not as an individual, but in the form of a new kind of collective architectural entity? As Paolo so elegantly puts it below, "In an arcology, the built and the living interact as organs would in a highly evolved being." If so, would Auroville not take on a whole new significance? Could this be why the Mother spent the last years of her life working so intensively on creating the conditions for Auroville to manifest?

In 1970, the Cosanti Foundation began building Arcosanti, an experimental town in the high desert of Arizona, 70 miles north of metropolitan Phoenix. When complete, Arcosanti will house 5000 people, demonstrating ways to improve urban conditions and lessen our destructive impact on the earth. Its large, compact structures and large-scale solar greenhouses will occupy only 25 acres of a 4060 acre land preserve, keeping the natural countryside in close proximity to urban dwellers.

Arcosanti is designed according to the concept of arcology (architecture + ecology), developed by Italian architect Paolo Soleri. In an arcology, the built and the living interact as organs would in a highly evolved being. This means many systems work together, with efficient circulation of people and resources, multi-use buildings, and solar orientation for lighting, heating and cooling. ... more » Comments (9) Permanent Link