A noted architect, urban planner, and artist, Paolo Soleri (1919-2013) was best known for Arcosanti, a planned community about 70 miles north of Phoenix. A native of Turin, Italy, he earned a Ph.D. in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Turin in 1947 and apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona and Taliesin in Wisconsin. In 1965, Soleri established the educational non-profit Cosanti Foundation in the Scottsdale-Paradise Valley area north of Phoenix to develop his architectural and urban planning theories, in particular the concept of “arcology,” architecture coherent with ecology.
Arcology as envisioned by Soleri included dense urban development designed to maximize human interaction and access to infrastructural services, conserve natural resources, reduce pollution, and foster interaction with the surrounding natural environment. Soleri was also a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University, a National Design Award recipient, and the author of six books and numerous essays.
This collection originated in 1972 with a grant given to Professor Jeffrey Cook of the ASU College of Architecture to preserve materials about Paolo Soleri. It includes audiovisual materials, slides, photographs, ephemera, drawings, and newspaper clippings. The audiovisual materials in the collection document construction and other activities at Arcosanti as well as in-depth discussion and analysis of Soleri’s architectural concepts and philosophy. The slides in the collection document buildings designed by Paolo Soleri and also include pictures of Paolo and Colly Soleri, activities and buildings at Cosanti and Arcosanti, and architectural models, drawings, and designs by Soleri.
William E. Thompson (cultural historian), Harvey Cox (theologian), and Mel Roman (psychiatrist), disuss their personal experiences and trends in their fields and relate them to the ideas of Paolo Soleri as reflected at Arcosanti. Paolo Soleri introduces the three speakers.
Lecture and slide show by Paolo Soleri, in which he discusses his architectural experiences and work at Cosanti and Arcosanti.
Lecture and slide show commentary by Paolo Soleri, recorded at Cosanti, in which Soleri discusses the development of his concepts and theories of "two suns arcology."
Continuation of lecture and slide show commentary by Paolo Soleri, recorded at Cosanti, in which Soleri discusses the development of his concepts and theories of "two suns arcology."
Unidentified speaker discussing aviation architecture and planning, followed by a slide presentation by Paolo Soleri on the same topic. Ian McHarg also briefly discusses the same topic.
William Edward Compton interviews Paolo Soleri on the program Forum on radio station KDKB, Phoenix. Soleri discusses his life experiences and the development of his architectural and urban planning theories, concepts and designs.
Panel discussions that took place as part of conferences on health and healing at the Arcosanti Festival in October 1977.
Panel discussions with Carl Hammerschlag (Director of Psychiatry, Phoenix Indian Medical Center), Bill Dalton (Hopi healer), Herbert Heftewa (Hopi healer) contrasting modern western medicine with traditional Native American medicine. Julia Soto (Mexican-American) and Margarita (last name not identified) discusses traditional Mexican-American and Yaqui herbal medicine. Disussion on Navajo healing and psychiatry with Ethelou Yazzie (Director of the Rough Rock Demonstration School) and Robert Bergman (former faculty member of the Navajo Mental Health Program).
Continuation of panel disussion on Navajo healing and psychiatry with Ethelou Yazzie (Director of the Rough Rock Demonstration School) and Robert Bergman (former faculty member of the Navajo Mental Health Program). Panel discussion on African-American traditional medicine and health in the United States (speaker not identified). Discussion on medical screening by H. G. Bloom, third-year resident in internal medicine at Martin Luther King Health Center in Bronx, New York. Discussion on family relations and health (speakers not identified).