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Arcosanti: Glad I Visited, Glad I Left.

Arizona, FOOD, DRINK, LODGING, Lodging, USA Destinations

**I’ll add in more pictures which will probably be the best part.  In the meantime, I have some on my insta: @eclecticadventures**

Arcosanti is a self-described “urban laboratory,” its official website describes its focus as “innovative design, community, and environmental accountability.” Its founding father was architect Soleri who wrote this book on it.  It’s located in the middle of nowhere, more specifically, in the central Arizona desert in Yavapai County. I spent the night there two days ago…and it was weird.

Arco-What?!

Before my stay, I had never heard of Arcosanti. I stumbled upon it while perusing AirBnb and it looked interesting. The photos on AirBnB and Google images show a unique, modern structure amidst beautiful scenery and the philosophy that the community is based on, arcology, a blending of blending architecture and ecology, appealed to me. At $65/night (ended up over $80 with fees), it seemed like a steal.

“You’re Not Supposed to Be Here”

My excitement only grew as I drove up to the community. I drove down a rumbly dirt road with cows grazing near by. (Yes, cows, no big deal, but there was no fence separating them which was novel to me) I saw the building in the distance and could hardly wait…until I got closer. The entrance I drove down looked more like a an unkempt construction site than a community co-existing with the land.

The AirBnB host, was a nice girl in her 20s (estimated) with a counterculture look that would have blended in Portland. She gave me the key and showed me around a little. She said nothing strange or cult-like at all, but as I walked around with her I felt uneasy. There was a cult/commune/Lost (the TV show) vibe to the place. I didn’t like it. My room was as advertised, simple but spacious enough and heated.

I decided to walk and photograph the complex and see if I could find the walking trail that was advertised. I figured it’d be a good distraction from my unease and that becoming more familiar with my surroundings would breed comfort. It did not.

The place was eerie to me. It was a functioning community, people clearly lived there, but it was not vibrant or inspiring. The buildings appeared borderline dilapidated and the residents, though dedicated to their way of life, have a similar look. There was a palpable sense of skepticism of outsiders that permeated the community.

My unease was only exacerbated when I was startled on my walk by a man around his 50s who seemed to pop out of nowhere in an area where no one else was outside.

“Are you lost?” he questioned critically.

Taken aback, I responded only, “No.”

“You’re not supposed to be here” he replied and then offered to take me back to the tour that I wasn’t on.

Eventually we resolved the confusion. He realized I was there for the night and gave me directions to the walking path but also advised it wasn’t a good time to go because it was muddy. I didn’t care. I didn’t want to go on a solo nature walk by that time. I just wanted out of the conversation. The entire exchange was cordial, friendly language and tones were used, but it still felt more like a strange stand-off and evaluation than a conversation.

I went back to my room and didn’t leave it until the next morning. I sent a few joking texts about the place, in part to make sure someone knew where I was. Arcosanti has free, not password protected, Wifi so I avoided saying too much or posting anything critical on social media while I was there.

Arcology vs Reality

Oh man! I have given the philosophy a lot of thought so may have to circle back in another post with more detail.

In general, I think that the Arcosanti/Arcology’s philosophies have some merit. Arcology based philosophy behind it have some merit. We should work to integrate with the environment when we can rather than the indiscriminate bulldozing we often do. A community where people interact on a daily basis and know each other fosters happiness. Simplicity in way of living does lead to satisfaction for a lot of people and questioning how much we need is a great exercise.

But the execution of Arcosanti just really misses the mark. It is a community, yes, but Arcosanti cannot fairly be described as a “city” or “town,” as it once aspired to be. It is a building, a large building but it is a single building. Nor can it honestly be described as an “urban laboratory” anymore. Rather than experimenting with new ways of living, the community seems to be doing the opposite, just continuing the same way of living with no real growth or change since the 70s.

It also seems to glamorize an impoverished way of living and create a cycle where residents could become stuck in the community. Jobs pay low wages. One of the advertise wages was $50 per week, yes, WEEK. With that you get free lodging and a “discount” on food. And before you can get your measly wage, you have to participate in a five-week workshop at your expense. The workshop costs $1,075, which includes registration fee, tuition, meals, and dormitory accommodations. No thank you.

 Dat Sky Tho

While I do have a lot of criticism of Arcosanti, I am really glad I visited it and would recommend a visit for anyone nearby. Here were the highpoints for me:

  • I learned about a new philosophy and architect and saw a way of living that is quite different from mine. Arcosanti just did not vibe with me, but it might for some people.
  • The architecture was, as promised, interesting! They fit a lot of living units and spaces into what seems like a small area and utilize the hill it is built somewhat into.
  • The sky was incredible! I happened to glance out the window at night to see stars that awed me. They appeared far brighter than on any camping trip I’ve been on. Then the morning sunrise, which I again first noticed through the window, was wild! I am not a morning person but I hauled ass out of bed and into a jacket to enjoy it outside.
  • I did feel safe. I never shook the bad vibes and unease but I didn’t actually feel like I would be harmed while staying there.

The End

Bottom line: Glad I visited, glad to leave.

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