Arcosanti is an experimental town located about 70 miles north of Phoenix, AZ just off of US Interstate-17. Situated in a high desert area at 3732 feet above sea level, it was conceived with the idea of creating an urban environment with a minimized environmental impact. Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri proposed this concept and began construction of the site in 1970.
The site now contains thirteen major structures including a visitor center with a cafe and gift shop. There are public spaces, work areas for bronze casting, and a ring of apartments for residents and guests. Currently there are about 88 residents made up of mostly students and volunteers. Arcosanti’s population has historically varied between 50-150 people but plans at one time were to build the area up to accommodate a population of up to 5000.
The site now functions mainly as an education center hosting students from around the world for workshops and assisting with construction projects. Additional income is generated from tourism and the sale of bronze and clay bells that are made on site.
Architecturally, Arcosanti is modern in look but yet built to be organic in terms of layout and materials. Colors of the concrete used in the majority of the construction use locally acquired silt to blend in with the local desert environment. Most of the buildings are oriented southward to maximize solar gain in the winter. During the hot summer months, windows are coated with a natural whitewash to reflect the sun and keep interior spaces cooler.
My main goals for photography in Arcosanti were to try to capture some of the unique looks of the buildings, open spaces, and some of the everyday smaller elements. Even though this certainly a non-strenuous guided tour, I still wanted to keep size and weight of my gear to a reasonable minimum. For this I elected to go with a single camera and a few lenses. Specifically, I went with my Fuji camera setup as all this could easily fit in my photography messenger bag (shown here in my Gear Transport page).
The images can be seen here in the Arcosanti Gallery.
My Fujifilm Gear List:
Fuji X-T3
Fuji 10-24mm f/4 – Great lens for architectural shots and interior spaces.
Fuji 18-55mm f/2.8-4 – Nice and compact zoom lens for most walk-around work.
Fuji 23mm f/1.4 – Great up close and wide-open for subject isolation with a natural perspective.
Fuji 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 – Nice for zooming in and isolating subjects at a distance.