Paolo Soleri celebrated his 87th. Birthday this week at Arcosanti. Staff, visitors, and members of Paolo's "School of Thought" gathered for the traditional "frugal soup," in which Paolo cooks and serves a healthy but small meal to remind us of the great inequities remaining in our world.

During his long and productive life, Paolo has been an inspiration for many people around the world, especially those of us who have had the good fortune to know him personally. (I spent several years in the mid-90's studying and working with him at Arcosanti.) ...   more »

Paolo Soleri is best known for his concept of "arcology," which most people think of in terms of its surface meaning: “architecture plus ecology,” the design of car-less, ecologically sustainable cities. Many people have seen Soleri's beautiful renderings of arcologies - miniaturized three-dimensional structures that require less ground area than conventional cities and can therefore utilize the surrounding land for farming, habitat preservation, and enjoyment by the city's inhabitants..

Less well known is the fact that Soleri's architectural designs are only a small part of an overarching comprehensive philosophy he has developed.. For Soleri, true long-term well-being can only be realized in a cosmic end-state he calls the “Omega Seed,” and he sees arcologies as "instruments for the acceleration of the evolution of human culture" toward the achievement of this state. ...   more »