Since 1970, the Cosanti Foundation, a non profit organization that runs Arcosanti, has hosted thousands of students and professionals that have journeyed to Arcosanti to participate in seminars, conferences and workshops conducted by Soleri and his staff. The Colly Soleri Music Center, named after Paolo’s wife Colly, offers a program of performing artist from around the world of the highest talents. Perched high on a mesa in the desert above a majestic canyon, Arcosanti has abundant views with a beautiful stream running through the canyon to a large pond surrounded by lush landscape on 25 acres of a 4,000 acre preserves, all owned by the Cosanti Foundation.

Arcosanti is like a giant futuristic ecology camp, very romantic in it’s ideas and concepts by Paolo Soleri, the great dreamer, architect, artist, and philosopher. While I was on my visit to Arcosanti I had the pleasure of meeting Jeffery Buderer, one of Construction & Agriculture Dept. staff members of Arcosanti at the time. He was willing to give me a personal and most interesting tour of Arcosanti on his free time. He showed me the back views of the vast acres of beautiful land surrounding Arcosanti that few tourist ever see. He introduced me to some of the people living and working in Arcosanti. I enjoyed my tour and conversations with Jeff and all his vast, long experiences of working and living at Arcosanti for some years.

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There are some things in life that you never forget, they stay with you, imprinted on your mind and in your heart. Arcosanti, Arizona is one of them and for me will always be a very special place on this earth. This was one man’s dream of the future, Paolo’s dream. Arcosanti is an experimental urban design project created by Italian architect Paolo Soleri (1919 – 2013).

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During the period of the 1950s through the 1960s in California, and particularly in areas such as Palm Springs, a movement flourished in architecture that was known for it’s sleek lines and modern minimalist aesthetics, today referred to as Mid-century Modern.

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In the world of the modern, architect Barry A. Berkus was known for his innovative designs on mass-market housing. He began following suit to the architects and great idea men who came twenty, or even ten years before him in the vernacular of modern style and design in architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright, Paolo Soleri, John Lautner, Donald Wexler and William Krisel were some of the greats to inspire his life’s work. Berkus, as well as his predecessors, looked for the space, the light, the cantilevered details, the soaring roof lines and mouth opening entry ways that signified great modern design implemented in our daily architecture. Read More

The living legend icons of the desert and all that is modern come together every year for one reason and one reason only, to celebrate “All Things Modern”. Martinis and all things Mid-Century, 2011’s Palm Springs Modernism Week was a “Blast from the Past” with over 50 events and swank parties to attend!  This article is an overview with full articles on individual events coming soon!

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The 85th Anniversary Celebration Party for Neutra Architecture, 1926 – 2011 is this coming weekend April 8th – 10th, 2011! This event “is so on!”. Neutra Architecture will be celebrating 85 years in architecture this weekend with a number of exciting events. Please come and join us in magnificent examples of modern architecture at it’s best, on the “fantastic level”!
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Vast spaces of rich colored earth and blue skies as far as you can see! Tranquil settings of pure peacefulness that can free your soul and clear your head of any complicating thoughts. This is simplicity in nature and design, letting in the elements of the desert landscape, that is what it is all about, this is the desert modern architecture, at its finest!
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I was born in 1961, so is it any wonder that I am so obsessed with “The Modern”? In the last few months, I have been making a Journey back in time as I find myself in the desert of Palm Springs California and all the mid-century modern architecture that the area still has to offer.

I have been so very pleased with all the beautiful mountain views and the concept of living in spaces that are so open and connected with nature by bringing the outside into the interior of the home’s architecture. I really love the free spirited and mind freeing ideas and designs that were realized in the late 1950’s and 60’s as well as some of the early 1970’s. It’s a time when great effort was made to create a new way of living in a minimalist modern dream of life in the future, or how we thought the future should be.
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