Nathan Koren, a one-time resident of Arcosanti and a subscriber to this blog, read the recent post on how I became aware of Paolo Soleri and e-mailed the following:
“I’m sure you’ve come across this by now, but just in case: the meaning of “Arcosanti” isn’t actually “healthy arc” – although that’s got a really nice snap to it, and the MBA side of my brain says they ought to incorporate it into their marketing materials, if they haven’t already. Anyhow, it originally derives from a combination of “Arcology” + “Cosanti,” which are in turn derived from “Architecture” + “Ecology” and “Cosa” + “Anti.” The latter neologism is Italian for “against things” or “before form,” which has to do with both Paolo’s anti-materialist philosophy, and his reading of Teilhard Chardin’s eschatology — and that’s a whole other can of worms which I don’t know if you want to touch with a ten foot pole!
“Anyhow, this just tripped my old ‘I’m an Arcosanti Tour Guide’ circuit, so I felt obligated to explain, although I’m sure you’ve learned this already, in any case.”
Thanks Nathan!
Nathan has agreed to share some of his experience as a resident at Arcosanti from 1992-1996. It’ll be up in a couple of weeks; you’ll want to check that out, trust me. Here it is.