[Sdpg] The Work of Paolo Soleri: A Lean Alternative Wednesday, September 17, 2003

[Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson]

Architecture
The Work of Paolo Soleri: A Lean Alternative
Architect Paolo Soleri

Lean Alternative

Throughout the history of evolution, organs and organisms have become very
complex while at the same time using the least amount of space. This "more
with less" concept is evident and essential in the philosophy and
architecture of Paolo Soleri.

Arcology is Soleri's concept of cities that embodies the fusion of
architecture and ecology. This concept introduces a lean alternative to
city development, proposing a highly integrated and compact
three-dimensional urban form that is the opposite of urban sprawl with its
inherently wasteful consumption of land, energy, time, and tendency to
isolate people from each other and the community. The complexification and
miniaturization of the city enables radical conservation of land, energy
and resources. An arcology would need about five percent as much land as a
typical city of similar population. Today's average city devotes more than
sixty percent of its land to roads and automobile services. Arcology
eliminates the automobile from within the city.

The multi-use nature of arcology design would put living, working and
public spaces within easy reach of each other and walking would be the main
form of transportation within the city. Arcology theory holds that this
leanness is obtainable only via the miniaturization intrinsic to the Urban
Effect, the complex interaction between diverse entities and organisms
which mark healthy systems both in the natural world and in every
successful and culturally significant city in history.

Wednesday, September 17, 2003
7:30 pm
Sala Rossellini - IIC, Westwood
Free Admission

http://www.iicusa.org/cgi-bin/calendar/about.cgi?id=1390