Cosanti

Cosanti is the gallery, studio, and former residence of Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri, located in Paradise Valley, Arizona, in the United States. Established in 1956 on a five-acre site in Maricopa County, it served as Soleri's home until his death in 2013 and remains open to the public. The name derives from an Italian construction combining words for 'object' and 'before,' conveying the meaning 'There are things more important than objects.' Cosanti holds significance as the birthplace of Soleri's architectural philosophy and the precursor to his larger arcology experiments, particularly Arcosanti.

Paolo Soleri and his wife Colly established their residence at Cosanti in 1956, selecting a site just a few miles from Taliesin West, where Soleri had studied under Frank Lloyd Wright ten years earlier. The property sat on the outskirts of Scottsdale, surrounded by what became a wealthy suburban neighborhood. In 1970, Soleri outgrew the site and founded Arcosanti, an 'urban laboratory' seventy miles north in the desert, combining 'arcology' (architecture plus ecology) with the Cosanti name. As students and the frontier of development shifted to Arcosanti, Cosanti became the headquarters and namesake of Soleri's foundation. The Cosanti Foundation emerged as a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to studying Soleri's architectural and urban planning concepts, with principal activities including public education about Soleri's philosophy, construction of Arcosanti as a 5,000-person habitat based on arcology principles, and organization of artistic events and educational conferences.

Cosanti functions as both gallery and studio, with its holdings and activities centered on Soleri's architectural experimentation and craft production. The site serves as a center for the production of bronze and ceramic wind-bells, which are crafted using modified earthcasting techniques on weekday mornings. The foundation's work spans architectural education, urban planning, and cultural programming. Its educational mission targets students, design professionals, urban planners, and the general public, disseminating Soleri's architectural concepts and philosophy.

The structures at Cosanti include the original 'Earth House,' a student dormitory, outdoor studios, performance space, a swimming pool, gift shop, and Soleri's residence. The wind-bells produced at Cosanti constitute signature craft objects, made using techniques developed on site. Many structures are partly underground and surrounded by mounds of earth for insulation, moderating interior temperatures year-round. Soleri designed south-facing apses (partial domes) as passive energy collectors that gather light and heat from the lower winter sun while deflecting it to create shade during the higher summer sun. The swimming pool and several other structures have southern exposures to maximize winter warmth.

Cosanti is marked by terraced landscaping, experimental earth-formed concrete structures, and sculptural wind-bells. The architecture predates the formal concept of arcology, yet many principles later central to that philosophy were first implemented here. Most structures were built with variations on earthcasting: concrete was poured over mounds of densely packed earth, with the earth excavated after the concrete solidified. A modified version of this technique is also employed to craft the bronze and ceramic wind-bells. The site encompasses courtyards, terraces, and garden paths, with buildings set within this landscaped framework.

Cosanti is located in Paradise Valley, Arizona, within Maricopa County, on the outskirts of Scottsdale. The site is open to the public and continues to serve as a destination for those interested in Soleri's work. The Cosanti Foundation maintains the property as part of its broader educational mission. Visitors can observe wind-bell production on weekday mornings. The site also maintains an online presence through archived architectural documentation and the Cosanti music project.