Phoenix Road Trip

Took a little road trip with my cousin and husband to Phoenix this weekend. Road trip must haves include Twizzlers NIBS (not Red Vines, those are for seeing movies in theaters) and a variety of things to listen to besides one Strokes album (problematic when your phone goes kaput). But! Good views, good times. 

We also visited Arcosanti, an experimental town and community modeled off of architect Paolo Soleri's concept of Arcology, a way to improve urban conditions while minimizing our impact on the Earth. It was a beautiful concept and space, and reminded me so much of the urban centers we studied in Copenhagen, which all centered on the idea that urban centers are the ideal place for people to work and live because they provide community and encourage mobility. 

Biosphere 2

On a recent trip to see my grandparents we drove up to the Biosphere 2, an Earth systems research facility just outside of Tucson, AZ. It was built to study how the various ecosystems on Earth work together to make this a habitable speck of dust, but also how we can build completely enclosed ecosystems in space, AND what is affected when we manipulate elements like heat or CO2 levels. The enclosure includes a rainforest, an ocean with coral reef, savannah grassland, wetlands, and a fog desert. 

I was hoping our tour guide would talk more about the obvious dramz that had to occur when they had a group of scientists living there for two years in the early 90s, but the construction and ongoing studies they facilitate were also pretty fascinating. 

Also, lets pause for a minute and appreciate the incredible architecture for a second. The geometric, late 80s/early 90s delight. 

Obvious references to Bio-Dome starring Pauly Shore were made by my dad. <3