When architect Paolo Soleri and his family settled in a 5-acre plot in Paradise Valley, Arizona, in 1955, there was only a ranch house on the property occupied by the previous owner. Since then, many buildings have been added in a bricolage fashion with Soleri’s trademark "creative resourcefulness." Most of the structures at Cosanti were built using the “earthcasting” method. Concrete was poured over pre-shaped (curved and sometimes colored with cement pigments) earthen forms, and the earth excavated once the concrete solidified. The general orientation of the buildings is important. Many are built below ground level and surrounded by mounds of earth. This acts as natural insulation to help moderate interior temperatures year round. The property also features several apse (quarter spherical) structures. An apse is a passive solar energy collector running solely on how it displays itself to the ever-changing journey of the sun. South facing apses are used at Cosanti and Arcosanti as year-round outdoor workspaces for artists, providing sunny space in the winter and shady conditions in the summer due to the changing angle of the sun.