A City after a Natural Disaster Named Paradise Island in Hawaii - Assignment Example

Paper Paradise Island, Hawaii The purpose of this paper is to provide a narrative in relation to the basic information of a set up 150 yearsin the future after a natural disaster named Paradise Island in Hawaii. This paper will reflect on a number of key components such as providing information on the city’s physical components and infrastructure. Furthermore the paper will reflect on city services such as health issues, safety and education for example. It has been more than a hundred years since the major ecological disasters of the early twentieth century forced many people to relocate to Paradise Island in Hawaii. The year is now 2160 and much of the continental United States is now under water. Many people were relocated toParadise Island from the Western United States and Canada after the melting ice caps made sea levels rise and drove Vancouver and Seattle under the sea. As of yesterday the population count was 1.5 million and the city is located entirely on the island of O’ahu. Life on the Island is not all that different from life on the mainland. As far as the city components are concerned, Paradise Island closely resembles any city that a person would find on the mainland, much like Manhattan, there is one single large park in the center of the city called the ‘Big Park’ which has a large lagoon that splits through the centre of it. There are also a number of public beaches near to the sea. Surrounding the inner are terraced farmlands which move up the mountainsides on O’ahu. Peppered throughout the city are a number of statues of American Presidents, which often are used as regional meeting places. On the North End of town there is a large tower shaped like an obelisk. The structure stands out because it is the only building that does not have a solar panel or wind turbine on it. In terms of Governance, the city is broken into 10 administrative districts surrounding the ‘Big Park’ which are responsible for providing education and emergency services however all other municipal functions are taken care of by the master boards (School Board, Board of Health etc.) and by city hall. The education delivery method is still in traditional schools however in addition to regular classroom lectures, students engage in virtual education which has students put on a virtual reality helmet which helps deliver a more tailored lesson plan to the individual students needs. Some of the major health issues facing the city are heat exhaustion and skin disorders (From over exposure). Whilst modern advances in medical technology provide cures to most ailments, the delivery method for hospital care is mostly done from home. Patients simply start an online consultation with a doctor or specialist from around the globe and computer hardware can collect and analyze tissue samples, perform retinal scans etc. and determine if a physical consultation or pharmaceuticals are needed. Crime remains an issue in Paradise Island however owing to improved surveillance techniques via satellite, and improved crime scene investigation, there are very few crimes of poverty. Most crime is performed by junkies who are otherwise unable to make good judgment calls of their own accord. As for fun, there is plenty to do on Paradise Island. There is the ‘Big Park’ which regularly features festivals, concerts etc. There are a number of beaches where there is surfing and swimming year round. Each administrative district has their own attractions such as 3D movie theatres, playhouses, restaurants, casinos, bars etc. Generally speaking, people are quite happy here, the climate is desirable, most people get the exact same services that we had on the mainland. Paper #2: The Living Space Before describing an actual living space in the city one must give a brief description of the infrastructure of the city. As Paradise Island rests on a volcanic island major sources of electricity is geothermal energy which comes from a plant on the West side of the island. Furthermore the city also incorporates a tidal power plant near to the sea on the west side of the island. Cars are forbidden (With the exception of emergency workers) so all outdoor human traffic is moved about the city using public transportation, mainly in the form of subways, trolleys and electric busses as well as by bicycles. Telecommuting is now nearly standard practice for most employees to cut down on commuting energy costs. As such most homes incorporate a portion of their living space to office use. In terms of the actual building and living space in question, the building is five stories high, and is circular shaped, with solar panels on the roof and running up and down the building. There is also a large vertical axis wind turbine on top of the building. Each living space features between five and seven rooms depending on the needs of the inhabitants, most importantly family size and age of inhabitants. If for example a family of three (A couple with a child) were to inhabit the space, there would typically be a work room, kichen/dining room, 2 bedrooms, a living room, bathroom and an office that can accommodate two people. If for example the living space were to accommodate a pair of retirees the office and one bedroom would not be incorporated into the living space plan. The target demographic for the living spaces in question is people who live a more stable lifestyle. As for the energy saving components installed in the living space, all fixtures use low flow technology to reduce water usage, and all wasted water gets collected and filtered for reuse. All appliances in use are energy efficient. Ovens for example shut down and use radiant heat for the last twenty minute of bake time to reduce overall energy needs. As for the construction of the building itself the project will take advantage of as much green building materials as possible. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2009) green building materials are any materials that incorporate reused, recycled-content or made from renewable resources. The most important feature of all the building technologies is the use of available local materials. As deforestation is a major issue on the island of O’ahu, the building uses ‘rammed earth’ which is earth taken directly from the excavation site, and compressed in molds with a stabilizing agent much like traditional concrete. According to an article by Edmonds (2009) the material is not only extremely fire resistant (Because it has no combustible materials) it also carries excellent thermal mass. Using this technology, the building will also warm up as the temperature outdoors cools down. According to Edmonds (2009) this consequence is owing to the thermal flywheel effect wherein the walls hold in warmth and cast off the warmth as the temperature drops. The building also incorporates a solar panels and wind turbines to reduce the direct electricity that the building requires. One of the pitfalls associated with having a wind turbine is the associated noise. However, according to Innovative Earth Inc it is the case that having a building that is made of rammed earth greatly reduces the transfer of noise because of the density and thickness of the walls mass. The building material is economic because there are no associated transportation costs (Such as with shipping concrete from the Mainland), it is sustainable because there is an abundance of the material and it is directly excavated from the building site and according to Edmonds (2009) It holds many of the same properties as concrete and as such is durable. As rammed earth technology has been used globally for thousands of years, its durability has been proven. The Church of the Holy Cross in Stateburg, North Carolina was build of rammed earth in 1850 (Website, 2009) and is an excellent example of how regular maintenance can sustain a building in perfect condition for hundreds of years. The obvious environmental tradeoff of using rammed earth is that the material must use a stabilizing agent, in our case this is a small amount of concrete. Whilst rammed earth is much more environmentally friendly over using exclusively concrete, it is by no means 100% perfect. In terms of the building aesthetic it is the case that the building is made of the exact same materials as the local soil. In this respect the exterior building walls will closely match the colours of local soil however it remains the case that the primary function of this building material is still the structural integrity. In terms of internal building aesthetics, the walls can be decorated in whatever way the inhabitants like by using environmentally friendly paint or wallpaper for example. The final benefit of using this particular living space is that it helps preserve the overall nature of the surrounding environment. By reducing timber use in construction it is the case that the building directly reduces deforestation and as such can help protect what little environment is left. References Church of the Holy Cross (2009) About the Church of the Holy Cross (website) Available online at http://www.holycrossstateburg.com/about.html Accessed on December 16th 2009. Edmonds, M (2009) How Rammed Earth Homes Work. HowStuffWorks.com Available online at http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/energy-efficiency/rammed-earth-home2.htm Accessed on December 16th 2009. Innovative Earth Inc. (2009) Benefits of Rammed Earth. Available online at http://www.innovativeearth.ca/About%20rammed%20earth.html Accessed on December 16th, 2009. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2009). Green Building Basic Information. Available online at http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/pubs/about.htm Accessed on December 16th 2009. Read More