(re) Imagine Paradise

(Re)Imagining Paradise Rebuild design process for the town of Paradise, CA

Project: Paradise Food Habitat

Eva Taupier and Nicole Lo

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Acknowledgements Studio Sponsors WRNS Studios Cal Poly Student Affairs BNIM Architects mode associates

Paradise Residents Abby Armer Charles Brooks Melissa Boutelle Lowell Forward Melissa Schuster Tama Czarnecki Olivia Taylor

Chico State University Kijeong Jeon Rouben Mohiuddin Debra Larsen Seema Sehrawat Rachel Simmons Melody Stapleton

Other Flad Architects Lief Mckay Melanie Mills Byron Mouton Brian Tanner Auburn Rural Studio John Willbanks Phyllis Wong Wagonner and Ball

State of California Seth Doulton, Treasurers’ Office Fiona Ma, State Treasurer Eric Shaw, Office of Emergency Services Danna Stapleton, Lieutenant Governor’s Office Cal Poly David Askay Kelle Brooks Mark Cabrinha Tom Di Santos Mario Esola Tom Fowler Amir Hajrasouliha Keith Humphrey Bob Linscheid Kent MacDonald Margot Macdonald Jeremy Magner Bill Siembieda Sandy Stannard Jesse Vestermark Jermain Washington Russell White

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Acknowledgements

Chapter 1: Introduction

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Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction Legend has it that the town of Paradise, California, gets its name from a mill crew delivering a load of lumber on an unusually warm summer’s day. Exhausted, they came into the shade of the lush pine forests and sat on the blanket of soft needles underneath them. Satiated by the environment, one of the men exclaimed, “Boys, this is paradise!”

Lots of conversations about loss arose after the fire, and the lessons gained from this tragedy should not be forgotten.

Historically, humans have tended not to change their lifestyles or technologies until something catastrophic happened.

For example, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the subsequent fire changed the city’s understanding of housing.

The dense wooden structures were a tinderbox waiting for a match that, once ignited, would burn down a quarter of the city. This horrifying natural disaster sparked discussion of improving earthquake engineering design, urban planning, and fireproofing for buildings. Similarly, there is so much that we can learn from the Camp Fire, and there is so much we can do to prevent the next wildfire in Paradise and other communities like it.

For anyone who has traveled Skyway Road, it is easy to see why the name stuck. The majestic natural beauty of the canyon and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains instill a humbling sense of awe in all who visit the area. Upon the mountain and away from the noise of the city, visitors to Paradise, and residents alike, are very fond of the small town. The tall pine trees around the houses provided privacy and a close connection to nature; the various public events throughout the year created a strong relationship amongst the community.

Because of this strong community bond, the town recovered quickly after the 2008 Humboldt Fire and Camp Fire. The Paradise community has proven to be indisputably resilient.

After losing over 90% of its structures, Paradise has a second chance to be planned and built with contemporary knowledge and technology. The streets can be repaved to have sidewalks and bike lanes, commercial buildings can be closer to each other, and a wildland-urban interface zone can be created to provide defensible space and create a more physically resilient condition.

Paradise also has a chance to be proactive and solve other issues, including creating a town that is energy, water, and waste regenerative. This is an opportunity for Paradise to become the first Zero Net Energy town in California, paving the way for what is possible by evolving into an ideal mountain town. The heartbreaking tragedy of the past not only shaped Paradise’s history, but also becomes a chance to reimagine the town to be more resilient socially, economically, and physically.

When Paradise residents were awakened by panicked knocking on their doors on November 8th, 2018, they had no idea that they were facing the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the history of California. Wildfires were an ever-present reality in the area. Because of this, some residents decided to stay behind to protect their homes and businesses. However, the black smoke soon covered the sky and ashes engulfed the entire town. By the time people realized that they had to evacuate, the smoke had blocked all the sunlight, and it seemed like dusk rather than dawn. Stumbling and struggling to see and breathe, Paradise residents tried to flee out of town as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, some of them ended up on disconnected roads, or stuck in stand-still traffic, and escaped on foot. The fire scorched approximately 153,000 acres of land, killed 86 people, and took 17 days before it was doused by heavy rainfall and extinguished.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

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Executive Summary Twenty-six thousand people were displaced due to the Camp Fire. One thousand families are still searching for housing six months after the fire. In order for these people to return home, Paradise needs to be rebuilt in a timely manner. A group of thirdyear architecture students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo intends to bring inspiration for Paradise residents through designing sustainable, fire-resistant, community-oriented buildings. Based on research and multiple rounds of community meeting feedback, a new town concept plan, along with individual building designs, have been tailored to revitalize Paradise and to act as catalysts for further investment. Through mentoring and peer-review of designs from professional firms, the projects are able to be developed more fully to bring Paradise residents hope that there will be a home they can return to.

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Design Process and Project Phases From January through June, the workflow was designed around human-centered design thinking. The process, created by the founders of the firm Ideo, is a method of solving complex problems. It is an iterative design process grounded in building understanding first, then giving all parties involved a chance to explore divergent ideas and thoughts, all before focusing in on converging solutions to address specific community needs.

The 23-week long process was organized as follows with key presentations noted by date: Researching and Building Understanding (and Empathy) - 4 weeks (2 weeks prior to the course) Urban / Concept Planning (Defining Issues) - 2 Weeks Catalytic Project Conceptual Design (Creating Solutions/Prototyping/Testing) - 3 Weeks Merged Catalytic Project Conceptual Design (Creating Solutions/Prototyping/Testing) - 3 weeks Supplementary Research and Tours of Cities (Revising Empathy/Issues) - 3 weeks Catalytic Project Schematic Design (Creating Solutions/Prototyping/Testing) - 2 weeks Catalytic Project and Concept Plan Design Development) - 8 weeks

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January 17, 2019 February 22,2019 April 19, 2019 June 3, 2019

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Community Overview

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Chapter 2: Community Overview History The rich history of Paradise dates back to 1848 when gold was first discovered along the American River. This attracted many of the town’s early settlers. The largest gold nugget, weighing 54 pounds, was found in Magalia, an adjacent town to the north.

This inspired the Gold Nugget Days Festival, which is celebrated annually in April.

these problems to create a town that is resilient physically, socially, and economically.

1800

HISTORY

1850

Due to the Gold Rush, Paradise’s population grew and infrastructure was built reactively to support the settling families settling. Lumber mills, a post office, a school, and a church were built by 1880. Another round of settlers then came to Paradise and established agriculture, which became a big part of the town’s identity. Infrastructure like the Magalia Reservoir and the Paradise Irrigation District were created to support irrigation needs. In 1889, the town celebrated the Paradise Harvest Festival in honor of this agricultural heritage, which evolved into the Johnny Appleseed Days two-day festival that Paradise still celebrates today.

1849: Gold is discovered in the American River, first white settlers search in the Feather River along the way and settle in Butte County 1860-1879: The first town infrastructure is built including a school, post office and church

1900

1880: Lumbering and livestock become main economic attributes, population reaches 301

1904: Railway system is established, settlers from the East travel to Cailfornia and develop agriculture in Butte County 1916: Farming flourishes due to construction of Magalia Reservoir and the establishment of Paradise Irrigation District

1950

In just over a decade, from 1950 to the mid-1960s, the population of Paradise quadrupled to 20,000 people, and residents decided to incorporate as a town, and the town remained reactive to its rampant growth. Instead of a clear plan for development, the town had low density, sprawl, limited infrastructure, and discontinuous streets. These problems would contribute to the devastation of the wildfires to come.

1955: “Paradise” is given its name. Population of Paradise reaches approx. 5,000 1966: Population reaches 20,000 1979: Paradise is incorporated as an official ‘town’ covering approx. 18 square miles

2000

In 2008, the Humboldt Fire evacuated 9,500 Paradise residents and destroyed 66 homes. Ten years later, in November of 2018, the Camp Fire devastated the town, killing 85 people and destroying 14,000 homes and 5,000 other buildings. After the second of these two tragic events, planners questioned whether it was safe to rebuild the town as it once was. It had been determined that the town lacked central planning and adequate infrastructure; Paradise was therefore not fire resilient. Post Camp Fire, Paradise has an opportunity to redesign and address

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Inhabited by Maidu Tribes

2000: Population reaches 26,400 2008: Humbolt Fire stretches over 22,800 acres between Chico and Paradise. 9500 residents are evacuated from their homes, 66 homes are destroyed 2018: Camp Fire, the deadliest California wildlifefire to date, strikes Paradise and Chico area. 10,000 structues burnt down.

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Chapter 2: Community Overview

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Chapter 2: Community Overview

Culture and Community Assets The culture of Paradise revolves around its history, community, and outdoor environment. The many assets of Paradise create its culture. Their greatest assets are its festivals and events, Recreation Center, Performing Arts Center, the many outdoor activities available to residents, and most importantly their strong community ties. All of these make it their beloved home.

beautiful landscaping, a gazebo, and a lake which make it a great place to go for the day. It is also a great venue for events like weddings and birthdays. There is also Terry Ashe Park where the Paradise Recreation Center is located. It is utilized for birthdays and events and during the winter the skating rink opens. The natural landscape and available outdoor activities make being active in sports and outdoors a great part of the lives of the people of Paradise.

Their major festivals are the Gold Nugget Days, Johnny Appleseed Days, and the Chocolate Festival. Gold Nugget Days celebrate the beginnings of Paradise as a gold mining town where nearby in Magalia the largest gold nugget was found. The first two days of the festival feature a parade, a Miss Gold Nugget Pageant, children’s costume contest, donkey derby, crafts fair, among many other fun activities. Johnny Appleseed Days celebrate its history of agriculture. It is a festival in which there is local entertainment, vendors, artisans, and most importantly apple pies. The residents of Paradise bake a thousand apple pies for this event. The Chocolate Fest is a fun day to celebrate all things chocolate. Among the events during this day are the fun run called Chocolate Chase, a bike ride called Tour ‘de Chocolate, the Chocolate Cuisine Challenge, and the royal coronation of the Chocolate Fest Queen and King. These three festivals bring the community together to celebrate their town, history, and people. It is one of their strongest assets. The other most important asset the town has is its natural environment.

All of these assets of festivals, nature and outdoor activities, and civic centers create the culture and lifestyle of Paradise.

These are the reasons people settled in Paradise and the reason people choose to retire and stay here. It is what makes its people feel proud and passionate about their town.

Economic Similar to many rural towns scattered across the United States, Paradise had a very localized economy. As a town with a majorly aging population, the economy of Paradise employs 10,024 people out of a total population of 26,396 people.

Based on an index in which the U.S. average cost of living is 100 (an index > 100 means it is more expensive compared to the U.S. average), California is 169, and Paradise is 111. Housing is the biggest factor in cost of living. The median property value is $205,500, which is higher than the U.S. ($193,500), but lower than California ($442,400). As a comparatively affordable California town, it is no surprise that some former Chico residents would want to retire to this area. In fact, the top three industries in Paradise complement this aging population.

The top three industries of Paradise are healthcare and social assistance (25.8%; 2,589 people), retail trade (13.2%; 1,319 people), and educational services (8.4%; 844 people). The healthcare and social assistance category consists of registered nurses, nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides, and personal care aides. This category is the fifth highest paying industry in Paradise; employees earn a median annual income of $32,483.

Paradise is recognized for its dynamic surroundings, with vistas of pine and oak forests, rivers, and mountains. Being here is like living and breathing nature. During the summer months, there are swimming spots and rivers right outside of town.

There are many hikes and trails like the Paradise Flume Trail to the east of town and the Paradise Memorial Trailway which is located right along the middle of town. In the winter months when it snows, a short drive southwest allows them to ski and snowboard. In town, they have parks like Billie Park which has

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Chapter 2: Community Overview

The retail trade category consists of retail salespersons, first-line supervisors of retail sales workers, and cashiers. The educational services category consists of elementary and middle school teachers, post secondary teachers, and teacher assistants. This category is the fourth highest paying industry in Paradise; employees earn a median annual income of $33,496.

not returning to Paradise after graduation leading to an aging workforce. Additionally, many residents did not work in Paradise and would instead commute everyday to Chico in order to compete in the job market.

Additionally, as a rural town, Paradise has a high number of residents working in industry categories of agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting (251 people), healthcare and social assistance (2,589 people), and utility (123 people) industries which, according to the census, is high comparative to a town of this size. The highest paying industries in Paradise by annual median earnings are utilities ($67,667), real estate, rental, and leasing ($52,130), and finance and insurance ($50,679). The lowest paying industries are arts, entertainment, and recreation ($9.453), accommodation and food service ($11.538), and admin, support, and waste management services ($20,424).

Occupationally, the most common jobs of Paradise residents was administrative (11.4%; 1,145 people), management (10.3%; 1,033 people), and sales (9.6%; 960 people). From there, Paradise has an unusually high number of residents working in occupation categories of health Technicians (450 people), personal care and service (728 people), and farming, fishing, and forestry (101 people). The highest paying jobs by annual median earnings are life, physical, and social science ($79,955), fire fighting supervisors ($71,625), and legal ($63,247). The lowest paying jobs are food and serving ($13,072), arts and recreation ($14,561), and personal care and service ($15,405).

Unfortunately, due to its isolated location with limited localized economic opportunity, Paradise did have a stagnant economy.

Before the fire, Paradise had an unemployment rate of 4.6% comparative to the national 3.9%. University students were

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Chapter 2: Community Overview

Prior and Anticipatory Demographics Before the Camp Fire, Paradise, was home to a population of 26,400 people, from which 98.9% are US citizens. As of 2017, 2.39% of Paradise, CA residents were born outside of the country. The ethnic composition of the population of Paradise, CA is composed of 23.3k White Alone residents (88.3%), 1.64k Hispanic or Latino residents (6.21%), 834 Two or More Races residents (3.15%), 308 American Indian and Alaska Native Alone residents (1.17%), 269 Asian Alone residents (1.02%), 53 Black or African American Alone residents (0.2%), 0 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0%), and 0 Some Other Race Alone residents (0%). Consequently, the most common foreign languages spoken in Paradise, CA are Spanish or Spanish Creole (703 speakers), German (167 speakers), and Chinese (88 speakers).

and educational development of the town will determine the demographics of the “new” Paradise.

Target population: The future target population of Paradise, CA is projected to consist of 30,000 residents of all ages, with the median age being 45. While the previous population of Paradise was largely a retirement community, the same age group is not expected to move back in twenty years when Paradise is redeveloped. Rather, working adults, many of whom former Paradise residents, and their families are expected to populate the area.

Ecosystem Understanding (Biodiversity, Climatic Conditions, Topography, etc.)

Paradise is a town in Butte County, California located at 35.7596º N, 121.6219º W. Paradise is located to the east of Chico and north of Sacramento in the Sierra Nevada foothills in a lush green environment among pine and oak forests. It is located on a ridge in the foothills that has elevations ranging from 2,000 to 2,800 feet above sea level. The topography in Paradise is rugged, resembling a plateau surrounded by canyons and becomes increasingly hilly. The topography in Paradise ranges from being extremely walkable to nonbuildable with slopes ranging between 0% up to greater than 20%. Paradise has few main roads due to the unique topography. Soils in Paradise are well drained and of a reddish brown loam. Paradiso, originally formed from volcanic rock, is the most common soil found in the town.

Due to the disproportionally large young and old populations in Paradise, the median age of all people in Paradise, CA was 49.2. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 49, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 58. Paradise was majorly a town with young families and retired couples. Consequently, the town was home to a large population of veterans with over 1,039 Vietnam, 299 Korean, and 217 Gulf War Veterans.

Looking forward, the demographics of town will change dramatically as people begin to repopulate the area. According to a survey from Urban Design Associates, only 51% of residents plan on returning to Paradise. Furthermore, only 36% say that they will return their children to school in Paradise.

Through conversation with displaced Paradise residents, many have expressed that retired residents have decided that it is not worth the wait to rebuild in Paradise and have instead moved someplace else. Many generational families will return likely to Paradise as their family has lived their families have resided there for centuries. As for the overall influx of people wanting to re-populate Paradise, the overall economic, workforce,

(re) Imagining Paradise

Pre Camp Fire land use types in Paradise ranged from commercial zoning, to residential, industrial, public service, and agricultural land use types. Uses were separated horizontally, with the primary commercial zones being along Skyway and Clark.

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Chapter 2: Community Overview

Age Distribution

85 and over 4.8% 75-84 8.1%

0-4 4%

5-9 3.9%

10-14 5.4% 15-17 3.4% 18-20 2.8%

65-74 11.3%

21-24 6.4%

60-64 9.3%

25-34 9.7%

55-59 8.3%

35-44 9.4% 45-54 13.1%

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Chapter 2: Community Overview

Paradise is a grassland chaparral and mixed conifer habitat biome. This type of biome along with the climate of Paradise allows for the town to be covered in a heavy green canopy, creating a wooded sense of place. There are many natural assets in and around Paradise. There are many water features within Butte County surrounding Paradise such as Feather River and Butte Creek which contribute to the rich diversity in vegetation and wildlife. There are also many protected areas within the county such as Plumas National Forest, Butte Sink National Wildlife Refuge, and Lassen National Forest which all contribute to the beauty and preservation of the natural assets surrounding the town.

with 60º/44º F average high and low temperatures. Average winter temperatures reach as low as 36º F. December has an average high and low temperature of 53º / 39º F, while January has averages of 54º / 39º F, and February with 57º / 41º F. The temperature averages 68º F in the spring. The average high and low in March is 61º / 43º F, while April averages 66º / 47º F, and May with averages of 76º / 53º F. The town experiences snowfall in the winter as well. Paradise averages approximately 3 inches of snowfall per year and nearly inches of rain on average per year which is greater than the average rainfall for California at 22 inches on average annually.

Due to the nature of this climate, good passive design strategies to utilize here are natural ventilation and cooling, direct solar heat gain, solar shading on the south, and minimizing north glazing. Other strategies to also consider are utilizing thermal mass, implementing the use of solar pv panels on rooftops for energy production, planting native vegetation that are low water maintenance and fire resistant, and using green roofs for rainwater collection.

Native vegetation in Paradise includes tall foothill ponderosa pines, california black or blue oaks, western redbud, lupine, flannelbush, buckeye, california buckwheat, common whiteleaf manzanita, california fuschia, deergrass, and coyote brush.

Most of these native plants require well drained soils, are drought tolerant, and are able to withstand the hot, dry summers of Paradise.

The type of wildlife found in Paradise can range from snakes (king snakes, rattlesnakes, gopher snakes, garter snakes, and striped racer snakes), opossums, bats, squirrels, fox, racoons, mountain lions, western bluebirds, yellow warblers, bobcats, coyotes, and bears.

Taking advantage of the strong north east wind would require a design that incorporates opposite inlet and outlet air openings into the building. Inlet openings should be oriented perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction and outlet openings should be oriented opposite the inlet openings to provide for natural cross ventilation. Elongating the building form along the east and west direction will minimize solar heat gain and allow for cooling.

Utilizing a green roof in building design would provide for roof insulation, lower air temperatures, and provide for water retention. Implementing a green roof into building design requires anywhere between 2.5 inches to 39 inches in thickness for the proper structure and roofing material implementation depending on the intensity of the roof garden.

Paradise has a heating dominated mediterranean climate which consists of hot summers, and wet, cool winters. The predominant wind direction comes from the north east along the ridge, and under some conditions iis strong. Average summer temperatures for June, July, and August are in the 90º’s F range with June having an average high and low of 84º / 60 º, July with 92º / 66º, and August with an average high and low of 90º / 64º. Average fall temperatures average around 70º F. September has an average high and low of 85º / 61º F, while October has an average of 74º / 53º F, and November

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Chapter 2: Community Overview

Good landscaping strategies to implement into this mountainside community are preserving native species, landscape with fire resilient species, preserve natural drainage patterns on site, protect and preserve healthy soils, locate and manage vegetation to mitigate potential fire hazards and to prevent unnecessary grading or stripping of vegetation.

Planting trees on the east and west faces of buildings cools the ground around the building as well as air temperatures, and provides for shading. With landscaping a site ,it is important to consider effective defensible space which requires proper management of vegetation around buildings. Areas within 30 feet of buildings must be planted with vegetation that cannot easily ignite and should be routinely maintained. Canopies of mature trees should not be within 10 feet of the building to avoid the risk of ignition. Choosing to landscape with plants that are low growing and have a high moisture content such as herbaceous non-woody plants and succulents within 3 feet of the building will help to mitigate the risk of fire spreading due to vegetation.

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The Community and Social Resiliency of Paradise, CA

Looking forwards how might we...

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re-zone to create vibrant urban centers that encourage social interaction? develop housing and communities that serve people of varying backgrounds while attracting new people? locate and create social spaces important to Paradise? design infrastructure for an agricultural community? respond to an existing culture through new development and innovation?

Statistical Breakdown of Paradise

What is Social Resiliency?

Statistics from Data USA

Social Resiliency is a community’s ability to maintain and reconstruct the social system that is present in their town in the event of some tragedy. Having a socially resistant community is an essiential part of being able to rebuild a community. It allows for quick mobilization and cooperation between community members, making reconstruction, both physical and social, easier.

Steps to Building Social Resiliency

Steps to Building Social Resiliency 01

02

Age Breakdown

03

United States

04

California Butte County, CA

+

=

=

Paradise, CA Chico, CA Metro Area

Job Breakdown

Diverse Livelihoods

Support Mechanisms

Supported Pivoting

Long term Livelihood

Various industries for job opportunity.

Systems to catch people if they fall.

People can adapt to changes.

Translates to savings + secure income.

05

06

2016 Median Property Value

07

+

+

Community Support Secure individuals leads to secure communities.

08

=

Create Trust

Give People Platforms

Community Identity

Citizens can trust each other and their government.

Let people be heard and speak out.

Trusting communities form unique identities.

Paradise vs. U.S. Income

Racial Breakdown

Examples of Social Resiliency

Cali, Colombia: The residents of Cali formed grassroots campaigns to help prevent flooding. These groups would report degrading infrastructure to the local governments to help fix them. The actions of these campaigns also led to passive surveillance of the public spaces to prevent illegal dumping into the levee.

The Culture of Paradise

Paradise California already has a very strong and united community, as evident by the multitude of events they host every year. This is one of the cornerstones of being able to rebuild and restart, which puts them at a great advantage. This community can be strengthened even more by creating architecture that fosters congregation. Architecture would like this would help the town of Paradise feel the love and passion their community has.

Hurricane Katrina: A local catholic priest, with the support of community leaders and evacuated people, led the community in rebuilding their neighborhoods physically and social structures when it was evident the government couldn’t help. The community was urged to barter their skills to one another to help collectively rebuild.

The Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corporation, which aided in the reconstruction, is still in the community and provides social services, training for alternative livelihoods and care where these programs are absent.

Cultural Endeavors

Social Centers

Green Spaces

Paradise Performing Arts Center

Paradise Party in the Park

Paradise Flume Trail

Gold Nugget Museum

Paradise Rec Center: Swimming Pool

Billie Park

Assets of Paradise Cultural Endeavors

Social Centers

Green Spaces

Vital Civic Assets

This category represents Paradise’s investment in the arts and history. This includes the Performing arts center which hosts concerts, dance recitals, political rallies and the public theatre company, Theatre on the Ridge. The category also accounts for the Gold Nugget Museum, which aimed to preserve and protect the Ridge heritage, and showcase the towns gold mining history, and the historic Noble Orchards apple farm.

These assets allow visitors and residents to learn and enjoy in the history and culture of Paradise.

One of the most beloved assets of paradise, by both residents and those visiting, is the strong sense of community.

The connection between each member is fortified by large social centers, like one of the twenty churches in the town, and the many open parks and the Terry Recreation Center. Each space allows for opportunities for the community to come together and connect with each other, whether it’s ice skating at the Recreation center or celebrating Johnny Appleseed Days. These places allow for strong bonds to form between neighbors and friends, and allows the sense of a tight knit community.

One of the main reasons people are attracted to Paradise is it’s close proximity to abundant nature. Whether it’s one of the many of the grassy parks scattered throughout the town, or the close trailheads on the outskirts of towns, members have easy access to nature.

The trailheads bring in visitors for day trips or longer stays, as they explore the surrounding mountains and rivers, while the parks are hosts to varying community events, like Party in the Park. The myriad of “green spaces” add to the aesthetic and programmatic appeal of Paradise.

This category includes assets that are necessary civic spaces, that aid in the health and success of the community. Fire stations, police stations, hospitals, schools, government buildings, etc., all are fundamental programs to the community. However in Paradise, many of these spaces go above and beyond the typical requirements of a civic program. For example, the Public Library hosts job workshops and teen writing workshops for community members. These elements are the backbone (and more) to the future of the Town of Paradise.

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Bike Path

The main bike path in Paradise is the Paradise Memorial Trailway, a trail that was converted from the historic rail lines that ran through the town. The Paradise Memorial Trailway encourages travel by bike, which is easily walkable and bikeable.

Cult

Zoning Map Sk yw ay Rd

Paradise, CA

Clark

Rd

3000’

Population: 26,682

Sk yw ay Rd

Pentz Rd

1500’

Wagstaff Rd

Skyw ay

Rd

Cla rk

Rd

Wagstaff Rd

Bille Rd

Bille Rd

Bil

le

Rd

HISTORY

Rd

Elliot Rd

Elliot Rd

Elliot Rd

1850

Cla rk

1800

Rd

Pe nt z

Inhabited by Maidu Tribes

1849: Gold is discovered in the American River, first white settlers search in the Feather River along the way and settle in Butte County

Skyw ay Rd

1860-1879: The first town infrastructure is built including a school, post office and church

Pearson Rd

Clark Rd

Pearson Rd

1900

Pentz Rd

1880: Lumbering and livestock become main economic attributes, population reaches 301 1904: Railway system is established, settlers from the East travel to Cailfornia and develop agriculture in Butte County 1916: Farming flourishes due to construction of Magalia Reservoir and the establishment of Paradise Irrigation District

1950

Pearson Rd

ay Rd Skyw

1955: “Paradise” is given its name. Population of Paradise reaches approx. 5,000 1966: Population reaches 20,000

Rd

Pentz Rd

rk Cla

2000

1979: Paradise is incorporated as an official ‘town’ covering approx. 18 square miles

Cultural Endeavors Apple Orchard Gold Nugget History Museum Theaters

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Community Social Centers Recreation Senior Living

Green Spaces/Hiking Spots Hiking/Trails

Church Synagogue

Green Spaces

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Streams and Paths

2000: Population reaches 26,400 2008: Humbolt Fire stretches over 22,800 acres between Chico and Paradise. 9500 residents are evacuated from their homes, 66 homes are destroyed 2018: Camp Fire, the deadliest California wildlifefire to date, hits Paradise and Chico area.

10,000 structues burned.

Vital Civic Assets

Bike Route

Grocery

Courthouse

Streams

Library

Hospital

School

Post Office

Firestation

Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery The Camp Fire Each city grapples with responding to threats, in California, natural threats can be tsunami, earthquake, flooding or fire and in some cases a mix of of all these. For towns in locations in High Fire Hazard Zones, they are primarily contending with the threat of wildland sourced fires. These fires can be caused by natural sources such as lightning, human caused or infrastructure based. The more accessible the natural setting, the more likely that humans play a role, intentional or not. In Paradise there were two fires in 2008 that necessitated evacuation, caused damage to property (buildings and vehicles), and played a role in influencing the natural surroundings to create the deadly conditions of the 2018 fire.

Post 2008, PGE provided maintenance along the ridge where they removed mature trees surrounding the above ground utility lines. Once these mature trees had been removed, the underbrush was able to grow exponentially and PGE did not continue with their maintenance regimen.

Winds were blowing down The Ridge at 40 - 50 mph, relative humidity was extraordinarily low (11%) and the ignition points were met with poorly maintained underbrush that acts as perfect fuel for the fire. Interestingly enough, the underbrush was thriving due to maintenance practices caused by the 2008 fires also found to be caused by PGE. Further investigations since this time determined that undermaintained electrical transmission lines ignited fires in two locations (Pulga and Concow/Rim Road) to create the deadly fire. These initial starts, combined with “ideal” fire conditions to create the extraordinarily fast moving and hot burning fire.

Winds were blowing down The Ridge at 40 - 50 mph, relative humidity was extraordinarily low (11%) and the ignition points were met with poorly maintained underbrush that acts as perfect fuel for the fire. Interestingly enough, the underbrush was thriving due to maintenance practices caused by the 2008 fires also found to be caused by PGE.

The Camp Fire of Butte County California was started on November 8, 2018 and was not fully contained until the 25th of November. During that time, the fire swept through the town of Paradise and the surrounding wilderness. The fire led to 85 civilian fatalities, and 12 injured. By the time of containment,153,300 acres and nearly 19,000 structures had burned, depleting the town of most of its resources including fresh water. The fire created $16.5 billion in damage, over $4 billion of which was not insured. The Camp Fire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history and the deadliest fire in the United States since the Cloquet fire of 1918.

Further investigations since this time determined that undermaintained electrical transmission lines ignited fires in two locations (Pulga and Concow/Rim Road) to create the deadly fire. These initial starts, combined with “ideal” fire conditions to create the extraordinarily fast moving and hot burning fire.

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

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Defining and Implementing Recovery Recovery in the wake of disaster is multifaceted challenge reliant on the ability of community members and aid organizations to cooperate toward shared goals. Many entities can be involved in both short and long term recovery, including residents/community members themselves, volunteer and civic organizations, faith-based organizations, schools, businesses, academic institutions, and governmental agencies.

As these basic needs of physical and psychological health were addressed, the community also began to focus on long term recovery with the Paradise Long Term Recovery Working Group. While Paradise is a community destroyed by disaster, it is also a community with a desire to rebuild. FEMA notes the need to plan for long term recovery, or “ the need to re-establish a healthy, functioning community that will sustain itself over time.” It outlines 13 importants steps to long term recovery:

After the Camp Fire, the first steps toward recovery were taken by community members themselves, who set up an encampment in the parking lot of a Walmart in Chico, California. Later, FEMA began passing out motel room vouchers and the Red Cross and local church congregations established ten shelters. Finding access to shelter and food, along with medical care for the injured, should always be the first response after a disaster, as meeting these basic needs is the catalyst that helps those impacted regain their sense of safety and can allow them to process the trauma they have faced. The effects of disasters like the Camp Fire on mental health range based on personal experience and residents of Paradise experienced a myriad of traumas including sustaining serious injuries, enduring near-death experiences, losing loved ones, witnessing devastation among friends, family, neighbors, and the greater community, and experiencing the irreparable loss of possessions and property. In their article on the Psychological Impact of Natural Disasters in Adults, Anka A. Vujanovic, Ph.D. and Matthew W. Gallagher, Ph.D., state that “individuals directly impacted by natural disasters may be feel a strong sense of grief, panic, loss, fear, and sadness.”In Paradise, professionals came in to help with the psychological effects of the tremendous loss, but notably community members uplifted and supported one another in their recovery. “Maintaining a connection to others in the aftermath of disaster can be healing for individuals and the community. Avoiding isolation and increasing social support is an important factor in building resilience” (Vujanovic and Gallagher).

Assessing the Need This assessment focuses on establishing the “long-term impact of damages sustained by a community,” looking specifically at the housing, infrastructure, environment, and economy sectors. In Paradise, the immediate needs that were identified included site clean-up, infrastructure improvement, and finding funding to rebuild. Meeting these needs is seen as the precursor to rebuilding a new, more resilient Paradise. At the site level was quick to identify the physical damage caused by the fire, making this information readily available to residents and those attempting to help: Cal Fire ArcGIS.

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Selecting a Leader and Outlining a Long Term Community Recovery Program FEMA states that leadership is a critical step, noting “a good leader will serve as a beacon for community and government involvement and will convey the importance of the recovery process to local, state, and federal officials.” To help with the long term recovery a number of supporting organizations listed joined with the Town of Paradise and Urban Design Associates (UDA) to create a Long Term Recovery Plan.

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High School listening session in Chico, CA

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Securing Outside Support Because of the nature of disaster, recovery is not possible alone.

Creating partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, as well as private and non-governmental organizations can make the recovery process more effective. The Town of Paradise has found partnerships with several public and private agencies across the spectrum of needs that Paradise has identified. These include organizations that focus on economic development, schools and youth, utilities, arts and culture, academia, and housing. Because support from these agencies must be coordinated, frequent meetings at a range of scales have been held, and the input from all groups has been noted in order to best create a plan that meets the desires of the town. A fund has been formed titled Butte Strong focused on addressing long term recovery needs. Further work is yet to be done to engage support beyond this source, including funds from PGE, State of California, Federal and other sources. UDA hosted many outreach meetings to engage the community, and their desires for the future Paradise have been heard. Because of the devastation of the Camp Fire.

move forward. White stakeholders may be diverse and there may be tensions between different groups, these groups can be continuously re-oriented toward common goals that better the community and town as a whole.

Paradise has many steps ahead, and the recovery process likely will not end for many years. The Paradise community has strong leaders and community members that are dedicated to rebuilding, and their progress thus far in establishing a plan illustrates the willingness and excitement moving forward toward a more resilient town. Marcy Douglas, city administrator of Northwood, North Dakota, a community of 1,000 that was leveled by a category 4 tornado, believes that the recovery mindset was vital to the rebuilding of her city, explaining that “If you respond to a disaster with recovery in mind, recovery will happen,� (Douglas as quoted by Becker, 7).

Establishing a Public Information Campaign The long term success of a recovery program is largely determined by the extent of community involvement. A public information campaign helps get community members involved and focused on long-term planning for the community. This can be a challenge when the long-term circumstances of community members may be unclear. Residents are scattered across the country, but with an anticipated 51% of residents planning to return to rebuild sharing information to involve the community is critical and allows the community to take back ownership of their town. The Town has since hired an agency to help with communication called Blue Flamingo.

Reaching a Consensus This is the stage that Paradise is at now, where stakeholders make decisions that allow the long term recovery program to

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

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Wildland Urban Interface In California the number of housing units in Wildland Urban Interface, or (WUI) has gone up from 3.3 million units in 1990 to 4.4 million in 2010 (Cal Fire). WUI’s are communities surrounded by natural areas at risk of wildland fires. Roughly 50% of Butte County, CA and the entirety of the Town of Paradise are characterized by Cal Fire as being located in a very high fire hazard severity zone. However, the purpose of the Wildland Urban Interface standards is meant to inform communities on materials for buildings that can preserve life.

The State Fire marshal states that protecting a building from a wildfire requires two things:

Fire dampers, enclosed under floor areas Shield gutters, fire and non-fire related hardware, electrical appliances and devices

Removing flammable materials from around the building, with fuel modification to 100 feet (or the property line) Zone 1(0’-30’) Tree branches Shrubs Dead plants grass and weeds Prune/remove plants and shrubs near windows Overhanging vegetation from roof/chimney Under deck vegetation

Resiliency Resiliency is defined as the ability of a place, and all aspects that makes that place unique, to recover after a disaster. This broad idea of resiliency is broken down into three major categories: social, economic, and physical. In order for design to fully support its user population, it should seek to provide resilience in all three of these categories. The intersection of different types of resiliency compounds the ability of the environment to prevent and recover from disaster.

Zone 2 (30’-100’) Horizontal space between shrub and trees Lawns trimmed to 4” Remove fallen branches Remove all branches below 6’ above ground from tree Fire resistant accessory structures and fencing

Social Resiliency A socially resilient place has a strong sense of community that is developed through community events, classes, and architecture that fosters congregation. Paradise was able to maintain this type of community through several different churches, as well as popular community events. Such a community is able to come back together in the aftermath of a disaster in order to organize and create a recovery plan.

For reconstruction there is an opportunity to leverage existing on-site resources and improve fire resistivity in the newly built structures. Materials listed such as solid wood and cross laminated timber are now recognized nationally (and by code) as sustainable methods deemed to have a very appropriate performance in a fire (up to 90 minutes). Unlike steel, solid wood and CLT remains structurally stable in a fire up to 400 degrees due to creating a charred layer.

Construct the building of fire resistive materials.

Roof coverings, Fire resistive wall and ceiling-floor assemblies, Non combustible or fire resistant decking Fire doors, Tempered glass Non combustible wall finish materials and cladding

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

Economic Resiliency Creating a place with economic resiliency ensures that it can recover after economic downturns and also have a financial base to aid in natural disaster recovery. Planning for and inviting diversity of business and industries enhances resiliency, and also helps create income for the town or city. Prior to the Camp Fire, the Town of Paradise was in fiscal decline, which has created hurdles for rebuilding efforts. Moving forward, Paradise is working to design a more vibrant town that provides for its residents most basic needs as well as creating diverse livelihood and employment opportunities for the residents to enjoy. Building this type of economy will provide residents with head-of-household jobs provide financial security for the individual as well.

Physical Resiliency Of special importance to the Town of Paradise and other communities that reside in the Wildland Urban Interface is physical resiliency. This form of resiliency focuses on designing a built environment that is defensible against disaster. In Paradise, this involves designing buildings composed of fire resistive or non-combustible materials. Other considerations include the local availability and embodied energy of materials. Paradise must also redesign its communications, water, and energy infrastructure to sustain its anticipated future population.To build a strong foundation for new residents and future generations, these new or renovated water and energy infrastructures should be regenerative.

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

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LEARNING FROM OTHERS: New Orleans, Louisiana Newbern, Alabama Atlanta, Georgia

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

New Orleans, Louisiana The Ninth Ward, which was funded by the Make It Right Foundation was an example of architecture that failed to properly address the community it’s serving. These houses failed to account for the environment of New Orleans, they didn’t fit into the surrounding neighborhood, and weren’t built in a way to help prevent major damage to them if another Hurricane were to hit. However, Musician’s Village, which was an example of a successful Post-Katrina development. This neighborhood stuck to the traditional style of architecture found in the area and kept the prices of these homes at an affordable rate so these families could move in and have property that they could accrue wealth with. While visiting Waggoner and Ball, they presented some of their projects in New Orleans and how these projects address the very prominent issue of flooding. Their projects also had a large focus on contributing to the beautification of the neighborhoods they were in, while still conforming to culture of the areas they were in.

These communities exemplified the importance of understanding the community itself, the needs of it and people who inhabit it.

Without this understanding, the design of the project starts to become less about the residents, which results in a weaker project that seems out of place in the surrounding context. This understanding is fundamental to the design process and when it is analyzed meaningfully, it results in project that is both valued by the community and used by the community. It’s also important to take into consideration the risk that comes with building in a certain area and appropriately adapting the building to mitigate or prevent damage.

Urban Build, which is program run through Tulane University, allows students to fully design and build houses in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. These houses are then sold at market rate for the neighborhood which they are built in. The purpose of these projects is meant to help bring up the value of the surrounding neighborhood and to attract people into moving into them to help revitalize them culturally. Programs like this show the importance of not only designing a project that fits into the surrounding community, but one that actively contributes to the community culturally. It has to improve the community as a whole and help make it a desirable place to live in.

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Booming downtown life day and night

Newbern Library

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YAYA Arts Center

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Musician’s Village

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9th ward

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Byron Muton, URBANBuild Faculty

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Tulane University architecture URBANBuild students constructing a new home

Completed URBANBuild Project

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

Newburn, Alabama The town of Newbern and the Rural studio also provided some insight on how to properly design projects that still feel like a part of the communities they’re serving, while still remaining architecturally stimulating. All these projects achieved a balance between modernity and modesty, giving them a unique feeling of innovation and comfort. A lot of these projects used similar building materials found in other existing projects in the community but combined them with a more modern and contemporary take on architecture.

The importance of finding a balance between this drive as an architect to create a visually and experientially stunning project and a project which appropriately addresses the needs and feeling of the surrounding town is tough. However, finding that middle ground is essential to successful project.

Greensboro Boys and Girls Club

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Rural Studio Organic Farm

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

Newbern Town Hall

Lions Park Playscape

Newbern Library

Rural Studio Farm Storehouse

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

Rural Studio Farm Storehouse

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Atlanta, Georgia In Atlanta, BNIM had a design charrette session that provided a lot of valuable information. While they echoed some of the lessons stated above, they also stressed the importance of having a project respond to its immediate surroundings. Either by using the building to frame certain views or move and highlight important features of the site. They also focused a lot on how the facade of building can really impact how people at the street level experience a building, because this is the only way people will experience the project. While it may look good from a bird’s eye view, if the project feel massive or domineering, it won’t feel welcoming.

The whole trip was an extremely helpful experience being able to collaborate briefly with professional architects and pick apart successful and unsuccessful projects. These projects and people had a lot of valuable lessons that are essential to being able to design a project that appropriately responds to and addresses the people and community it is meant to serve.

Scenic neighborhood walking path

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Monument in front of National Center for Civil and Human Rights

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

Downtown Decatur

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Downtown Decatur Transit Center

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights

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Ponce City Market

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Chapter 4: Vision and Goals

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Chapter 4: Vision and Goals Outreach and Common Themes Before establishing a set of goals and objectives, it was necessary to extend beyond tertiary resources to real and interpersonal interactions. The first three weeks of studio primarily concerned itself with research of the Town of Paradise and Butte County. The data was then compiled into a series of assessments that were displayed during the different outreach sessions with Chico and former Paradise residents.

These reports included resiliency palettes, precedent studies, asset maps, and informational posters regarding Paradise’s demographics, climate, history, etc. The outreach was divided into many sessions that allowed diverse interaction with many audiences ranging from Chico State students and faculty, Paradise residents, and disaster recovery organizations. These sessions served more as forms of interactive listening meetings to gain feedback and develop a personal understanding of Paradise before proceeding with a recovery plan. In order to achieve this, different activities took place within the meetings such as interactive boards where attendees were able to mark our assessment reports, a “how might we” station where people can brainstorm and write on sticky notes, and one on one interviews where Paradise residents can share their personal experiences as “Day in the Life” descriptions.

There were many recurring topics discussed during these listening meetings. Coming from the faculty of Chico State, many addressed that Paradise was a “bedroom” community, a town many go to for retirement. Between the different audiences met with during these sessions, many agreed that Paradise needed improved fire safety and evacuation routes through an improved network of roads and communication between residents. However, many expressed Paradise’s strengths such as proximity to nature, it’s small town culture, the spirit of the people within the community, and access to healthcare. Finally, there was discussion about the future of Paradise to look to opportunities of an improved wastewater system, more businesses, a walkable downtown, a safer street network, and much more.

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How Might We…Brainstorming and Outcomes In the initial phase of re-imagining Paradise, gathering information and opinions beyond online resources took priority.

The second week of studio - the week prior to the first trip to Paradise - concerned itself primarily with empathetic listening and preparing to better listen to the needs of Paradise residents without the hindrance of personal biases. In small groups, shared research from the prior week about the town became the topic of discussion. The in-class activity had a variety of researched information turn into educated assumptions about both the current state of the town and possible future needs of future residents which then became a set of concise insight statements that took a more specific stance on the themes discussed. Without providing direct solutions, these insight statement acted as the building blocks to propel the class’s initial design efforts forward.

Paradise and Chico where we were able to speak with college faculty, practicing engineers, and displaced former Paradise residents - both adults and the youth. The “How Might We” activity followed the the class to Butte County in the form of a station where engaging in dialogue with individuals who are passionate about the future of their town. Although the previous few weeks were dedicated to in-depth research about Paradise and it’s residents pre-and-post fire, speaking directly with people who experienced the fire and are still dealing with the loss, proved to contribute to and further develop the objective assessments that were initially brought along on the trip.

The iterative processes that came with the in-class activity instilled confidence in the research and insight developed through research and class discussions that concerned themselves with sustainability, flexibility of spaces, an urban core, and walkability - amongst a multitude of other topics.

While different groups in class focused their attention on varying topics, common themes found in each group’s brainstorming sessions made it evident that certain topics such as architectural resiliency, designing with understanding, reurbanization, and walkability were main areas of concern that would be tactfully addressed through project designs. In the case of pedestrian movement through the town, research shed light on the effects Paradise’s rural sprawl had on its residents.

This previous research instilled unwavering confidence in the statement: make Paradise more walkable (through articulating more pedestrian friendly roads). However, with a lack of realization regarding how pedestrians could experience walking through the town with the sprawl on its existing topography, learning about the experiential quality of being a pedestrian in Paradise through former adult and high school residents shed light on how to re-approach this design question.

For the next few class sessions, the studio walls were engulfed in multi-colored sticky notes and desks were covered in unused post-its with remnants of past iterative ideas. General themes gathered during the first activity session - such as transportation, sense of community, lifestyle, and city planning - written on large post-its were lined up along the top of each wall with enough room below to hold a plethora of sticky notes with ideas as to how to tend to these themes. During the final step of this activity, the insight statements and proposed ideas were rephrased as “How Might We” questions. In reframing ideas and challenges into questions, there becomes a more direct and creative way of seeking innovative solutions by breaking down problems into themes, focused issues, and commonalities.

As this project tackles on a large issue, gaining insight through interpersonal activities with displaced residents of Paradise proved to be a crucial step in the class’s overall approach to re-imagining a more resilient urban forest. The third week of the double quarter welcomed the first class trip to

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The initial research phase posed the question: “How might we make Paradise more walkable?” With the knowledge generated through community outreach sessions conducted in Chico and Paradise, it became evident that walkability and the implementation of arbitrary pedestrian walkways are not exactly synonymous. Instead, walkability was articulated as an issue that could be addressed and mediated through reevaluating, re-organizing, and re-establishing a more dense mixed-use downtown. Comments form adults and high school students alike articulated that distance between points of interest in the town made walking to-and-from work or school to a cafe difficult due to the the distance and slopes between the locations exceeding the range of pedestrian comfortability.

While posing these “how might we” questions did not yield direct design solutions, they greatly contributed to the development of designs and ideas. These insightful conversations shared between the class and the community of Paradise allowed each student to step back from the objectivity of online research and facilitate their design conversations by integrating both objective assessments and gained personal insight to further develop projects with the well being of Paradise and its residents in mind.

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How Might We boards posted at Chico High School for displaced Paradise high school students

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Community Vision and Goals Through in-class efforts, community outreach sessions, and learning from industry professionals helping rebuild Paradise, articulating the generated goals and visions of the community became a medium to further overall class design efforts.

Fueled by personal and online research, the class as a whole developed a series of goals to augment the basic assumptions of the project:

while anticipating change to allow for a thriving future community.

In this same report, UDA identified that when asked, 51% of Paradise residents they surveyed said they would return to the town after it’s rebuilt while 34% were adamant about not returning - leaving 15% still undecided at the time. This portion of their report sheds light on a primary concern that fueled a lot of the goals established in class. Although a lot of time in class was spent learning about the cultural assets that made Paradise a town treasured by its community, acknowledging the significant percentage of people that would not return to Paradise informs te need to assess why and find design solutions to make Paradise more attractive to future residents.

During the first community outreach session at Chico State University, hearing from the school faculty and local engineers informed the class that Paradise is considered a “bedroom community” - a community which serves as a place to sleep as oppose to providing a thriving job economy which individuals have to seek elsewhere. In treating this as a priority, the group projects in this studio collaborate in that they are located in the proposed downtown. With the implementation of a diversity of building typologies and programs within this mixed-use urban center, there is then a simultaneous proposal for a multitude of retail and varying employment opportunities that contribute to an economically thriving community.

To design a town that: Is economically, socially and physically resilient.

Attracts new residents to Paradise Attracts students to return to the area after attending College in other areas Allows citizens to age in place.

Is resource regenerative (water, energy, wastewater) Along with generating insight from personal interactions with the Paradise community members, students were able to reference the corresponding work of Urban Design Associates (UDA) - the architectural firm is leading the redesigning efforts for the town. In UDA’s “Community Recovery Plan” (April 19, 2019), the authors of the published document discuss their agenda - elaborating on what they heard through their own community outreach activities and how that translates into their long-term community recovery plan. Despite not working directly with UDA, being able to both speak with and listen to Paradise residents for design insight allowed both the class goals and those of the firm to have some levels of synonimity.

In their document, UDA noted the population of attendees of community outreach meetings held in the county. As stated in their long-term community recovery plan, from over 1000 people who attended these community meetings, 78% them were Paradise residents. With such high percentage of the population in attendance having a direct association with the town, it became evident that engaging with and listening to the community would be crucial in understanding how to best design for a new resilient Paradise that would respect traditions

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In terms of promoting physical resiliency, UDA proposes to make Paradise Greener by investing in sustainable design.

While that is the premise of this studio’s concern regarding physical quality of the buildings, these group projects address the challenges Paradise faces from their lack of regenerative resources. Among the 9 projects designed in class, there are proposals for a diversity of rainwater catchment systems with beneficial uses for recycled water, anaerobic digester to turn waste into energy, and opportunities for people to learn about and experience through both education and use of fire-resilient building materials.

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Creating A Replicable Model As seen through the California Climate Adaptation Strategy from 2009, climate change will continue to affect Northern California with lower precipitation levels and a dryer future, resulting in a greater risk for wildfires. By 2050, average temperatures will rise an additional 1.8-5.4 °F with inland areas, like Paradise, warmer than coastal regions. Climate change will be affecting the future of California for years to come, and with $2.5 trillion in real estate assets at risk due to extreme weather conditions, (including wildfires) the consequences are dire. Last November, Paradise was the victim of these extreme weather conditions and it’s only a matter of time until another town, like Colfax, Nevada City, or Kings Beach, become the next. These towns are small, like Paradise, and possess similar rugged terrains with tall trees and thick brush, in addition to little defensible space or green buffers between the towns’ and nature. These characteristics, combined with windy weather, could create a deadly combination for wildfires to strike. In order to prevent or reduce current risks for wildfires in Northern California, a replicable model should be created. A replicable model is a model that can be re-created or produced again, based on positive or successful results, and in regards to Paradise, should set the standard with how towns in California should respond to wildfires. These standards will include a detailed short term and long term recovery plan, as well as procedures for how local and state partnerships can aid in the rebuilding process. To be successful, this model should focus on recovery planning and affordable housing, physical, economic and social resiliency, as well as an integration of architecture within the local community context.

In terms of recovery planning and affordable housing, many lessons were learned while looking at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Housing projects like the Ninth Ward failed by not addressing residents needs’ as well as creating a close community. On the other hand, projects like Musicians Village were focused on shared community spaces, units

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constructed specifically for the acoustical needs of musicians, as well amenities for practice spaces. These affordable houses also were close in proximity which created a density that influenced a tighter sense of community for nearby residents. Relating back to Paradise, although not all residents will be able to afford rebuilding or moving back after the fire, affordable housing projects focused on the specific needs of residents in mind will encourage people to move to Paradise and in turn, create a sense of community.

In addition, physical, economic and social resiliency are key in creating a replicable model for towns like Paradise to overcome tragedies such as wildfires. In terms of physical resiliency, new construction projects should use fire resilient materials, such as fiber cement or terra-cotta, and city officials should identify structures that are currently at risk. When Paradise burned, the fire spread more rapidly from roof to roof than it did from vegetation or trees, demonstrating why fire resilient materials were needed. With social resiliency, essentially a community that trusts each other and can provide support in times of crisis are more likely to recover. By finding ways to integrate current and new residents that have dealt with similar tragedies, community relationships will strengthen and result in trust.

Lastly, creating a replicable model for towns recovering from wildfires involves contextual integration of site, place, and community identity. Observing the Rural Studio in Hale County, Alabama, it was evident that the students considered themselves residents of the town and the reason their projects integrated so well with the natural surroundings, from materiality to space use, was because the structures were designed for the specific needs of clients and used local and recycled materials. The Rural Studio gave a modern spin to southern architecture while respecting the local aesthetic, which enabled the countess structures they’ve built over the years to seamlessly fit within the town and rural fabric of Hale County.

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After the fire of Paradise it’s clear that a replicable model, composed of recovery planning and affordable housing, resiliency, and contextual site integration, is needed for towns like Paradise to thrive after a similar tragedy. This replicable model should be rooted in preserving a community identity while using modern technology and innovation to encourage sustainable practices that will better a given town or city. By creating a model like this, towns at risk may be able to prevent or diminish damages from wildfires and will stay protected for years to come.

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Chapter 5: Creating a Downtown

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Chapter 5: Creating a Downtown General Plan Update The New Proposed Paradise Plan aims to create a more easily navigable, fire responsive, and self-sustaining future for Paradise. The density of the town has been spread out radially from the central downtown villages (East Village and West Village), which are generally zoned as commercial mixed use.

Immediately adjacent to these villages are residential zones of medium density and then lower density the farther they sit from the downtown villages. The two main N-S roads are Skyway Rd Clarke Rd, and Pentz Rd, which have been maintained as the main town entrances and exits. The main existing E-W roads, Wagstaff Rd and Billie Rd, have been maintained as the major E-W roads with the addition of Elliot Rd which has been extended to meet and continue past Pentz Rd.

Community Land-use The new town plan is organized into the following zones: Residential (of varying density), Commercial, Institutional, and Green Space. Much of the plan is labeled as medium density housing to accommodate the 15,000 dwelling units needed to house an expected population of approximately 30,000. Two commercial downtown villages (West Village and East Village) have been proposed to sit along Pearson Rd, a secondary road running between Skyway and Clarke, two of the major thru N-S roads. These Villages would consist mostly of mixed-use zoning and become the retail hubs for the town, providing places for shopping and entertainment as well as living and working.

This zoning also responds to the topography and location of dry brush. While the entirety of Paradise sits on a generally consistent 3% slope, the town is bordered with steeper, undevelopable topography. The steeper topography has been zoned as green space, with low density housing as the next closest zone, to allow for ease of evacuation.

The new town includes infrastructure placement that will promote a self-sustaining town. This means including facilities that make use of Paradise’s natural resources to create more locally sourced water, energy, and building materials. A CLT (cross laminated timber) plant is included in the plan as well as a utility zone near the West Village which houses a water treatment facility for rainwater recycling, and an anaerobic digester for energy production.

Specific proposed projects are located in the West Village, East Village, Skyway Rd, and neighborhood centers near the West Village. Within these projects exist a total of 4 cultural centers, over 408,000 square feet of added community space, nearly 400 housing units, over 450,000 square feet of commercial space and a projected 750+ jobs created.

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THE NEW DOWNTOWN PLAN

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Infrastructure (Roads, Water and Wastewater, Rainwater, Solid waste, Energy) Paradise, CA before Camp Fire was essentially comprised of two main roads and a series of winding cul de sacs that navigated through the private residences. The new plan categorizes all roads as main, secondary and bike roads. To improve navigability, all cul de sacs have been reoriented into secondary roads (red) that run perpendicular to main roads (blue). These roads are organized to support multi-modal transportation including bus, bike and vehicular travel. Bike lanes run parallel to all main roads as well as some secondary roads running E-W near the proposed downtown villages.

Three different types of roads are proposed for the new downtown: Main Street (located on Almond St), vehicular-accessible streets, and pedestrian-only streets. Main street and vehicular-accessible streets will include a bike lane each way as well as a vehicular lane each way. Main street will include the same, with the addition of a center left-turn lane. Many of the blocks in the existing downtown area are currently split by E-W running mid-block alleys accessible to vehicles. The current downtown plan employs one of these on each of the nine blocks and has reclaimed them as pedestrian-only mid-block alleys to further promote the walkability of the downtown.

The proposed downtown was modeled to be self-sustaining and renewable in its energy and water consumption and production.

Two blocks below the Southwestern corner of the West Village lies the proposed Utility Zone, which houses a proposed water treatment facility and anaerobic digester. The water treatment facility will take advantage of the abundance of rainfall in Paradise to collect rainwater and convert it to usable water for the entire town to use. The anaerobic digester will be used to create energy by processing waste that is delivered to the facility by truck, hence the close proximity to the town center.

Transit The new plan proposes to expand the bus transit in Paradise with more routes and increased service. Aside from the expansion of existing routes, a new downtown-specific route will be added and will include multiple stops on Skyway adjacent to the West border of the West Village. No stops are planned to exist within either of the villages, including the transit center. This is intended to maximize the accessibility of the downtown to Paradise residents without congesting the inside of the downtown.

Trails The Paradise Memorial Trail is the main existing trailhead that follows a historical railroad. In 2018, the Paradise Memorial trail was renamed to Yellowstone Kelly Heritage Trail to honor Luther Sage “Yellowstone” Kelly, a historic American hero that settled permanently in Paradise after the Philippine–American War. This trail becomes an important aspect to the Downtown Plan as it promotes walkability and bikeability for the residents. With the trail, two proposed projects, Paradise Recreation Center and the Commons (Center for Safety and Well-Being), utilizes the trail as an important aspect to their design and program. In these projects, the Yellowstone Kelly Heritage Trail becomes an integration to the Recreation Center’s green roof, while the Commons activates the trail with their programs.

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Parks and Greenways Many people are attracted to visit and move to Paradise due the close proximity of accessible nature . Within the Downtown plan, the existing Paradise Community Park becomes an important as the Memorial Trail runs through the park and allow community events and gatherings.

PHYSICAL RESILIENCY

Walkability From the Downtown plan, each block consists of one horizontal alley that becomes a pedestrian-only lane through the dense multiuse zoning. Within each pedestrian-only street, the zoning allows community and commercial mix-use buildings to be in each block and allow pedestrians to walk in a safer commute.

Suburban Node Street Section OVERVIEW RESILIENCY SOCIAL RESILIENCY

PHYSICAL RESILIENCY ECONOMIC RESILIENCY PROJECTED IMPACT SIDEWALK

GLOSSARY 8’-0”

PARKING

BIKE

5’-0”

3’-0”

10’-0”

TRAVEL LANE

TRAVEL LANE

12’-0”

12’-0”

12’-0”

BIKE

PARKING

10’-0”

3’-0”

5’-0”

SIDEWALK

8’-0”

88’-0”

Downtown Street Section STUDIOS MACDONALD AND WHITE

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The West Village Layout One of the main goals with the West Village was to create a layout that would encourage walkability and allow for people of Paradise to be able to get to places in an affective manner by grouping the commercial mixed use by the downtown area and community parcels around it. It is ultimately designed to bring new main street [Almond Street] to Paradise. It will include retail, commercial office, and housing to increase walkability and vibrancy The West Village begins from Skyway Road to Black Olive Drive, and from First Street to Pearson Road. The lots above First Street is envisioned to become a medical campus. Community buildings and commercial mixed use buildings will weave through the entire West Village, with the existing Paradise Park as a green puffer to the residential area. [insert downtown concept plan here] The West Village is expected to transition into a pedestrian friendly, walkable area with concentrated parking structures in several locations, with structures of two to three stories built to the sidewalk. The downtown area will be a concentrated mix of community based and mixed-use buildings.

Streetscape and Connections Heavy consideration of promoting walkable environment with an emphasis of public transportation is included in the design of West Village. One of the goals of the downtown plan is to reduce the dependence of cars. In the street design, bike lanes and bus lanes area included in all streets, with widened sidewalk to encourage pedestrian getting around the town without bringing in vehicles.

Since previously there were only 2 main roads, Skyway Road and Clark Road, the West Village is now designed to be able to navigate through vertically with Almond Street, Black Olive Drive and Foster Road and horizontally with Birch Street, Pearson Road, Cedar Street and Fir Street. Since these streets are within the part of town that would be most dense human traffic, pedestrian walkways are also designed across West Village between the roads that run horizontally to promote walking around the town.

Skyway will be widened to increase safety, public transit and safe bicycle circulation along this important thoroughfare. The newly built neighborhood will foster social, economic, and physical resiliency for the next generation of Paradise.

Architectural Character and Massing Within West Village, most commercial mixed use will vary between 2 to 3 stories while parcels with community associated buildings would be around 3 stories tall. The materials used within the town would most likely be GFRC to create a town that fits the personality of Paradise with a material that isn’t too flashy in color, style, and in price. GFRC has a huge variety in colors so if certain businesses want to create a building to their style they are still able to but one important factor is that this building would encourage physical resilience since it is also fire resistant.

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hospitality

FIR

E+

PO

SK YW AY RO AD

commercial mixed use

LIC

E

ME D CA ICAL HO MPUS SPI TAL +

office mixed use

FIR

parking infrastructure

STR

EET HEA INN LTH A N OV ATI D ON

BUT CO TE EXT LLEGE EN SIO N

PAR REC ADIS CE E NTE R

R.

ET

ED

TRE

LIB

OLIV

AL

green space

RA

RY

BLA

CK

RS

ND

DA

MO

CE

STR

EET

medium density residential

community

BIR

CH

STR

EET

TO

AD

WN

CO

SK

YW AY

RO

-W

HEA

RTH

PEA

RSO

+R

ESC

UE

NR

SA F WE ETY A LLB N EIN D G

OR

HA

LL

KIN

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OA

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LIC

MA

RKE

T

LEA

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SEW AG E

ATO

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WA T AN ER TR DS E TO ATME RA GE NT

scale: 1” = 100’ (re) Imagining Paradise

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Built to Thrive (Responding to climatic conditions, economic conditions, and resiliency) Acknowledging that Paradise is a smaller town, a more dense and suburban type of downtown would benefit the town to build and encourage economic growth as well as community growth; creating a downtown to allow for the town to gather and support businesses.

the overall economic status of the town. While preserving and acknowledging the nature and prior vegetation is a goal kept in mind while moving forward with the redesign process, being mindful of specific species that are fire resistant is also the other path we are focussing on to allow for physical resiliency.

In regards to emotional resiliency, it is understandable that the campfire incident has caused a lot of trauma making it hard for some residence to feel safe or comfortable going back.

The hope is that the redesigning process could give them the opportunity to work alongside the design process to be involved and to create a town that could heal some of the scars of fear that prevents them to return back to Paradise.

In order to fulfill the requirement of architecture 2030, most of the community buildings implemented daylighting and natural ventilation strategies to minimize energy use throughout the building. With high precipitation level throughout the concept plan of Paradise, an anaerobic digester is envisioned to be in the outskirt area of downtown as an energy supplier.

To revive and learn from the campfire, it is necessary for the town of Paradise to build resilience socially, economically, and physically.

According to the downtown zoning concept plan, most buildings are mixed use with the emphasis of providing gathering spaces for the Paradise community, and therefore are expected to increase job opportunities, as well as to increase the town’s capability to generate enough revenue. The town of Paradise is anticipated to attract various demographic groups with its economic and social potential. The medical village is placed in the north of downtown area with the intention to boost the emergency services of the town. The process of redesigning Paradise is to face the scar brought by the nature and to figure out the fatal flaw that caused such disaster and to prevent the catastrophe happening again.

In terms of resiliency, social, physical and emotional were the 3 aspects focused in hopes to better serve the future community of Paradise in a way that could help as a stepping stool to thrive. Understanding that the economic pace of the town prior to the fire, creating new opportunities for businesses to be successful and for residents to be involved would help with

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Heavy Timber is naturally abundant in Paradise, CA and a naturally resistive material because of its char layer

Fiber Cement is a naturall fire resistive material that can be manufactured with wood textures and different colors

(re) Imagining Paradise

Terra Cotta is a naturally fire resistive material that comes in smooth, colorful panels which livens up facades

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Chapter 6: The Built Environment

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Chapter 6: The Built Environment Potential Projects Initial brainstorming of potentially catalytic projects to be invested in early phases of the rebuilding process were as follows.

Animal Shelter Aquarium Bicycle Recreation Community College Campus (Nursing, Medical, Technical Education (IT), Vocational, etc.)

Camp Fire Memorial Community Center Elementary School Exploratorium Emergency Response High School Homeless Shelter Hotel Indoor Farmer’s Market Mental Health Recovery Center Middle School Museum Nature Discovery Center Performing Arts Center Planetarium Recreation Center Retail Maker Space Bath House Library Public Safety Fire Station Police Station Hotel Courthouse Golf Center Performing Arts Center Mailing Center

(re) Imagining Paradise

Preschool Entrepeneurship Center Skatepark YMCA Teen Center Food Bank Senior Center Hospital Further iterations based on peer community comparisons and from community members themselves further reduced the list in a more focused manner for further study.

Community College Fire Training Center Community College Vocational Training Center Community Center Courthouse Emergency Response and Fire Logistics Entrepreneurship Center Exploratorium High School Library Medical Service Center Nature Center Public Safety (Fire and Police) Recreation Center Retail / Restaurant Wellness Center

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GLOSSARY

The Ranch

Healing Paradise

Framework

WET Center

Paradise Rec Center

The Lodge

Paradise Eco-Conference Center

Paradise Town Hall

RVIEW

LIENCY

IAL LIENCY

SICAL LIENCY

The Canopy

Forum

Lake Village

Campfire Memorial and Museum

NOMIC LIENCY

JECTED CT

OSSARY

Paradise Public Market

Paradise Healthcare and Innovation Center

Paradise School of Environmental Exploration

STUDIOS MACDONALD AND WHITE

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Learnatorium

TH PARADISE FOOD HABITAT Project Purpose The Paradise Food Habitat will be a place to live, work, shop, and enjoy the community of Paradise through a diverse and exciting food scene.

Project Program

RESIDENTS- The Food Habitat provides outdoor space for congregation and meeting aside from the retail-driven seating

STUDENT LIFE- The second floor of the Habitat has 7 shops for all your cooking and dining needs. Ample seating in the mezannine space and outdoor patio will attract students looking for a busy study environment after school.

RECREATION- The residential component of the Habitat will include an outdoor patio for residents to relax, garden and enjoy the views of the Paradise Community Park.

LUNCH BREAKING- The Food Hall of the Habitat offers a variety of dining options including 2 sit-down restaurants and 10 food court style eateries

Performance Goals Energy This building is cooling dominated, meaning the mechanical systems will need to be more focused on cooling, rather than heating, the building.

This differs from most buildings in Paradise, CA, primarily because it holds so much food retail, which creates lots of heat, attracts a high occupancy, and requires lots of mechanical ventilation. The desired EUI (Energy Use Index) for this building around 24. The most important areas to consider for Energy loss and gains will be through the wall conduction and glazing conduction. In order to help this building thermally perform, passive ventilation will need to be employed as well as a rain screen wall system to restrict moisture and heat from entering the building.

Water The proposed town plan includes a water treatment facility that recycles the abundantly available rainwater in Paradise. As a result, each of the buildings proposed in and around the downtown includes a water catchment system to harvest rainwater.

Light Illuminance is a measurement of the light reflected off surfaces in a room. The desired illuminance for the food hall and restaurants is 28 footcandles. In order to achieve good lighting in this multi-story building, a combination of strategic floor plate openings, skylights, and atrium spaces will need to be employed.

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Resiliency

PHYSICAL Resiliency is achieved physically through building materiality. The Food Habitat’s main structural system and flooring is heavy timber glulam and CLT, which posesses a fire-resistent char layer. The primary facade material is fiber cement, which is a naturally fire resistive material.

SOCIAL The Food Habitat also aims to improve the social resiliency of Paradise, CA. Restaurants, residents, and culinary students have access to their own garden boxes to cook and sell food made with freshly-made ingredients. The Culinary Wing offers space for the culinary students to learn how to create new and interesting food to excite the downtown area. The Food Market is a space for local growers and makers to sell their produce and products and economically empower the community of Paradise at the local level.

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(RE) IMAGINING PARADISE, CA DOWNTOWN CONCEPT PLAN

Our downtown plan is based on the idea of having a main street (Almond Street) that includes mixed use housing and commercial. In addition, we decided that Skyway should become a public transit hub, with an increased number of lanes. There are some streets that cut through the blocks horizontally in order to become pedestrian ways. We strive to create resiliency within the downtown and foster a community setting, that is bustling but still feels like Paradise.

Project Location + Site Plan FIRE

+ PO

SK YW AY R

hospitality

OA

D

commercial mixed use

LIC

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MED CA ICAL HO MPUS SPIT + AL

office mixed use

FIR

parking

Paradise Community Park

STR

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infrastructure

HEA INN LTH A OVA ND TIO N

BUTT CO E EXTELLEGE NSI ON

PARA REC DIS CEN E TER

community

BIR

CH

DR.

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LIV E

STR

green space

LIBR

BLA CK O

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ALM

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medium density residential

ARY

SA FE WEL TY A LBEI ND NG

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WA TE AN R TR D ST EATM ORA EN T GE

scale: 1” = 100’

WHAT IS PARADISE’S CLIMATE LIKE?

PROPOSED DOWNTOWN RENDERINGS

Temperature (F) 120

100

80 Record high Average high

60

Average low

40

Rendering of Pedestrian Street Douglas Way

Record low 20

0

JAN

Precipitation (in) 12

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

10.5

10

9.6

9.1 8

8

6.9 6 4.1

4

3.1 1.9

2

0.7 0

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

0.1

0.2

JUL

AUG

OCT

NOV

DEC

Paradise recieves a large amount of precipitation per year, therefore many of the projects have rainwater capture systems incorporated.

0.8 SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Humidity Ratio [kg water/ kg air] 110 kJ/kg 90% 80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

0.03

100 kJ/kg

Hours 82.00<= 73.80

0.025 30%

90 kJ/kg

65.60 57.40 80 kJ/kg

49.20

Paradise has high ranges of temperature, but is a heating dominated climate. It is also considered a dry climate.

Rendering of Downtown Almond Street

41.00 0.02

32.80 70 kJ/kg

24.60 16.40

8.65% Comfort zone

8.20

60 kJ/kg

20%

<=0.00

0.015 50 kJ/kg

40 kJ/kg 0.01 30 kJ/kg

10%

20 kJ/kg 0.005

10 kJ/kg 0 kJ/kg -10 kJ/kg

-20°C -20 (-4°F) -15°C -15 (5°F) Operative Temperature

N

N

NW

20.3

17.4

E

W

17.5

8.72

14.5

W

E

7.02

11.6

5.95

1.92

3.08

3.08

0.10

S

0.22

Lit

tle

Cre

er

m

m

Su

ek

10°C 10 (50°F)

15°C 15 (59°F)

20°C 20 (68°F)

25°C 25 (77°F)

30°C 30 (86°F)

35°C 35 (95°F)

40°C 40 (104°F)

45°C 45 (113°F)

Fea

er

the

r Riv

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ice

lst

So

PROPOSED STREET SECTIONS

Winter and Summer sun angles differ.

The Winter angle is 25 degrees and the Summer is 75 degrees.

S

WHAT ARE PARADISE’S DEMOGRAPHICS? 85 and over 4.8%

In previous years Paradise’s age population was made up of over 50% of people who are 50 or older. We are striving to continue to honor former residents of Paradise while also introducing a resilient economy and town setting in Paradise.

75-84 8.1%

0-4 4%

5-9 3.9%

1

birch street proposed street section

1

10-14 5.4% 15-17 3.4% 18-20 2.8%

65-74 11.3%

21-24 6.4%

60-64 9.3%

25-34 9.7%

1

55-59 8.3%

35-44 9.4% 45-54 13.1%

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50°C 50 (122°F)

almond street proposed street section

E

ice

lst

So

int W

W

5°C 5 (41°F)

Winter

N

tte

0°C 0 (32°F)

0.22

S

Summer

Bu

14.5

8.81

3.62

5.95

Aunual

17.5

11.6

5.32

8.81 SE

23.1

12.1

20.3

S

26.0

13.8

23.1

SW

28.9

15.5

26.0

-5°C -5 (23°F)

Prevailing winds are from the southeast, so many of the projects incorporate natural ventilation.

mph

17.2

28.9

E

N

mph

mph NE

W

-10°C -10 (14°F)

skyway road proposed street section

1. https://streetmix.net/-/849099

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Site Relationship

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Mid Block Alley Entra nce

E nt de esi

Marke t Floor

Opena ble

South Elevation

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Entran ce Sec ond Flo or

Garag e Doo

n ee tw ise Be arad y a P ruw nd ark Th itat aity P n n a b i str Ha mu de d m Pe Foo Co e Th r Entra

e ntranc Main E Hall d o Fo

an ntr

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Floor Plans 4th 3rd Floor- Residential Units

RESIDENTS- The Food Habitat provides outdoor space for congregation and meeting aside from the retail-driven seating

APA

RTM E

NT

3rd Floor- Residential Units and Culinary Classrooms

UNIT S

CULI

NAR YC

LAS

SRO

OM

S DN

RECREATION- The residential component of the Habitat will include an outdoor patio for residents to relax, garden and enjoy the views of the Paradise Community Park.

APA

RTM E

NT

RES

IDE

UNIT S

NTIA

L PA TIO

PR RES IVATE ID ENT ENTIA RAN L CE

2nd Floor- Food Market and Culinary Classrooms S

CULI

BATH RO

OM

NAR YC

RES

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LAS

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STUDENT LIFE- The second floor of the Habitat has 7 shops for all your cooking and dining needs. Ample seating in the mezannine space and outdoor patio will attract students looking for a busy study environment after school.

MEZ

ANN

ING

TG ARD

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1st Floor- The Food Hall

VAV RO

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REF.

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LUNCH BREAKING- The Food Hall of the Habitat offers a variety of dining options including 2 sit-down restaurants and 10 food court style eateries

REF.

REF.

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DN

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M

Integrated Section

Solar panels placed on South side of angled roof for renewable energy production

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Operable skylight for daylighting the double height food hall space

10.75” x 18” heavy timber glulam beams 10.75” x 10.5” heavy timber glulam columns

VAV system for air distribution in food hall and market spaces

Stair Court

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Hydronic chilled ceiling

Food Habitat SE Corner

First Glimpse

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Culinary Wing

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Food Hall

Food Hall

Mezannine

Culinary Wing Walkway

Restaurant

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Detailed Floor to Roof Wall Sections

LAB 3

EVA TAUPIER Partner: NICOLE LO PARADISE FOOD HABITAT ARCH 342-05 | STACEY WHITE | SPRING 2019 | 5.24.19

SECTION

ELEVATION

11

10

AXON 1ST FLR

F

E

25'-0"

30'-0" WHITE ALUMINUM CLADDING THERMAL INSULATION

54' - 0"

VAV SYSTEM IN SUSPENDED CEILING

DIFFUSER FIBER CEMENT CLADDING

ROOF

Roof 176' - 0"

DUCT

RECESSED CEILING LIGHTING CEILING

13'-0"

4” INSULATION

GYPSUM BOARD

GLASS RAILING

FIBER CEMENT CLADDING

Level 4 163' - 0"

LEVEL 3- RESIDENTIAL UNIT

Level 3 151' - 0"

LEVEL 3- RESIDENTIAL PATIO

Level 2 136' - 0"

LEVEL 2- DINING MEZZANINE

42' - 0"

10 3/4” X 18” GLULAM GIRDER

10 3/4” X 18” GLULAM BEAM

12'-0"

10 3/4” X 10 1/2” TIMBER COLUMN

STONE PAVERS 1” COURSE SAND

30' - 0"

FIBER CEMENT CLADDING

15'-0"

CHANNEL GLASS

5-LAYER 7” CLT DECKING

15' - 0"

3'-0"

3” CONCRETE RADIANT FLOORING

15'-0"

12” CONCRETE RETAINING WALL

BELOW GRADE WATER PROOFING

Level 1 121' - 0"

LEVEL 1- FOOD HALL

0' - 0"

PLAN DETAIL 1ST FLOOR

10 3/4” X 10 1/2”TIMBER COLUMN

TIMBER STUDS 16” O.C.

8” TIMBER STUDDED WALL

11

12” CONCRETE RETAINING WALL

Produced by: Eva Taupier

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WALL SECTION + ELEVATION + AXON 2 A109

SUMMER SOLSTICE

WINTER SOLSTICE A A

3

LEVEL 3 ZOOMED IN RESIDENTIAL 1/2" = 1'-0"

2 A109

ALUMINUM ROOF

RIGID INSULATION PLYWOOD SHEATHING

18 X10 3/4" BEAM

OPERABLE WINDOW

FIRE STOPPER

7" CLT FLOORING RADIANT FLOORING

CONCRETE SLAB FOR DUCTS AND PIPES

OPERABLE WINDOW

FIBER CEMENT PANELS

1/2" RIGID INSULATION

TIMBER CEILING

GLULAM COLUMN

2

RESIDENTIAL WALL SECTION 1/2" = 1'-0"

1

NICOLE LO| ARCH 342| LAB3 STUDIO WHITE| SPRING 2019

Produced by: Nicole Lo

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RESIDENTIAL ELEVATION 1/2" = 1'-0"

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Model Photos

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Chapter 7: The Future

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Shot taken at Coffey Park in Sonoma County after the devastating fire in January 2018 (re) Imagining Paradise

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Chapter 7: The Future Where do We Go from Here?

If it’s not Paradise, it’s New Orleans. If it’s not New Orleans, it’s the Gulf of Texas. If it’s not the Gulf of Texas, it’s anywhere else in the world. There is no way to mitigate the amount of damage and destruction the people of Paradise have been through, but there are countless examples when humans have tried to fight against nature, but nature always wins. Through research, experimentation, and trips to Paradise and similarly affected cities, this studio has attempted to understand how to work with, instead of against nature, in order to build socially, physically, and economically resilient cities that can withstand natural disasters. In order to do this, it’s inherent that future projects be strategic in how they are built, where they are built, and what they are built with. Moving forward, the hope is that this project can serve as a map for the future design of towns.

there will likely be vacant properties interspersed amongst the others. A plan should be developed, through consultation with property owners to maintain these properties over the course of their evolution. Some strategies to be considered to manage this potential issue: - Focus on the Core: Where possible, redevelopment efforts should be focused on the proposed downtown core and built concentrically outward. While individual property owners may want to rebuild on their existing property or may even desire to locate further from downtown, a general fund should be established to fiscally incentivize concentrated near the town core and gradually moved outward. Kickstart funds for this fund could include CALReUSE and Proposition 1 (amongst others). Concentrated growth will help create a complete appearance in downtown and then build out from there. By focusing on the center and working outward, Paradise can rebound more quickly and be served more affordably by utilities and services.

- Park Space and Community Gardens: As an interim use, once remediated, vacant lots should be considered as part of the larger open space network of the community. The Town may consider identifying strategic parcels as neighborhood serving pocket parks or community gardens. Thoughtful maintenance of these properties will turn potential “missing teeth” into assets.

- Land Bank: It may be necessary for Paradise to landbank vacant properties. By acquiring strategic properties, the Town may be better able to control development and take on appropriate maintenance. In this way, the community can better control the rate and type of development in different parts of the town, expedite development of certain types in certain areas of the town, and partner with academic institutions or other non profits on development.

Paradise will receive research about similarly affected cities, custom weather data, downloads of town plans, street sections, building plans, building sections, elevations, physical models, revit models, and comprehensive projects that can serve the town as a whole. The hope is that the town can utilize this work to begin to rebuild in a constructive way.

Because this is a systemic issue, the work can be utilized in many other contexts. If it’s not Paradise, it’s New Orleans.

There will be other fires and there will be other disasters. The projects and work and be transferred into other settings and will give those who have been affected a sense of hope in dark times.

Implementation Begins Vacant Property Given the varied sources of funding for the rebuilding, there is a likelihood that there were will be undeveloped parcels in previously complete neighborhoods. Care should be taken to ensure that density goals are achieved and not undermined as a part of the development process. As rebuilding occurs,

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Focusing on Long Term Economic Viability Social, economic, and physical resiliency is key to the reimagination of Paradise. Following a way to spur social resiliency, it is also important create economic resiliency. As part of the proposed future plan for Paradise, a medical campus is included. The hope is that it will provide countless job opportunities, basic access to healthcare, and education opportunities. The medical campus would create a flourishing and strong economy in Paradise, California. Lebanon, Oregon developed a similar community, based around health care.

Following Lebanon’s example, Paradise can incorporate economic resiliency to strengthen the town as a whole.

and commercial mixed use project, to create a diverse urban center. It will have a strictly pedestrian path to encourage walking as the primary mode of travel instead of vehicles, and will be easy to navigate. Through strategic investment, the centralized downtown will support a flourishing community.

Incentivizing Rebuilding Right A challenge of this project has been the inherent need and want from Paradise residents who, “just want to go home.” In a project of this nature it is of the utmost importance to attempt to understand the pain they’re going through. Architects are meant to serve the community, and to do this, empathy is key. So while the temptation to return and rebuild quickly in Paradise is understandable, this project wishes to display how re-building right will lead to long term success for the town.

Strategic Investments Prior to the fire, the town of Paradise lacked a developed wastewater treatment system and complete road network.

In order to properly rebuild Paradise with a viable, walkable downtown, the implementation of well built infrastructure must come first.

Since 1999, there have been 13 large wildfires within the footprint of the Camp Fire’s footprint. A long history of wildfires necessitates the need for design that acknowledges that natural environment, not one that ignores it only to suffer the consequences later. Specifically, there is a need for better infrastructure to be put in place, before any rebuilding can happen. Also choosing to build out of sustainable materials, that don’t fight with the fire (like cross-laminated timber), will create physically resilient buildings.

In order to rebuild a town after such a devastating event, a sense of community needs to be re-established. The tight knit community in Paradise has is inspiring and essential to it’s identity and success as a town. Members of Paradise engage in festivals together and celebrate the history of the town, regardless of background or differing personal perspectives.

Working with Rohn Grotenhuis and Gretchen Holy from BNIM, they suggested that the first building type to invest in would be of the civic nature, like a school. A school allows a place for community meetings, it will incentivize people to return to Paradise, and can be easily converted to serve whatever programmatic need must be met. This necessary investment will spur social resiliency first and foremost.

In addition, prior to the fire, Paradise did not have a centralized downtown or walkability. The fire provides a unique opportunity to improve the lives of those who live there, and encourage a new generation to be involved in that community.

After these two crucial investments, similar projects should then begin to be built around a centralized downtown. The downtown will include mixed-use housing, retail, public serving,

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Rebuild in Jopin, MO, after deadly tornado in 2011

Building of Musicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Village in New Orleans, LA after Hurricane Katrina

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Next Steps While this studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary focus was on the architectural and urban planning needs of Paradise, other steps must be taken before new buildings or a centralized downtown can be developed.

and designing, a staffed (likely by students) local office that provides free / low cost design services can be set up. It should follow the successful examples of URBANBuild at Tulane University, and Rural Studio, from Auburn University. The design office could also offer free on site building workshops for DIY builders.

As mentioned above, investment in infrastructure is critical to the future success of Paradise. A new wastewater system, road network, and energy production will create a stable foundation for the town to rebuild upon. Providing water catchment systems for future builds, provides an alternative water source to back up the main water supply, and creates more sustainable and self sufficient projects. Backing this framework will ensure that Paradise can grow as self sustaining town, that is resilient in the face of disaster and tragedy.

More research into and the execution of a fire resilient building palette, that provides material suggestions for future builds in Paradise, is likewise a potential next step. Easy access to this resource will encourage conscious and resilient re-building.

With time and well thought out planning, new construction and urban planning that is focused on creating social, physical, and economic resiliency, will help to re-imagine a thriving Town of Paradise. And as Paradise rebuilds, it should serve as a model and learning opportunity for others, on successful disaster recovery and what steps can be taken now to create more resilient towns .

Following this, and as Paradise looks to rebuild, a series of surveys must first take place. This surveying, can be done by students from Cal Poly, Chico State, Sacramento State, etc. Not only will students learn from hands on experience, but the survey will be of no cost to Paradise residents. Paired with surveying, brownfield sites should be identified, in order to receive state investment from the Cal Reuse funds. These funds will help to push forward the re-building of the town and construction of civic projects.

Investment in key building typologies, like the high school and medical campus, and a centralized downtown, will serve as catalysts for change, and will spur regrowth in the town of Paradise. For the medical campus specifically, bringing together key organizations like Butte Community College, WesternU Health Science, and Adventist Health Care, will help start the conversation about establishing such a campus.

Alongside this, the development of sustainable and affordable housing, will allow former residents to return home, and attract new members to move to Paradise. To help with rebuilding

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Bibliography and Footnotes Chapter 1: Introduction geo/paradise-ca/.

Introduction: McDonald, L. H. (2000). This Paradise

UDA. “Paradise, California.” Paradise, California,

we call home. Paradise, CA: Gold Nugget Museum.

2019, makeitparadise.org/.

California, S. O. (n.d.). California Statewide Fire Map. U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Retrieved from http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/

**Census data is tagged to residential address, not incidents_details_info?incident_id=2277

a work address, some residents may live in Paradise http://www.ontheridge.com/paradise.html

and work somewhere else

http://www.usacitiesonline.com/cacountyparadise. htm#history Ecosystem Understanding https://www.townofparadise.com/index.php/visitors/

Climate Consultant about-paradise

“Paradiso Series.” USDA, October 2006. Web. 16

Rural Studio and the Architecture of Decency, Dean

May 2019. https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.

and Hursley, Introduction (1-13) gov/OSD_Docs/P/PARADISO.html.

“About Paradise.” Town Of Paradise. Web. 16 May Chapter 2: Community Overview

2019. https://www.townofparadise.com/index.php/

History visitors/about-paradise. http://www.ontheridge.com/paradise.html

“Climate Paradise - California.” U.S. Climate Data.

http://www.usacitiesonline.com/cacountyparadise.

Web. 16 May 2019. https://www.usclimatedata.com/ htm#history climate/paradise/california/united-states/usca0836 https://www.townofparadise.com/index.php/visitors/

“Butte Valley Wildlife Area.” California Department of about-paradise

Fish and Wildlife, 31 October 2018. Web. May 16.

2019. https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to- Culture and Community Assets Visit/Butte-Valley-WA. https://www.paradiseprpd.com/index.html

California Native Plant Society. Web. 16 May 2019. https://www.townofparadise.com/index.php/9- loc-39.7596,-121.6219(Paradise, California). uncategorised/93-gold-nugget-days

“Mountainside Settlements.” Architecture 2030 http://www.paradisechamber.com/johnny-appleseed-

Palette. Web. 17 May 2019. http://2030palette.org/ days mountainside-settlements/

http://www.seecalifornia.com/festivals/paradise- “Choosing the Right Plants for Northern Nevada’s johnny-appleseed-days.html

High Fire Hazard Areas.” Living With Fire. http://chocolatefest.us/

Web. 17 May 2019. https://www.unce.unr.edu/ publications/files/nr/2017/sp1701.pdf Economics

“Building.” Architecture 2030 Palette. Web. 17 May

U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics

2019. http://2030palette.org/building/

**Census data is tagged to residential address, not

a work address, some residents may live in Paradise

and work somewhere else

“Paradise, CA.” Data USA, 2019, datausa.io/profile/ geo/paradise-ca/.

Prior and Anticipatory Demographics

“Paradise, CA.” Data USA, 2019, datausa.io/profile/ (re) Imagining Paradise

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Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery kids-and-adults.

The Camp Fire

Defining and Implementing Recovery

Alexander, Alexander, Kurtis. “Six Months after the

Becker, Christine. “Disaster Recovery: A Local

Camp Fire, a Devastated Community Looks to

Government ResponsibilityChristine.” ICMA,

Rebuild.” The San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco

ICMA, Mar. 2009, icma.org/sites/default/files/4718_.

Chronicle, 3 May 2019, projects.sfchronicle. pdf. com/2019/rebuilding-paradise/.

“Community Recovery Plan.” Make It Paradise,

California, State of. “California Statewide Fire Map.”

UDA, 18 Apr. 2019, issuu.com/makeitparadise/

Camp Fire General Information, cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/ docs/2350pres190418_final_rev_. incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=2277. https://calfire-forestry.maps.arcgis.com/apps/

Jr., Cleve R. Wootson. “The Deadliest, Most webappviewer/index.html?id=5306

Destructive Wildfire in California's History Has Finally cc8cf38c4252830a38d467d33728&e

Been Contained.” The Washington Post, WP xtent=-13547810.5486%2C4824920.1673%2C Company, 26 Nov. 2018, www.washingtonpost.

13518764.4778%2C4841526.1117%2C102100 com/nation/2018/11/25/camp-fire-deadliest-wildfire

“Long-Term Community Recovery Planning Process: californias-history-has-been A Self Help Guide.” Fema.gov, FEMA, contained/?noredirect=on&utm_

Dec. 2005, www.fema.gov/media-library term=.5ad8627dc61d. data/20130726-1538-20490-8825/selfhelp.pdf.

Wiley, Michelle. “6 Months After Paradise Burned,

Vujanovic, Anka A, and Matthew W Gallagher.

Trauma Endures For Kids And Adults.” NPR, NPR, 11

“Psychological Impact of Natural Disasters in Adults.”

May 2019, www.npr.org/2019/05/11/721834022/6-

Psychological Impact of Natural Disasters in Adults

months-after-paradise-burned-trauma-endures-for-

- University of Houston, University of Houston College kids-and-adults.

of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, 12 Sept. 2017,

Kurtis. “Six Months after the Camp Fire, a Devastated www.uh.edu/class/news/archive/2017/august-

Community Looks to Rebuild.” The San Francisco september/natural-disasters-impact-adults/.

Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 May 2019,

Wildland Urban Interface projects.sfchronicle.com/2019/rebuilding-paradise/. http://www.fire.ca.gov/fire_prevention/fire_prevention_

California, State of. “California Statewide Fire Map.” wildland_codes

Camp Fire General Information, cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/ https://makeitparadise.org/brochure incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=2277.

Defensible Space: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/

Jr., Cleve R. Wootson. “The Deadliest, Most pds/fire_resistant.html

Destructive Wildfire in California's History Has Finally

Fire Resistive HomesL http://www.energy-design-

Been Contained.” The Washington Post, WP tools.aud.ucla.edu/FIRES.html

Company, 26 Nov. 2018, www.washingtonpost. com/nation/2018/11/25/camp-fire-deadliest-wildfireChapter 4: Vision and Goals californias-history-has-been Design Thinking: https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_ contained/?noredirect=on&utm_ brown_urges_designers_to_think_big?language=en term=.5ad8627dc61d.

Wiley, Michelle. “6 Months After Paradise Burned,

Trauma Endures For Kids And Adults.” NPR, NPR, 11

May 2019, www.npr.org/2019/05/11/721834022/6-

months-after-paradise-burned-trauma-endures-for- (re) Imagining Paradise

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Chapter 5: Paradise (re) Imagined

Happy City, Montgomery, The Mayor and the City as

Happiness Project (1-43)

Retrofitting Suburbia, Urban Design Solutions for

Redesigning Suburbs, Dunham-Jones, Williamson,

Chapter 4 (59-94)

Suburban Remix, Creating the Next Generation of

Urban Places, Beske and Dixon, Chapter 2 (33-81)

The Image of the City, Lynch, Chapter 4 (91-117)

The Rise of the Creative Class, Florida, (280-303)

The Walkable City, Speck, The Ten Steps of

Walkability (65-72) Chapter 6: The Built Environment Chapter 7: The Future

California Recycle and Underutilized Sites

(CALReUSE Program): https://www.treasurer.ca.gov cpcfa/calreuse.as

California Wildfires Statewide Recovery Recourses: http://wildfirerecovery.org/

California Action Plan for Disaster Recovery: http:// www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/disaster recovery-programs/cdbg-dr/docs/HCD-CDBG-DR AP-01Nov18-Full-English.pdf

Paradise Recovery Plan: https://makeitparadise.org/

Town of Paradise, Butte County Recovers: http:// wildfirerecovery.org/

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Appendices Noteworthy Precedent Research Design Iterations (including prior projects) ARCH 307 Lab/Project Submissions ARCH 342 Lab/Project Submissions

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