City Otter, Rooms by City Otter: we combat water pollution

CITY OTTER

WE COMBAT WATER POLLUTION

ANTHONY DARRIN | PATRICIA RASHIDI | ALLYSON CAMITTA | ANDREA CASANOVA

ABOUT THIS BOOK

In the course Integrative Research and Development methods at Parsons the New School for Design, we were given the task to develop a solution to combat complex social, cultural, and scientific issues based on global warming, consumption and the effects of life, living and our livelihood among the realms of Sky, Land, and Sea. As current residents of New York City, our team wanted to focus on an issue that we could relate to on a personal level. As we explored various issues the city is faced with, our interest in the city’s water grew.

From the Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family. Water is a vital resource that everyone needs to survive so for this reason, we chose to target solutions that combat water pollution.

Through lengthy research, collaborative brainstorming and prototyping, we have ultimately come together as a team to create the project shown in these following pages. We hope that you will learn more about water pollution and why it is such an important issue in today’s world.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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INTEGRATIVE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION..................6 MEET THE TEAM.....................8 OUR MISSION.....................10

PHASE 1: INTAKE.....................12

INITIAL BRAINSTORM.....................14 PROJECT DEFINITION...................16

PHASE 2: RESEARCH..................18

DEFINITIONS...................20 WHY THIS TOPIC?.....................26 PROBLEM STATEMENT.......................28 HISTORICAL TIMELINE........................30 EFFECTS......................32 CASE STUDIES.....................40

PHASE 3: DESIGN.................54

DESIGN FIRM RESEARCH..................58 DESIGN IDEA PROTOTYPES.................84 OUR DESIGN PROCESS................86 OUR LOGO..................88 PERSONAS................90 A DAY IN THE LIFE.................94 SOLUTION IDEAS..................98

PHASE 4: OUTPUT.................104

PROJECT GOAL..................106 PROPOSED SOLUTION OVERVIEW...................108 CITY OTTER ROOMS....................110 CITY OTTER WEBSITE.....................116

PHASE 5: REFINE...................128 THE FUTURE.......................130

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“Sooner or later, we will have to recognise that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans.”

-Evo Morales

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CITY OTTER City Otter prides themselves in using design solutions and strategies to make a difference for our future here on our planet. We are four partners working closely together to find creative and interactive ways for companies to showcase and market sustainable solutions that we hope will mitigate water pollution.

City Otter’s main priority is water sustainability. Our clients objectives and projects deal with problems surrounding water or affected by water. Since we are so specialized, we have had the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of the topic, therefore, we are the best firm to contract.

City Otter combines creativity, design and experience to create a perfect 360 marketing strategy for companies that wants to bring awareness to their projects and causes. City Otter works on a domestic scale and has helped clients cross country.

Our main objective is to bring awareness to issues that are often forgotten about or swept under the rug.

Water is a huge factor in the well-being of our planet and if we keep mistreating the water, our planet will not last for much longer. City Otter combats water pollution through a creative lens and with great design talent on our team, we create amazing experiences for a good cause.

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MEET THE TEAM

Patricia Rashidi was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. She moved to New York City in 2014 to pursue a degree in Strategic Design and Management at Parsons The New School for Design. She is pursuing a career in Business Consulting through a creative perspective. She is a design strategist bringing strategic solutions through a creative perspective. Where art meets business is one of her greatest visions.

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Allyson Camitta is currently a junior studying Business Design and Management at Parsons The New School for Design. She is a California native with a philanthropic spirit and a nature enthusiast. She believes that good design should be informed by environmental circumstances and community needs.

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Andrea Casanova is currently a junior at Parsons The New School for Design with a major in Strategic Design Management and a minor in Fashion Studies. Having studied Visual Communications at the School Of The Art Institute of Chicago for one semester, Andrea is both a creative-minded and a business-oriented student.

Anthony Darrin joined City Otter after realizing there was a need for more design initiatives to address water sustainability. After attending Parsons The New School for Design, he immersed himself in traveling the world which allowed himself to gain much more of a multidimensional perspective. He has since then, vowed to dedicate his career to designing initiatives that address sustainability. City Otter was the clear winner after taking an empathetic research approach in firms that address the issues that align with his new found integrity field vocations.

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HOW WE WORK. SMALL TEAMS +INTERDISCIPLINARY TERMS WITH BIG IDEAS +DESIGN AND PROTOTYPING FROM DAY ONE CLIENT AS A PARTNER OUR CLIENTS +Clients join the team to help us truly understand the project and the background of each project +Putting the user’s first helps our clients organizations and creates a joint working experience between us + client + users.

WHAT WE DO. We communicate and create an experience for people to understand and get involved in causes that affect them, us and our world as a whole.

We market and create a 360 experience through design, media, and experiences.

OUR CAPABILITIES. SOCIAL MEDIA + DESIGN + MARKETING + STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS + SUSTAINABILITY + INNOVATION + RESEARCH + USER EXPERIENCE + CREATIVITY + TECHNOLOGY + PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

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OUR MISSION to create actionable creative briefs that will address water sustainability within global cities providing opportunity for fair water access to demographics in crisis

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“My actual intake of different substances was far below what people thought it was, no matter how weird or outrageous they think I am.”

-Peter Fonda

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PHASE 1: INTAKE

Before working on any project, we would like to get to know you. We want to understand your goals and assess any existing competition. Other information we will go over includes company history, cost estimates, and business strategies. From this information, we can gather if there are any opportunities we can improve upon. This is the most important stage of the process and we would like to spend as much time and energy into this step as possible.

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INITIAL BRAINSTORM

As a team during our initial brainstorm, we came up with different ideas and routes to take our project. It seemed that we were all headed towards the direction of water pollution. So we took our brainstorm to a second phase, where we needed to find a more in depth focus surrounded the topic of water pollution.

That’s how combined sewage systems came to be our topic.

Combined sewage systems affects us personally, since we live in NYC which is surrounded by water and sewage systems. If they get polluted it affects us directly through our drinking water.

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DEFINING THE PROJECT x OUR INTREPRATION

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Global Warming, Consumption + The Quality of Life In what ways does our existence as humans affect the processes of life (animals, mammals, floral), for better or worse?

As designers and agents of social and cultural change, we face one of the greatest challenges.

What are we doing that is contributing to making things worse? What can we do to contribute to these changes for good?

We will identify and research these complex contemporary social, cultural and scientific issues based on global warming, consumption and the effects on life, living and our livelihood among the realms of Sky, Land and Sea.

Our Interpretation Passions

Design + People + Changes + Planet + Community

Values

Caring about our future on the planet + how others are affected by our choices

Surroundings

Students + NYC + sustainability + creativity

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“Why do we do basic research? To learn about ourselves.”

-Walter Gilbert

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PHASE 2: RESEARCH The information and data we gather during this step is crucial to our strategic planning. We approach our research method to thoroughly gather information to support our projects with both qualitative and quantitative research. Some methods include online surveys, focus groups, telephone interviews, workshops, and observations. All of our gathered research will be arranged into a creative brief for you to approve.

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Water pollution is the contamination of bodies of water (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater).

Water pollution occurs when pollutants (particles, chemicals or substances that make water contaminated) are discharged directly or indirectly into bodies of water without enough treatment to get rid of these harmful compounds. Pollutants get into water mainly due to human causalities. Water pollution can be Point-source, Nonpoint-source, or Transboundary in nature.

Water pollution is the second most imperative environmental concern along with air pollution Any change or modification in the physical, chemical and biological properties of water that will have a detrimental consequence on living things, is water pollution.

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COMBINED SEWAGE

sewage drain

Sewage a

storm drain

nd stormw

ater

er Treatment Sewer to Wat

COMBINED SEWAGE OVERFLOW

sewage drain

Sewage a

storm drain

nd stormw

ater

er Treatment Sewer to Wat

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*sewage overflow

TYPES OF SEWAGE SYSTEMS SEPARATE SEWAGE

sewage drain

storm drain

Separate Sewer to wate

storm sew e

r

r treatme

nt

SEPARATE SEWAGE OVERFLOW

sewage drain

storm drain

Separate Sewer to wate

storm sew e

r treatme

r

nt

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COMBINED SEWAGE OVERFLOW Combined sewer systems are sewers that are designed to collect rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. Most of the time, combined sewer systems transport all of their wastewater to a sewage treatment plant, where it is treated and then discharged to a water body. During periods of heavy rainfall or snowmelt, however, the wastewater volume in a combined sewer system can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or treatment plant. For this reason, combined sewer systems are designed to overflow occasionally and discharge excess wastewater directly to nearby streams, rivers, or other water bodies. These overflows, called combined sewer overflows (CSOs), contain not only stormwater but also untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and debris. They are a major water pollution concern for the approximately 772 cities in the U.S. that have combined sewer systems.

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WHY THIS TOPIC? UN Declaration Of Human Rights states Article 25.

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

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The issue City Outer is tackling is water pollution but focused only on combined sewage overflow in big cities and urban areas. The issue is a combination of pollution let out in our sewage systems, the management of the sewage systems in urban cities and the knowledge and awareness around it.

The needs that City Outer is trying to fill is awareness and education about the problem regarding combined sewage overflow and the pollution affecting the sewage overflow. Also create a created space to further understand the issue.

The way we address the solution is to create a creative platform to further educate and spread awareness about how we as individuals and as a community contribute to the problem of polluting our sewage systems. Creating physical space to show case a problem in our society is more effective and memorable than just reading about it.

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THE HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF C IN THE UNITED STATES 1855

Combined sewer systems were introduced in 1855. In the early twentieth century, sewage treatment plants were added to clean the wastewater before it hit streams.

First comprehensive sewage system designed in Chicago

1858

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COMBINED SEWAGE SYSTEMS

1860 Philadelphia’s use of their river for waste disposal leads to Typhoid outbreak

1994

the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a National CSO Control Policy. This called to dramatically reduce or eliminate CSOs. The requirements include implementing Nine Minimum Controls (NMC) and a Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP). The NMCs are technology-based controls that can be used to abate CSOs. The LTCP consists of more extensive monitoring of the combined sewer system and the receiving water, as well as selection and implementation of CSO control alternatives, with the intent of minimizing the impacts of CSOs on water quality.

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WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION FROM COMBINED SEWAGE SYSTEMS?

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There are many effects that CSO’s are responsible for. This raw sewage is composed of acid rain, pharmaceutical drugs, mercury, pathogens, and humans and animal feces. This not only has an effect on human quality of living, for example humans are advised to not swim in the East River, but it also has a huge effect on aquatic life. Over 80% of bodies of water that have been tested have proven positive for traces of prescription drugs. This can cause drug resistant bacteria to form in humans because of fish consumed from these waters. Fish are often seeing adverse effects; for example minority males are giving birth while females are no longer able to. Right now mitigations to this sewage system are being developed and implemented. For example, Washington DC has invested over 11 million dollars in a new sewage system that separates the sewage piping. However, in NY the efforts have been minimal in contrast.

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Increased organic matter from sewage systems reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need in the water to live. Sewage heightens levels of nutrients, which increases the productivity of plankton which therefore, increases the chance for algal blooms. Sewage introduces pesticides and other chemicals into the water, which have long term toxic effects. Sewage affects fish by impairing growth and reproduction. Release of sewage can degrade vegetation and soil by depositing harmful chemicals in bottom sediment.

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There are over 860 communi sewage flow systems in the U

40 million people

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ities affected by combined

United States serving

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CURRENT CASE STUDIES A series of solutions that have been implemented domestically and internationally to mitigate water pollution.

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PHILADELPHIA

SWEDEN

NEW YORK CITY

CINCINATTI

CHINA

LONDON

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PHILADELPHIA Since they are unable to rebuild infrastructure under the streets Philadelphia has decided to make a Green infrastructure plan. This plan involves the installation of thousands of rain gardens and tree trenches throughout the city to collect runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs, walkways, and parking lots, allowing water to infiltrate the ground and provide plants and tree roots with better access to air and water. The plan also includes the installation of porous pavement in places like basketball courts and hundreds of green roofs, all of which will absorb the stormwater before it can run down storm drains and flood the sewer system. The project, financed by ratepayers through their wastewater and storm water bills, is expected to cost $2.5 billion and will be implemented over the next 25 years. The city is on track to exceed its target of 744 greened acres in 2016, a figure that is expected to reduce sewer overflows into local waterways by more than 600 million gallons a year.

It is a fully green infrastructure plan to mitigate water pollution

Upfront cost of this plan are not appealing.

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SWEDEN NYC has been reaching out to Sweden and the company Vattenfall for low cost solutions.

Sweden has mitigated 18 billion gallons a year of untreated sewage overflow from entering city waterways since 1982 Key elements in the solution are that it is low cost, covers big areas like Jamaica, Queens, and includes mapping of areas

The collaboration between Vattenfall and the government of Sweden is sustainable

Sweden’s suggestions might help a smaller area, nationwide the area and project would be too big for a budget included in the project.

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NEW YORK CITY New York City currently has a clause that focuses on changes of sewage systems surrounding the greater NY area which includes the total reconstruction of the sewer system infrastructure.. Problematic areas include Jamaica, Queens, Downtown Brooklyn, Long Island City and the outskirts of Manhattan due to its proximity to the bay.

It’s a total reconstruction plan, includes large land of areas and it’s a multiple platform solution

Takes a long time to obtain approvals and permits. Reconstruction in this scale might disrupt other aspects of urban planning

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CICINNATI Project Groundwork is one of the largest public works projects in the history of Cincinnati, this multi-year initiative is comprised of hundreds of sewer improvement and storm water control projects.

Sustainable solutions designed to: Reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into local rivers and streams which eliminates sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) in a typical year, eliminates sewage backups into basements caused by MSD’s sewer system, and reduces sewage debris and sewage odors in local waterways and make streams more pleasant after heavy rains.

It is a sewer improvement and not a tottal reconstruction from bottom up

They may have to do several test before it proves efficient

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CHINA Low Impact Development (LID) is a comprehensive land planning and engineering design approach to manage stormwater runoff by using engineered, on-site, small-scale hydrologic controls. Currently, there are 11 stormwater storage tanks in Shanghai.

The sewage is temporarily stored until there is dry weather, which is when the wastewater is transported to the sewage treatment plant Funded through a Chinese government special innovation initiative.

The trial scheme will help improve urban inland river water quality.

As part of China’s National Water Pollution Control and Treatment Science and Technology Project Hydro International has provided separation systems in Chaohu city in the eastern province of Anhui.The installation is designed to take out 95% of of the grit and sediment in the water. The retained water is then diverted back through the sewer network to a nearby wastewater treatment center for processing.

Tier 1 cities will usually be invested into very quickly due to economic demand

China’s iniaitives often take very long to reach other tier cities than just first tier

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LONDON Thames Tideway Tunnel - currently under construction to be opened in 2023; will provide, capture, store, and convey almost all of the combined raw sewage and rainwater discharges that currently overflow into the River Thames Thames River runs through central London and has a huge impact on the surrounding area.

The case about the Thames Tideway Tunnel is the final part of the overall solution needed to significantly reduce sewage discharges into the River Thames, however, the goal is to improve and solve overloaded sewage works and overloaded sewers. Without this project and the London tideway improvements, the annual CSO dischargers would reach 70 million cubic meters in 2020.

It will mitigate almost all of the raw sewage that runs through the river with the reconstruction plan

Again, upfront cost is another huge factor of this iniaitive

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“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.”

-Steve Jobs

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PHASE 3: DESIGN From the information that we have gathered at this point, we explore design solutions that will fulfil your goals. Design solutions vary depending on the nature of your business and can range from products, videos, books, websites, interactive experiences, and more. Our team works together every step of the way, with consistent reviews of our work so that we can measure the effectiveness of the prospective solutions. We produce design solutions to meet and moreover exceed your standards. For that to happen, we will review our final product with you and make sure they have your approval before going live.

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“BUT FIRST WE SHOULD RESEARCH OTHER FIRMS BEFORE WE START TO DESIGN!”

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DESIGN FIRM RESEARCH

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WORK WITH THEY

W DESIGN AGENCY

CODE AND THEORY

HUGE NYC

DROGA 5

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RECENT WORK

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RECENT WORK

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DESIGN IDEA PROTOTYPES

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OUR DESIGN PROCESS

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1. INTAKE - Before working on any project, we would like to get to know

you. We want to understand your goals and assess any existing competition. Other information we will go over includes company history, cost estimates, and business strategies. From this information, we can gather if there are any opportunities we can improve upon. This is the most important stage of the process and we would like to spend as much time and energy into this step as possible.

2. RESEARCH - The information and data we gather during this step is crucial to our strategic planning. We approach our research method to thoroughly gather information to support our projects with both qualitative and quantitative research. Some methods include online surveys, focus groups, telephone interviews, workshops, and observations. All of our gathered research will be arranged into a creative brief for you to approve.

3. DESIGN - From the information that we have gathered at this point,

we explore design solutions that will fulfil your goals. Design solutions vary depending on the nature of your business and can range from products, videos, books, websites, interactive experiences, and more. Our team works together every step of the way, with consistent reviews of our work so that we can measure the effectiveness of the prospective solutions. We produce design solutions to meet and moreover exceed your standards. For that to happen, we will review our final product with you and make sure they have your approval before going live.

4. OUTPUT - Our marketing and public relations team will work together

to release the design solution to the public in order to receive maximum exposure.

Our design solutions have had significant success and exposure throughout the years, which can be seen in our portfolio.

5. REFINE - Based from the responses from the public, if needed, we will

fine tune any areas that can be improved upon in order for optimal success for the project and for your company. We will conduct a one-on-one interview with you and address your feedback to the highest standards.

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OUR LOGO

Our decision to use an Otter in our logo comes from its representation of the natural world. Although we live in a man made environment, the Otter is a friendly reminder that human intervention in the enviroment can be one that is positive, balanced, and sustainable.

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PERSONAS

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LILY

HANNA

JAKE CITY OTTER, WE COMBAT WATER POLLUTION

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

“I remember that some summers ago (June 12th 2014), I really wanted to go to the beach with my friend Nathi and my other friend Ana. We were really excited! Ana gave me one of her bathing suits for free, so I felt really happy that day. We were all going to the beach with Nathi’s mom, and when we got there (Staten Island Beach), the police told us that we couldn’t swim on the beach because there was gooey pooey floating on the water.

That’s gross! How did that get to the pretty beach? I was so disappointed. We need to take better care of mother earth.”

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LILY 11 years old Fifth grade student 7:30 AM – Wakes up 7:50 AM – Gets dressed 8:05 -8:25 AM – Has breakfast: Usually pancakes or French toast 8:30 AM – Packs her school materials 8:45 AM –Leaves house and walks with mom to school 9:00 AM – Arrives to school 11:00 AM – Reading time at school 12:30 -1:45 PM – Lunch break 3:00 PM – School comes to an end 3: 30 – 4:45 – Basketball practice 5:00 PM – Walks back home with mom 5:15 PM – Stops at local ice cream shop for a scoop of soft serve 5:30 – 6:30 – Walks and stops at park to talk about school with mom 6:45 PM – Arrives home 7:15 PM – Takes a shower and gets into pajamas 7:45 PM – Starts doing homework 8:30 PM – Has dinner with mom 9:45 PM – Story time 10:00 PM – Goes to bed

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“I wake up every morning around 6:30AM to go on a run along the Hudson River.

Watching the sunrise while feeling the wind blowing is definitely my favorite part of the day – it wakes me up and prepares me for the long day ahead of me. I live on West 17th street, so I usually run from here all the way to the One World Trade Center. On my way back, however, I enjoy walking and admiring the river. Although the river is beautiful, it’s definitely disappointing to see so much trash and other “nasty stuff ” just floating on top of the water. It’s really sad to see that the Hudson River is just so… polluted - to say the least! God, I wish I could just swim in the Hudson.”

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JAKE 29 years old Works in Financial Investments 6:30 AM – Wakes up 6:45 AM – Gets dressed to go on a run and has a protein shake 7:00AM – Runs along the Hudson River 8:15 AM – Stops at Chelsea Market to buy daily newspaper and a coffee 8: 30 AM – Back home. Showers and gets dressed for work 9:15 AM – Takes the subway to go to work 9:35 AM – Arrives at work 11:00 AM – Quick snack break: Goes to nearest deli to buy a bag of almonds 12:15 PM – Meets with client at a restaurant for lunch 1:45 PM – Back at the office 6:00 PM – Leaves office. Stops at local health market for protein shake 6:30 PM – Arrives home 7:00 PM – Starts cooking dinner – Usually chicken or turkey with market vegetables 8:00 PM – Checks/ sends emails 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM - Watches favorite TV shows 10:45 PM – Goes to bed

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“Oh lord, I remember those good old summer days when my friends and I would swim in the Hudson River. Although it wasn’t allowed, we all still did it anyways. It was actually a senior tradition in my High School to swim in the Hudson at 12am the night before graduation - it was meant for good luck. I just wish my grandkids could experience that and have the same traditions, you know? The Hudson is very very dirty these days… and not only with trash. The city of New York should really step up their game and do something about the overflow of sewage water. It’s quite disappointing indeed.”

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HANNA 89 years old Grandmother of eight 10:30 AM – Wakes up 10:45 AM – Gets dressed 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM – Reads while having breakfast 2:00 PM -3:00 PM – Takes a shower and gets dressed for the day 3:30PM – 5:30 PM – Watches TV 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM Goes on a walk along the river 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Cooks dinner for herself 8:00 PM – 8:30 PM Has dinner while listening to music 8:45 PM – 11:00 PM Calls grandkids via phone 11:15 PM – 1:00 AM Reads

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SOLUTION IDEAS

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WHAT’S IN WATER POLLUTION: CHOOSE ONE EFFECT (EXAMPLE: PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS) TELL YOUR AUDIENCE STATISTICS CREATE AN INTERACTIVE AND INSTAGRAMABLE ART INSTALLATION TO CREATE MORE AWARENESS AND TRAFFIC FIND A SPONSOR THAT CORRELATES WITH YOUR GOALS AND EFFECT TO CREATE INNOVATION #CITYOTTERROOMS

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OUR INSPIRATION

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OUR INSPIRATION: EXAMPLE OF THE “29 ROOMS” EXHIBITION

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“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”

-Walt Disney

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PHASE 5: OUTPUT Our marketing and public relations team will work together to release the design solution to the public in order to receive maximum exposure. Our design solutions have had significant success and exposure throughout the years, which can be seen in our portfolio.

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PROJECT GOAL

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To create a community initiative sparked by an abundant wealth of new founded knowledge within domestic and international demographics that will address sustainability specifically regarding water pollution that is caused by combined sewage overflow.

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PROPOSED SOLUTION OVERVIEW

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GOALS

TO EDUCATE, TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, TO INCREASE ECONOMIC GROWTH IDEATION

DOCUMENTARY, WEBPAGE, INTERACTIVE EXHIBITION, TV SHOW, POP-UP STORE, BILLBOARD ADS, APP, STREET ART, CONCERT, SOCIAL MEDIA DRIVEN, SPONSORED EVENT

DEFINITION

WE PLAN TO CREATE AN INTERACTIVE EXHIBITION THAT IS SPONSORED BY BIG COMPANIES, A WEBPAGE THAT IS FILLED WITH INFORMATION REGARDING WATER POLLUTION IN NEW YORK CITY, AND AN APPLICATION THAT WILL BE INTERACTIVE AT THE EVENT THAT WILL CAUSE AN INFLUX OF TRAFFIC TO ENSURE OUR REACH IS SPECTACULAR.

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CITY OTTER ROOMS

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MERCURY There are many effects that CSO’s are responsible for. Raw sewage is composed of acid rain, pharmaceutical drugs, mercury, pathogens, and humans and animal feces. Mercury has a very negative effect on the aquatic life, which can then lead to human intoxication, considering that humans consume aquatic animals as a source of food.

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PATHOGENS In the Pathogen Room, square LED panels line the entire room. These panels are touch sensitive which causes the image of water to change to an image of pathogens when someone either stands on or touches the panels. Pathogen contamination is a serious issue in water quality and can cause diseases as well as diarrhea and gastrointestinal illness.

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PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Prescription drugs tend to be flushed down the toilet, causing harmful effects for the aquatic life. This room is an interactive room, where viewers come in and throw their prescription drugs to the pile of drugs, instead of flushing them down the toilet. There’s a red carpet that leads the viewers into a pile of drugs, symbolizing the “welcomness” of this exhibit. There are also toilets on both sides of the pile, with the lid closed, symbolizing the act of not dispensing prescription drugs down the toilet.

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ACID RAIN Acid rain is rainfall made sufficiently acidic by atmospheric pollution that causes environmental harm, especially to the oceans, forests and lakes. This room is a representation of the harm that acid rain has on our planet.

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CITY OTTER WEBSITE

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We communicate and create an experience for people to understand and get involved in causes that affect them, us and our world as a whole.

We market and create a 360 experience through design, media and experiences.

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“If you do it right, it will last forever.”

-Massimo Vignelli

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PHASE 6: REFINE Based from the responses from the public, if needed, we will fine tune any areas that can be improved upon in order for optimal success for the project and for your company. We will conduct a one-on-one interview with you and address your feedback to the highest standards

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WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

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Based on the success of City Otter Rooms, we have decided to expand our production to cities across the country for our City Otter Rooms Tour.

The tour will visit Seattle, Oakland, New York, Columbus, and Miami.

These cities were chosen because these are all communities that are currently dealing with water issues relating to combined sewage overflow.

These cities can benefit from our initiative in order to gain knowledge and insight into what is happening in their city.

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