[re] Imagining Paradise - Hearth + Rescue by Therice A. Ramos

[RE] Winter - Spring 2019

Imagining Paradise

Therice A . Ramos

California Polytechnic State University

Studio White

College of Architecture and Environmental Design

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our work would not have come to a reality if it weren’t for the help of others. We would like to acknowledge the following individuals and organizations that have supported this project::

STUDIO SPONSORS WRNS Studios Cal Poly Student Affairs BNIM Architects mode associates

STUDIO PROFESSOR Stacey White

CHICO STATE UNIVERSITY Kijeong Jeon Rouben Mohiuddin Debra Larsen Seema Sehrawat Rachel Simmons Melody Stapleton

STUDIO COLLEAGUES Alessandro Zanghi Alyson Liang Amanda Radner Amir Hossier Ella Mcquillen Jarrett Boynton Katherine Young Kaye Dominique Lao Margaux Elliot Michelle Huang Nathan Chudnovsky Nicole Lo Reann De La Cruz Reii Nelle Del Campo Sirina Law Zoey Fox

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 Mark Cabrinha Mario Esola Amir Hajrasouliha Keith Humphrey Bob Linscheid Kent MacDonald Margot Macdonald Bill Siembieda Sandy Stannard Jesse Vestermark Russell White PARADISE RESIDENTS Abby Armer Charles Brooks Melissa Boutelle Lowell Forward Melissa Schuster Tama Czarnecki Olivia Taylor

PROJECT PARTNER Pacific Austin

OTHER Lief Mckay Melanie Mills Byron Mouton Brian Tanner Auburn Rural Studio John Willbanks Phyllis Wong Waggonner and Ball Candice Wong Celia Chaussabel

CONTENTS 01

INTRODUC TION

COMMUNIT Y OVERVIEW

RESILIENCY AND DISASTER RECOVERY

VISION AND GOALS

CONSTRUC TING A DOWNTOWN

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

THE FUTURE

I II

APPENDIX WORKS CITED

01 INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND 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!” 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 the town’s residents to return home, Paradise needs to be rebuilt in a timely manner. A group of third-year architecture students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo intended to bring inspiration to Paradise residents by designing sustainable, fire-resistant, community-oriented buildings. Based on research and feedback from multiple rounds of community meetings, a new town concept plan with individual building designs has been tailored to revitalize Paradise and to act as a catalyst for further investment. Through mentoring and peer-review of designs from professional firms, the projects can be developed more fully to bring Paradise residents hope that there will be a home to which they can return.

DESIGN PROCESS + PROJEC T PHASES From January through June, the workflow for the (re)imagining Paradise project 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 first building understanding, then giving all parties involved a chance to explore divergent ideas and thoughts before finally focusing on converging solutions to address specific community needs.

The 23-week process* was organized as follows with key presentations noted by date:

Weeks 1 – 4 Researching and Building Understanding (and Empathy)

January 17, 2019

Weeks 5 – 6 Urban / Concept Planning (Defining Issues)

Weeks 7 – 9 Catalytic Project Conceptual Design (Creating Solutions/Prototyping/Testing)

February 22, 2019

Weeks 10 – 12 Merged Catalytic Project Conceptual Design (Creating Solutions/Prototyping/Testing)

Weeks 13 – 15 Supplementary Research and Tours of Cities (Revising Empathy/Issues)

Weeks 16 – 17 Catalytic Project Schematic Design (Creating Solutions/Prototyping/Testing)

Weeks 18 – 25 Catalytic Project and Concept Plan Design Development) June 3, 2019

*This process commenced two weeks prior to the first of the two quarter series of courses, which accounts for the 25 weeks listed.

April 19, 2019

02 COMMUNIT Y OVERVIEW

The cover of a 1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brochure created by Pardiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chamber of Commerce advertising the town. Maidu in ceremonial headdress. Maidu cedar bark teepee. Firefighters work as the Camp Fire burns through Paradise. The Flumes ca. 1913.

HISTORY The rich history of Paradise dates back to 18 48 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. 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. 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. 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 these problems to create a town that is resilient physically, socially, and economically.

DATES OF SIGNIFICANCE IN THE HISTORY OF PARADISE: Pre-1800: The land is inhabited by the Maidu Tribes. 1849: Gold is first discovered in the American River and attracts the first settlers; they search along Feather River and finally settle in Butte County. 1860-1879: The first town infrastructure is built including a school, post office, and a church. 1880: Logging and livestock become main the town’s economic sectors; the population reaches 301. 1904: The railway system is established; settlers from the Eastern United States travel to California and develop agriculture in Butte County. 1916: Farming flourishes due to the construction of Magalia Reservoir and the establishment of the Paradise Irrigation District. 1937: The first Paradise fair is held. 1955: “Paradise” is given its name, and its population reaches approximately 5,000. 1966: The population reaches 20,000. 1979: Paradise is incorporated as an official town covering approximately 18 square miles. 2000: The population reaches 26,400. 2008: The Humboldt Fire stretches over 22,800 acres between Chico and Paradise; 9,500 residents are evacuated from their homes and 66 homes are destroyed. 2018: The Camp Fire, the deadliest California wildfire to date, strikes Paradise and the Chico area; 10,000 structures burn down.

CULTURE AND COMMUNIT Y 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 Paradise a beloved home to its residents. The town’s 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, a children’s costume contest, a donkey derby, and a crafts fair among many other fun activities. Johnny Appleseed Days celebrate its history of agriculture. It is a twoday festival during 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 the 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, and community celebrations is one of the town’s strongest assets. The other most important asset the town has is its natural environment. Paradise is recognized for its dynamic surroundings, with vistas of pine and oak forests, rivers, and mountains. Being there 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 residents to ski and snowboard. In town, they have parks like Billie Park, which has beautiful landscaping, a gazebo, and a lake that makes it a great place to go for the day. It is also a great venue for events like weddings and birthdays. There is Terry Ashe Park, as well, where the Paradise Recreation Center is located. The Recreation Center 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. All of these assets, the festivals, nature and outdoor activities, and civic centers, create the culture and lifestyle of Paradise. These are the reasons people settled in Paradise and they are the reasons people choose to retire there. It is what makes its people feel proud and passionate about their town.

Miss Gold Nugget is voted by the public. A community member plays Johnny Appleseed The chocolte festival has been tradition for many years

ECONOMY Similar to many rural towns scattered across the United States, Paradise had a very localized economy. As a town with a largely aging population, 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 the cost of living in Paradise. 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 town in the State of California, it is no surprise that some former Chico residents would want to retire to the town. In fact, the top three industries of healthcare and social assistance (25.8%; 2,589 people), retail trade (13.2%; 1,319 people), and educational services (8.4%; 8 44 people) complement its aging population. 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. 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. Additionally, as a rural town, Paradise has a high number of residents working in the industry categories of agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting ( 251 people), healthcare and social assistance ( 2,589 people), and utilities (123 people), which, according to the census, is high comparatively for a town its size. The highest paying industries in Paradise by annual median earnings are utilities ($67,667), real estate, rentals and leasing ($52,130), and finance and insurance ($50,679). The lowest paying industries are arts, entertainment, and recreation ($9.453); accommodation and food services ($11.538); and administrative, support, and waste management services ($20,424). Occupationally, the most common jobs of Paradise residents are 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 the 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 employees ($79,955), firefighting supervisors ($7 1,625), and legal employees ($6 3,247). The lowest paying jobs are in 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 Camp Fire. Its unemployment rate of the time was 4.6%, whereas the national rate is 3.9%. University students were not returning to Paradise after graduation, which led to the increasingly aging workforce. Additionally, many residents did not work in Paradise and would instead commute every day to Chico in order to compete in the job market.

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

MOST COMMON OCCUPATION - PARADISE

MOST COMMON OCCUPATION - CALIFORNIA

HIGHEST PAID OCCUPATION - PARADISE

HIGHEST PAID OCCUPATION - CALIFORNIA

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, California, is composed of 23,300 White alone residents (88.3%), 1,6 40 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%). Given its demographics, the most common foreign languages spoken in Paradise are Spanish or Spanish Creole (703 speakers), German (167 speakers), and Chinese (88 speakers). Due to the disproportionately large young and old populations in Paradise, the median age of all people in Paradise was 49.2. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 49, were generally younger than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 58. Paradise was primarily 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 the town will change dramatically as people begin to repopulate the area. In fact, according to a survey from Urban Design Associates, only 51% of residents plan on returning to Paradise. Furthermore, only 36% say that they intend to have their children return 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 elsewhere. Many generational families likely will return to Paradise since their families have resided there for centuries. As for the influx of people wanting to re-populate Paradise, the overall economic, workforce, and educational development of the town will determine the demographics of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;newâ&#x20AC;? Paradise.

RACE / ETHNICIT Y - PARADISE

RACE / ETHNICIT Y - CALIFORNIA

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY - PARADISE

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY - CALIFORNIA

ECOSYSTEM UNDERSTANDING Paradise is a town in Butte County, California, located at 35.7596Âş N, 121.6219Âş 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 land in Paradise is rugged, resembling a plateau surrounded by canyons that becomes increasingly hilly. Its topography ranges from being extremely walkable to unbuildable with slopes ranging between 0% up to greater than 20%. Paradise has only a few main roads due to its 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. Pre-Camp Fire land use types in Paradise ranged from commercial zoning to residential, industrial, public service, and agricultural. Uses were separated horizontally, with the primary commercial zones being along Skyway and Clark. 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, such as the water features within Butte County surrounding

Paradiseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Feather River and Butte Creek, that 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 contribute to the beauty and preservation of the natural assets surrounding the town. 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.

CLIMATE Paradise has a heating dominated Mediterranean climate that consists of hot summers and wet, cool winters. The predominant wind direction comes from the northeast along the ridge and under some conditions is 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 8 4º/60 º, July with 92º/66º, and August with an average high and low of 90º/6 4º. 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 has 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 has averages of 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 averages 76º/53º F. The town experiences snowfall in the winter as well. Paradise averages approximately three 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 annually. Due to the nature of this climate, good passive design strategies to utilize in Paradise are natural ventilation and cooling, direct solar heat gain, solar shading on the south, and minimizing north glazing. Other strategies to consider are utilizing thermal mass, implementing the use of solar pv panels on rooftops for energy production, planting native vegetation that is low water maintenance and fire resistant, and using green roofs for rainwater collection. Taking advantage of the strong northeast wind would require a design that incorporates opposite inlet and outlet air openings into the building designs. 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 forms along the east and west directions will minimize solar heat gain and allow for cooling. Utilizing a green roof in building design would provide for both roof insulation and lower air temperatures and also would 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. Designing for daylighting requires considerations in building form, shading, and glazing area. Buildings with a narrow floor plate and elongated east and west can maximize glazing to light interior spaces while minimizing solar heat gain on the north and south faces. Incorporating high ceilings and windows will also optimize interior lighting. To design for solar shading on the south face, exterior horizontal louvers and horizontal overhangs can be used. Shading should be size as ⅓ the size of the glazing on that face in order for it to work effectively. Good landscaping strategies to implement into this mountainside community are preserving native species, landscaping with fire resilient species, preserving natural drainage patterns on site, protecting and preserving healthy soils, and locating and managing vegetation to mitigate potential fire hazards and prevent unnecessary grading or stripping of vegetation. Planting trees on the east and west faces of buildings cools the ground around the buildings 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 a 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 a building will help to mitigate the risk of fire spreading due to vegetation.

Precipitation AVERAGE (in) 12 10.5 10

PRECIPITATION BY MONTH

9.6

9.1 8

6.9

6 4.1

3.1 1.9

2 0

0.7 JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

0.8

0.1

0.2

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

P SYCHROMETRIC CHART 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 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

-10°C -10 (14°F)

-5°C -5 (23°F)

0°C 0 (32°F)

5°C 5 (41°F)

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)

50°C 50 (122°F)

03 RESILIENCY AND DISASTER RECOVERY

THE CAMP FIRE All cities grapple with responding to threats. In California, natural threats include tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding or fires and in some cases a mix of all these. Towns in locations in High Fire Hazard Zones 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 enhancing these natural threats.

DEFINING AND IMPLEMENTING RECOVERY

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 that created the deadly conditions of the 2018 fire. Post 2008, PG&E 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 PG&E did not continue with their maintenance regimen.

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 may 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. Residents of Paradise experienced a myriad of traumas including sustaining serious injuries; enduring neardeath 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 and Matthew W. Gallagher 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).

The Camp Fire of Butte County, California, began 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 people 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 under-maintained electrical transmission lines ignited fires in two locations (Pulga and Concow/Rim Roads) 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 acted as perfect fuel for the fire. Interestingly enough, the underbrush was thriving due to maintenance practices caused by the 2008 fires, which also were found to be caused by PG&E .

Recovery in the wake of disaster is a 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 longterm 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 important steps to long-term recovery: 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 funding sources for the 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. SELECTING A LEADER AND OUTLINING A LONG TERM COMMUNITY RECOVERY PROGRAM FEMA states that leadership is a critical step in recovery, 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. SECURING OUTSIDE SUPPORT Because of the nature of disaster, recovery facilitated solely through one organization is impossible. 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 found partnerships with several public and private agencies across the spectrum of needs it 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, which focuses on addressing long-term recovery needs. Further work is yet to be done to engage support beyond this source,

including funds from PG&E , the State of California, the federal government, and other sources. UDA hosted several outreach meetings to engage the community, and their desires for the future of Paradise after the devastation of the Camp Fire have been heard. 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 the town to rebuild, sharing information to involve the community is critical and allows the community to take back ownership of their town. The Town of Paradise has since hired an agency, Blue Flamingo, to help with communication. REACHING A CONSENSUS Paradise is currently at this stage, where stakeholders are making decisions that will allow the long-term recovery program to move forward. While 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 their 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, “If you respond to a disaster with recovery in mind, recovery will happen” (Douglas as quoted by Becker, 7).

WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE In California, the number of housing units in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) has gone up from 3.3 million units in 1990 to 4.4 million in 2010 (Cal Fire). WUIs are communities surrounded by natural areas at risk of wildland fires. Roughly 50% of Butte County, California, and the entire town of Paradise are characterized by Cal Fire as being located in a very high fire hazard severity zone. However, the purpose of the WUI standard 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: 1) removing flammable materials from around the building, with fuel modification to 100 feet (or the

property line), and 2) constructing the building of fireresistive materials. For reconstruction, there is an opportunity to leverage existing on-site resources and improve fire resistivity in newly built structures. Materials listed such as solid wood and cross-laminated timber (CLT) 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 remain structurally stable in a fire up to 400 degrees by creating a charred layer.

Removing flammable materials from around the building, with fuel modification to 100 feet (or the property line) Zone 1(0’-30’) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 9. 8. 10. 11.

Tree Branches Shrubs Dead plants, grass, and weeds Prune/remove plants and shrubs near windows Overhanging vegetation from roof/chimney Under deck vegetation - 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 accsessory structures and fencing

Construct the building of fire resistive materials 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Roof coverings, Fire resistive wall and ceiling-floor assemblies, Noncombustible or fire resistant decking Fire doors, Tempered glass Noncombustible wall finish materials and cladding Fire dampers, enclosed under floor areas Shield gutters, fire and non-fire related hardware, electrical appliances and devices

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.

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. 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 industry enhances resiliency and also helps create income for a 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 residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; most basic needs and creates diverse livelihood and employment opportunities for the residents to enjoy. Building this type of economy will provide residents with head-of-household jobs that provide financial security for families and individuals alike. 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.

DIVERS E LIVELIH OO DS Various industries for job opportunity.

SUPP ORT MECHANISM S

SUPP ORTE D PIVOTING

Systems to catch people if they fall.

People can adapt to changes.

COMMUNITY SUP PO RT

CRE ATE TRUS T

Secure individuals leads to secure

Citizens can trust each other and their

CONSTRUCTION METHODS

LONG TER M LIVELIHOOD

GIVE PEOPL E PLATFORM S

COMMUNITY IDENTITY Tr

SUSTAINABILITY

LOCATION

ting communities form unique

INNOVATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Developing effiecient ways to communicate within the town will help citizens be aware of their surroundings

ZONING

Setting zoning standards can help organize the town, and determine the area’s construction limitations. This will allow more consistency and assure that infastructure is built correctly

CONSTRUCTION TYPES

There are five types of construction which determine use of materials, i.e. steel or timber. Choosing an appropriate type will ensure more robust buildings that can better withstand different forces.

ON-SITE ENERGY PRODUCTION

Producing energy within the town will relieve the reliance on outside resources.

RAINWATER COLLECTION

Take advantage of the town’s abundant rain and look to harvesting rainwater.

PASSIVE STRATEGIES

Passive strategies do not require any outside energy. Because of this, it will be beneficial to take advantage of the town’s environmental assets

PROXIMITY

Be conscious of certain proximities includes distance between homes or neighborhoods, and also being weary of building near disaster prone areas.

ACCESS POINTS

Providing more than one main access point into the town will allow easier connection with the rest of the county and easier evacuations.

TRANSPORTATION

Including a transportation system can encourage more walking and less dependency on vehicles.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Having a better investment in emergency services can help the town have less casualties and devastations.

LEARNING FROM OTHERS NEW ORLEANS. The Ninth Ward, which was funded by the Make It Right Foundation, is an example of architecture that failed to properly address the community it was serving. These houses failed to account for the environment of New Orleans, they didn’t fit into the surrounding neighborhood, and they weren’t built in a way to help prevent major damage to them if another hurricane were to hit. However, Musicians’ Village exemplifies 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 families could move in and have property with which they could accrue wealth. 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 in which they were situated while still conforming to culture of the areas. These communities exemplify the importance of understanding the community itself, the needs of it and the 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 a 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 a 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 in which they are built. The purpose of these projects is to help increase the value of the surrounding neighborhood and to attract people into moving into them to help culturally revitalize the community. Programs like this show the importance of not only designing a project that fits into the surrounding community, but one that also actively contributes to the community culturally. It has to improve the community as a whole and help make it a desirable place in which to live.

NEWBERN, ALABAMA. The town of Newbern and the Rural Studio also provided some insight on how to properly design projects that feel like part of the communities theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re serving while 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 that appropriately addresses the needs and feeling of the surrounding town is tough. However, finding that middle ground is essential to a successful project. MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA Visiting the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, it became apparent the need to carefully design for a population that has suffered extreme trauma. Thoughtful design of these reverent spaces can aid victims in their recovery and give others a glimpse into the tragic experience.

ATLANTA. 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 a building to frame certain views or move and highlight important features of the site. They also focused a lot on how the facade of a building can really impact how people at the street level experience it, because this is the only way people will experience the project. While it may look good from a birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-eye view, if the project feels massive or domineering, it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

04 VISION AND GOALS

OUTREACH AND COMMON THEMES Before establishing a set of goals and objectives for the (re)imagining Paradise project, it was necessary to extend beyond tertiary resources to real and interpersonal interactions. The first three weeks of studio were primarily concerned 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 multiple sessions that allowed diverse interaction with 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 assessment reports, a “how might we” station where people could brainstorm and write on sticky notes, and one-on-one interviews where Paradise residents shared their personal experiences as “Day in the Life” descriptions. There were many recurring topics discussed during these listening meetings. Faculty of Chico State, for example, addressed that Paradise was a “bedroom” community, a town many went to for retirement. Among the different audiences with whom students met during these sessions, many agreed that Paradise needed better fire safety and evacuation routes through both an improved network of roads and increased communication among residents. However, many also expressed Paradise’s strengths such as proximity to nature, its small town culture, the spirit of the people within the community, and its access to healthcare. Finally, there was discussion about the future of Paradise where opportunities for an improved wastewater system, more businesses, a walkable downtown, a safer street network, and more were imagined. 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, students shared research from the prior week about the town. During the in-class activity, a variety of researched information turned 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 statements acted as building blocks to propel the class’s initial design efforts forward. 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 written on large post-its—such as transportation, sense of community, lifestyle, and city planning—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, a more direct and creative way of seeking innovative solutions by breaking down problems into themes, focused issues, and commonalities ensued. Because this project tackles 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 Paradise and Chico where we were able to speak with college faculty, practicing engineers, and displaced adult and child former residents. The “How Might We” activity followed the class to Butte County in the form of a station where students engaged 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 its 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 insights developed through both that research and the 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, re-urbanization, and walkability were main areas of concern that should 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 prior 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 during conversations with former adult and high school residents shed light on how to re-approach this design question.

assessments and gained personal insight to further develop projects with the wellbeing of Paradise and its residents in mind.

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 re-evaluating, re-organizing, and re-establishing a denser mixed-use downtown. Comments from 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 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 students to step back from the objectivity of online research and facilitate their design conversations by integrating both objective

BUTTE COUNTY, CA

LEGEND COUNTY SEAT

COUNTY OUTLINE

HOSPITALS

TOWN OUTLINE

BUTTE COLLEGE

CHICO STATE

NATURE:

The Flumes

British Bulldog Brew.

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Studio Stacey White Created by: Reann Dela Cruz, Kaye Lao Alyson Liang,Therice Ramos

● TEMPERATURE BY HOUR

● WIND ROSES

ATTRACTIONS:

SCHOOLS:

Site Assessment

BIDWELL PARK

MUSEUM OF N. CALIFORNIA ART OROVILLE STATE THEATER THEATER ON RIDGE BIDWELL BAR BRIDGE

12 AM

6 PM

12 PM

6 AM

FEATHER FALLS TABLE MOUNTAIN

THE FLUMES

SUTTER BUTTES

BREWERIES:

12 AM

FEATHER BREWING

BUTTE COUNTY WINE

SIERRA NEVADA BIG ROOM

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

42.00

107.6

36.99

98.58

31.98

89.56

26.97

80.55

21.96

71.53

16.95

62.51

11.94

53.49

6.93

44.47

1.92

35.45

-3.09

26.44

-8.10

17.42

Dry Bulb Temperature - Hourly

7.02

11.6

5.95

1.92

3.08

0.10

0.22

14.5

8.81

3.62

5.95

17.5

11.6

5.32

8.81

Aunual

● SUN PATH WITH TOPOGRAPHY

8.72

14.5

20.3

17.4

17.5

23.1

12.1

20.3

26.0

13.8

23.1

28.9

15.5

26.0

mph

17.2

28.9

mph

0.22

Summer

Winter

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

4 BRITISH BULLDOG BREWERY

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 41.00

0.02

32.80

lsti

16.40

Feat

her

8.65% Comfort zone

8.20

Rive

60 kJ/kg

0.015 50 kJ/kg

Feather Falls

40 kJ/kg

ce lsti

0.01

r So

inte W

30 kJ/kg

-10 kJ/kg

● AVERAGE SNOWFALL BY MONTH

Chico State

Snow fall (in) 1.2

Table Mountain

Precipitation (in) 12

1.1

1.0

0.8

0.4

0.4 0.3

0.2

Oroville State Theater

0.0

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

t h e r R ive r

2 Beyond Fitness

Agriculture and agricultural residential

3 Ikkyu Japanese Restaurant

Community facility and services

(51-100) MODERATE |

Education:

INPUT + OUTPUT SOURCES: GRAY WATER RECYCLING

Recreational:

1 Paradise Elementary School

1 Miocene Flume Canal

2 Paradise High School

2 Bille Park

3 Paradise Library

3 Terry Ashe Park

NOV

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)

50°C 50 (122°F)

10.5 9.6

9.1 8 6.9

4.1

3.1 1.9

DEC

0.7 JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

0.1

0.2

JUL

AUG

0.8 SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

ParadisewasbornoutoftheGoldRushandhasalwayshadadependencyontheriversandcreeksthatflowed overtheminer’sprize.PerchedonaplateaubetweenLittleButteCreekandtheWestBranchoftheFeather RiverinthefoothillsoftheSierraNevadas,Paradiseisshapedbythemovementofwaterthroughthetown. Thethreemainroadsrunningnorthtosouth–Skyway,Clark,andPentz–aretuckedbetweenanadditional fivecreeks–HoneyRun,Clear,andthreeunnamed.Mostcommercialoperationsarelocatedalongthemain streets,andresidencesarepushedclosertothestreams.Thestreetswindwiththecurvesofthecreeksand hilly topography, making high-speed traffic more difficult, and smaller, quieter streets more common.

MODERATE HEALTH CONCERN

● NATIVE PLANTS

BUTTE COUNTY

COMPOST

LANDFILL

RECYCLED PLASTICS

MosttellingthingsaftertheCampFirewasthetrees.MostofthepinesthatshelteredParadisestillhadtheir canopiesintact.Theneedles,yellowedfromtheintenseheat,werenotburned—evidencethatthewinds that morning had pushed the fire along so fast it never had a chance to rise into the trees. But as a surface fire, it lit up the homes that lay in its path. After reviewing the video, it’s noted that the trees left standing aremostlyPonderosapines,whicharenaturallyfireresistant,oftenmoresothanthedrywoodhousesthey surround.Manydroughtresistentplantsarenativetothisregionaswell.Theyareabletobravetheworstconditionsfromextremelycoldtemperaturestolackofwater.Thesedroughtresistent,nativeplantsincluding Fern-leafYarrow,SwanRiverDaisy,andCoreopsiscanbeplantedindowntownareastoreducewaterusage andcreateamorepleasantwalkingexperience.TheplantsthatcallButteCountyhomearediverseincolor and height leading to the beautiful green environment the led the residents to call this area Paradise.

Social life: 1 Paradise Performing Arts Center 1

2 Paradise Town Hall 3 Paradise Alliance Church

10°C 10 (50°F)

● WATER, ENERGY AND WASTE INPUT + OUTPUT

5 Pelicans Roost Chowder House

Town Boundary

OCT

(101-150) UNHEALTHY | FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS

4 Debbie’s Restaurant

Industry

SEP

(0-50) GOOD | LITTLE TO NO RISK

a Fe

1 Holiday Market (groceries)

AUG

AIR QUALITY INDEX (AQI)

Local business:

5°C 5 (41°F)

● TOWN OF PARADISE

Commercial

0°C 0 (32°F)

● AIR QUALITY

PARADISE, CA

-5°C -5 (23°F)

0.6

Residential

-10°C -10 (14°F)

● AVERAGE PRECIPITATION BY MONTH

Bidwell Bar Bridge

OROVILLE

0.005

10 kJ/kg 0 kJ/kg

2 3

10%

20 kJ/kg

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

20%

<=0.00

le Bu

Litt

PARADISE

1 CHICO 2 3

Cr tte

70 kJ/kg

24.60

Bidwell Park

ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Wagstaff Road

4 Tall Pines Entertainment Center 3

5 Gold Nugget Museum

Oliver Road

6 Table Mountain Masonic Lodge

WAS T E

Bille Road

● NATIVE WILDLIFE

Sawmill Road

2 1 3

AmericanblackbearsarethesmallestofthethreebearspeciesfoundinNorth America.Theyareprimaryfoundinforestedareswithalotofvegetation,suchas fruits and nuts.

Elliott road 6

1 5 3

TTE

TY UN CO

Pearson Road 1

Honey Run

2 P a r a d is e M e

C (To

ria

l Tr

MountainlionsaregenerallycenteredinCaliforniaandtheyexistwhereverdeer are around. By their nature, they avoid humans.

) hico

WAT E R

E NERGY

yw ay

Road

Road Pen tz

Clark Road (To Butte College)

MUNICIPAL WELLS USED BY CAL WATER CHICO + COUNTY

UNJUDICATED ACQUIFIERS OF SACRAMENTO RIVER VALLEY

33 % RENEWABLE

24 % HYDRO

Mulederrscanberecognizedbyitslarge,mule-like,earsandblacktoppedtail. Theyarecommonseeninopenareassurroundedbyhousesandcanadapteasily to small patches of wilderness in urban areas.

NATURAL GAS

*14% UNSPECIFIED

12 % NUCLEAR

TheCaliforniakingsnakesarenonvenomoussnakesandhasadociledemenor. They live in wide variety of habitats, including woodlands, grasslands, and suburbanares.Theyareveryimportanttotheecosystembykeepingtherodent population at an acceptable level.

PLANNING FOR RESILIENCY WHAT IS RESILENCY?

Resiliency is the capacity to adapt to arising challenges, maintain stamina and strength in the face of demands, and recover efficiently and effectively when damaged. PHYSICAL RESILIENCY Paradise is a rural-type town comprising of spaced out homes, few main roads, and old constructed buildings. In order to achieve physical resiliency these aspects must be improved in the following ways

SUSTAINABILITY

CONSTRUCTION METHODS

LOCATION

Developing effiecient ways to communicate within the town will help citizens be aware of their surroundings

ON-SITE ENERGY PRODUCTION

Producing energy within the town will relieve the reliance on outside resources.

Setting zoning standards can help organize the town, and determine the area’s construction limitations. This will allow more consistency and assure that infastructure is built correctly

RAINWATER COLLECTION

Take advantage of the town’s abundant rain and look to harvesting rainwater.

CONSTRUCTION TYPES

There are five types of construction which determine use of materials, i.e. steel or timber. Choosing an appropriate type will ensure more robust buildings that can better withstand different forces.

PROXIMITY

Passive strategies do not require any outside energy. Because of this, it will be beneficial to take advantage of the town’s environmental assets

Including a transportation system can encourage more walking and less dependency on vehicles.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Having a better investment in emergency services can help the town have less casualties and devastations.

Providing more than one main access point into the town will allow easier connection with the rest of the county and easier evacuations.

PARADISE, PARADISE,CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA

The cost of living indices are based on a US average of 100. An amount below 100 means Paradise is cheaper than the US average. A cost of living index above 100 means Paradise is more expensive. Updated in September 2018

Others 7.7% Degree master 2.4%

CALIFORNI A

250

PARADIS E

107

107102

100 93

101 104

PARADISE, CALIFORNIA OSLO, OSLO,NORWAY NORWAY

Degree 4 years 23. 3%

High school grad only 32%

technical services 4.2%

Public administration 5.5%

Degree 2 years 16.2% Overall

Grocery

Health

Housing

Utilities Transportation

SUPPORTED PIVOTING

LONG TERM LIVELIHOOD

Systems to catch people if they fall.

People can adapt to changes.

Translates to savings + secure income.

SAN SANLUIS LUISOBISPO, OBISPO,CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY SUPPORT

CREATE TRUST

Secure individuals leads to secure communities.

Citizens can trust each other and their government.

GIVE PEOPLE PLATFORMS

COMMUNITY IDENTITY

Let people be heard and speak out.

Trusting communities form unique identities.

WELL MANAGED FINANCES DIVERSE ECONOMIC BASE Paradise needs affordable, safe houses Diverse livelihood opportunities and support with a strong foundation that can resist mechanisms allow citizens to proactively respond to future disasters, and provide comfort changing conditions within their city without undermining in interior spaces. A basic level of their wellbeing. Access to finance, skills training and wellbeing also allows people to deal with business support enables individuals to pursue a range unforeseen circumstances. This is only of options to secure the critical assets necessary to meet San SanLuis LuisObispo Obispoisisa acity cityininCalifornia’s California’sCentral CentralCoast Coastregion. region.The Thepopulation populationwas was45,119 45,119atatthe the2010 2010census. census.And Andhas hasa adiverse diverse Chico Chicoisisa acity cityininnorthern northernCalifornia Californiaand andisisthe themost mostpopulous populousofofButte ButteCounty. County.While Whileit itisisininthe thesame samecounty countyasasParadise, Paradise,it itisis with ocean totoa adowntown forfora aplace senseofofcommunity community withthe therange rangefrom frommountains mountainsforforhiking, hiking, oceanand andbeach beachforforrelaxing, relaxing, downtown placeofof needs. Long-term, secure livelihoods allow a alittle once sense their physiological needs their basic littlehigher higherinindensity densityand andoffers offersmore moreofofa adiversity diversitywithin withinitsitsneighborhood neighborhoodwith witha asection sectionofpossible ofthe thetown townwith withsemi-private semi-private gathering gatheringand andshopping. shopping.While Whileit itisisa aconvenient convenienttown towntotobike bikeand andwalk walksince sinceit itisisa acollege collegetown, town,it italso alsoallows allowsforforthe theoption optionforfor properties propertieswith withshops shopsasaswell wellasashomes homesand andhistorical historicallandmarks landmarksforforthe theother otherparts. parts.Chico Chicoalso alsohas hasa awell wellrounded roundedcollection collectionofof public transportation and personal vehicles if desired to get around places. public transportation and personal vehicles if desired to get around places. parks parksand andcreekside creeksidegreenways greenwaysthat thatadds addstotothe thebeauty beautyofofthis thistown town are met through a basic level of provision people to accrue personal savings that will support their ISSAQUAH HIGHLANDS, WASHINGTON SERENBE, PALMETTO, ISSAQUAH HIGHLANDS, WASHINGTON SERENBE, PALMETTO,GEORGIA GEORGIA SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA CHICO, CALIFORNIA of food, water and sanitation, energy and development and their survival during times of crisis. This shelter. This relates to the extent to which is facilitated by access to finance, ability to accrue savings, everyone’s basic needs are met. skills training, business support, and social welfare. Construction 7.9%

Manufacturing 3.5%

147

136 111

Others 20.5%

The TheTown TownofofParadise Paradiseisishome hometotoa apopulation populationofof 26,000 people that is fairly uniform in age, race, and social aspects. Much ofthe the town townisisprivate privateresidences, residences,with witha afew fewmain mainstreets streetsthat thatare arelined linedwith withcommercial commercialororpublic publicspaces. spaces.There Thereisisa anumber numberofofparks parks and andgreen greenspaces spacesopen opentotocommunity communitymembers membersand andcommunity communityevents, events,and andclose closeaccess accesstotohiking hikingtrails trailsand andthe themountain mountainridges ridges that thatsurround surroundthe thetown. town.Travel TravelininParadise Paradiseisisvery verycarcarcentric, centric,since sincemost mostofofthe thestreets streetslack lacksidewalks sidewalksfor forpedestrians. pedestrians. Professional,scientific,

169 150

SUPPORT MECHANISMS

Educational services 7.6%

Some high school 5.8%

Administrative, support, waste management services 26,000 people that is fairly uniform in age, race, and social aspects.3.6% Much of

200

100

Grade school 2.7%

DIVERSE LIVELIHOODS Various industries for job opportunity.

Data from U.S. Census Bureau. Updated May 2017

U.S. AVER AGE

PO PUL ATION BY OCCU PATION

PO PUL ATION BY EDUC ATION

293

300

CHICO, CHICO,CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA

ECONOMIC RESILIENCY Paradise is a place of natural beauty with recreation in both natural and urban environments. The entirety of Butte county is committed to protecting and enhancing its agriculture as the backbone of the economy, making Butte county a beautiful place to both live and work. This is slightly different within paradise. Paradise is a quaint small town that many residents move to for retirement. Moving forwards, economic resilience will be a product of the application of many different factors. COST OF LIVING

TRANSPORTATION

Be conscious of certain proximities includes distance between homes or neighborhoods, and also being weary of building near disaster prone areas.

ACCESS POINTS

PASSIVE STRATEGIES

INNOVATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

ZONING

SOCIAL RESILIENCY Paradise already has a very strong and united community, as eviden 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.

Misc.

Accommodation, food services 6.9%

Some college 9.9%

Retail trade 13.5%

Health care and social assistance 26.8 %

URBAN PLANNING WHAT ARE SOME STRATEGIES WE CAN FOLLOW?

We can examine nolli maps which show the aerial view of a city. We can identify the relationships between residential, commercial, and outdoor spaces. We can also assess accessibility of services in terms of density and distribution of buildings as well as walkability and bikeability. Oslo Osloisisthe thecapital capitalofofNorway Norwayand andisisknown knownforforitsitsgreen greenspaces spacesand andmuseums. museums.It Itisisincluded includedininthis thislist listofofideal idealcities citiesbecause becauseofof Thegreat Town of Paradise is home to a population of 26,000 people that is fairly(the uniform in age, race,transportation and social aspects. Much of the it’s it’s greatpublic publictransportation transportationsystem, system,which whichyou youcan canaccess accesswith withone oneticket ticket (theOslo Oslopass). pass).The The transportationsystem systemincludes includes town istrains, private residences, with a few main streets that are lined with commercial or public spaces. There is a number of parks buses, buses, trains,and andmetros. metros. and green spaces open to community members and community events, and close access to hiking trails and the mountain ridges that surround the town. Travel in Paradise is very car centric, since most of the streets lack sidewalks for pedestrians.

Serenbe Serenbeisisa aneighborhood neighborhoodwithin withinthe thecity citylimits limitsofofChattahoochee ChattahoocheeHills, Hills,Georgia, Georgia,ininFulton FultonCounty, County,ininthe theAtlanta AtlantametropolimetropoliChico is a city in northern California andUrbanism. is the most populous of Butte County. of While it is in thehouses same county as Paradise, it is tan tanarea. area.Serenbe Serenbeisisananexample exampleofofNew New Urbanism.Serenbe’s Serenbe’sresidences residencesconsist consist ofsingle-family single-family housesand androw rowhouses. houses.AllAll a little higher in density and have offers more of a but diversity within its neighborhood with aand section ofClose the town with semi-private have havefront frontporches, porches,and andnone none havebackyards, backyards, butrather ratherface faceononcommon commongreen greenspace space andtrails. trails. Closeproximity proximitytotoshops shopsand and properties with shops as well as homes and historical landmarks for the other parts. Chico also has a well rounded collection of services servicesencourages encourageswalking. walking. parks and creekside greenways that adds to the beauty of this town

PARADISE, CALIFORNIA

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK CHICO, CALIFORNIA COPENHAGEN, OSLO, NORWAYDENMARK

BASEL, SAN LUISSWITZERLAND OBISPO, CALIFORNIA PARADISE, CALIFORNIA BASEL, SWITZERLAND SERENBE, PALMETTO, GEORGIA

The Town of Paradise is home to a population of 26,000 people that is fairly uniform in age, race, and social aspects. Much of the town is private residences, with a few main streets that are lined with commercial or public spaces. There is a number of parks and green spaces open to community members and community events, and close access to hiking trails and the mountain ridges that surround the town. Travel in Paradise is very car centric, since most of the streets lack sidewalks for pedestrians.

Chico is a city inisnorthern California and is theitsmost populousaverages of Butte County. it is inCopenhagen the same county as Paradise,an it isideal Copenhagen ofand along 602,481. Oslo is the capital ofcapital Norway is known for its green spaces and museums. It is included in this listisof ideal cities because of Copenhagen isthe the capital ofDenmark, Denmark, itspopulation population averages alongWhile 602,481. Copenhagen isconsidered considered an ideal acity littledue higher in walkability. density and offers more ofareas a diversity withinare its neighborhood with a sectionwide of thepaths town with semi-private its Most main ofofthe walkable and open, asaswell asasa a it’s great public transportation system, can access with one ticket (the Oslowith pass).wide The transportation system includes city duetoto its walkability. Most mainwhich areasyou thecity city are walkable and open, with pathsforforbikes, bikes, well properties with shops as well as homes and historical landmarks for the other parts. Chico also has a well rounded collection of buses, trains, and metros. well organized transit system. ItItisisalso known forforitsitsmixed use residences and retail. well organized system. also parks and creeksidetransit greenways that adds to theknown beauty of thismixed town use residences and retail.

San Luis Obispo is a city in California’s Central Coast region. The population was 45,119 at the 2010 census. And has a diverse Walking isisis the standard mode of travel within the city. Basel isn’t large and there are The of Paradise home tofrom aof population ofmany 26,000 people that isOld fairly uniform invery age, and Serenbe athe neighborhood within the cityfor limits of hiking, Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, in Fulton in social the metropoliWalking standard mode travel formany within the city. Old Basel isn’t very large and there aremany many sense ofTown community with is the range mountains for ocean and beach for relaxing, to County, arace, downtown forAtlanta aaspects. place ofMuch of the town isand private residences, with few main streets that areand lined with commercial spaces. isfor arow number parks narrow winding side streets with incredible slopes. The shopping inpublic city are tohouses. car trafﬁ tan area. Serenbe is an example New Urbanism. Serenbe’s residences consist ofor single-family houses and Allc.c. narrow and winding side with incredible slopes. The shopping inthe theold old cityThere areclosed closed to carof trafﬁ gathering and shopping. While itstreets is aaofconvenient town to bike walk since it isstreets astreets college town, it also allows the option for and green spaces open tonone community members and community events, closespace access to trails. hikingClose trailsproximity and the mountain ridges have front porches, and have backyards, but facethe onplaces. common green and to shops and Walking around Basel can isisthe way toto experience city. public transportation and personal vehicles ifway desired torather get around Walking around Basel can thebest best experience the city. and that surround the town. Travel in Paradise is very car centric, since most of the streets lack sidewalks for pedestrians. services encourages walking.

The Town of Paradise has two main roads, Skyway and Clark, in which commercial and public spaces are located. Residences are sprawled and many are far OSLO, NORWAY from the town center. This promotes isolation and a dependence on cars. Most streets also lack sidewalks for pedestrian travel but dedicates much space for parking.

Copenhagen is here because it has a high quality of life and it is ideal in many ways because of its walkability, SERENBE, PALMETTO, GEORGIA mixed use buildings, and well organized transit system. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK Most of the city is walkable with wide paths for bikes. It also has large outdoor areas. Each residential block has a shared park and parts are mixed use with restaurants.

Basel has a commercial center with residential surrounding it. Walking is the standard mode of travel

ISSAQUAH HIGHLANDS, WASHINGTON for many and the shopping streets in the old city are BASEL, SWITZERLAND OSLO, NORWAY closed to car traffic. Each residential complex has a shared outdoor space in its center which promotes community.

NOLLI MAPS Black areas are residential, hotels, and private buildings. Grey areas are commercial and public buildings. White areas are roads, parks, and bodies of Issaquah Highlands is a asmall new ofof9000 people, that mainly ononresidential and follows the new Issaquah Highlands newdevelopment development 9000 people, thatfocuses focuses mainly residential follows water. San Luis Obispo is a is city small in California’s Central Coast region. The population was 45,119 at the 2010 and census. Andthe hasnew a diverse urbanism urbanismplanning planningideology, ideology,a aland landuse usephilosophy philosophythat thatrespects respectsthe theenvironment environmentand andseeks seekstotopreserve preserveopen openspace. space.Issaquah Issaquah

SCALE AND WALKABILITY These are all in the same scale and the distance from end to end is a half mile which takes approximately 10 minutes to walk. Which means everything depicted here is accessible.

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND CHICO, CALIFORNIA REYKJAVIK, ICELAND WASHINGTON ISSAQUAH HIGHLANDS,

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA

Reykjavik inin It a apopulation ofpopulous with an 105 miles. Issaquah Highlands isIceland. a small new development of 9000 people, that focuses mainly on and follows the new Chico is ais city incity northern California and is the most of people Butte County. While it of isresidential thesquare same county asThis Paradise, ison Reykjavik isa acity Iceland. Ithas has population of128,000 128,000 people with anarea area ofin 105 square miles. Thiscity cityisitison urbanism planning ideology, a land use philosophy that respects the environment and toofcenter preserve open space. Issaquah a list little higher initdensity offers more ofgreenest, agreenest, diversity within its neighborhood with a section the town with semi-private the one ofofthe cleanest, and safest cities ininthe Itseeks ofof Iceland’s economthe listbecause because itisis oneand the cleanest, and safest cities theworld. world. Itisisthe the center Iceland’s econommany mixed use apartments, public parks, with and courts, easy access hiking and of properties shops as well asheritage, homes and historical landmarks forplaygrounds other parts. Chico also has astreet welltorounded collection icicHighlands growth, has cultural heritage, and it’s consists ofthe live music, and street art. growth,itincludes itwith hasrich rich cultural and it’slifestyle lifestyle consists ofnightlife, nightlife, live music, and art. trails

San Luis Obispo is a city in California’s Central Coast region. The population was 45,119 at the 2010 census. And has a diverse sense of community with the range from mountains for hiking, ocean and beach for relaxing, to a downtown for a place of gathering and shopping. While it is a convenient town to bike and walk since it is a college town, it also allows for the option for public transportation and personal vehicles if desired to get around places.

sense of community with the range from mountains for hiking, ocean and beach for relaxing, to a downtown for a place of Highlands includes many apartments, public parks, with and courts, totohiking trails and Highlands includes manymixed mixeduse withplaygrounds playgrounds courts,easy easyaccess access hiking and for gathering and shopping. While ituse is aapartments, convenient public town toparks, bike and walk since it isand a college town, it also allows fortrails the option nature, and totopedestrian and travel. nature, andplays playsclose closeattention attention pedestrian andbike biketo travel. public transportation and personal vehicles if desired get around places.

This development focuses on the new urbanism ideology which respects the environment and seeks to SERENBE, GEORGIA preserve PALMETTO, open space. Issaquah includes many mixed REYKJAVIK, ICELAND use apartments and public parks, provides easy access to hiking trails and nature, and prioritizes pedestrian and bike travel.

nature, andcreekside plays close attentionthat to pedestrian bike of travel. parks and greenways adds to theand beauty this town

San Luis Obispo is a small city in California’s central coast region. It has a diverse landscape of mountains,

ISSAQUAH HIGHLANDS, WASHINGTON beaches, and a vibrant downtown area. Biking and

walking are highly promoted here and car use highly discouraged and not accommodated. It is a very pleasant city to live in.

COMMUNITY VISION AND GOALS Through in-class efforts, community outreach sessions, and lessons from industry professionals helping to rebuild Paradise, articulating the generated goals and visions of the community became a medium to further class design efforts overall. Fueled by personal and online research, the class as a whole developed a series of goals to augment the basic assumptions of the project, which were to design a town that: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

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 leading the redesigning efforts for the town. In UDA’s “Community Recovery Plan” (April 19, 2019), authors 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 the class goals and those of the firm to have some levels of synonymy. 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, of the over 1,000 people who attended community meetings, 78% were Paradise residents. With such a 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 best to design for a new resilient Paradise that would respect traditions while fostering change that would allow for a thriving future community. In their published report, UDA identified that when asked, 51% of Paradise residents surveyed said they would return to the town after it was rebuilt, while 34% were adamant about not returning. This leaves 15% of residents surveyed still undecided at the time. The portion of the UDA report that presents this data 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 informed the 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” (i.e., a community that serves as a place to sleep as opposed to one that provides a thriving job economy which individuals have to seek elsewhere). In treating this as a priority, the group projects in this studio course 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 could contribute to an economically thriving community. 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 ras well, egarding physical quality of the buildings, these group projects address the challenges Paradise faces from their lack of regenerative resources. Among the nine projects designed in class, there are proposals for a diversity of rainwater catchment systems with beneficial uses for recycled water, an anaerobic digester to turn waste into energy, and opportunities for people to learn about and experience, through both education and use, fire-resilient building materials.

CREATING A REPLICABLE MODEL As evident in 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, are 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 Paradise could set the standard with how towns in California respond to wildfires. These standards should include a detailed short-term and longterm 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 examining the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. On the one hand, 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 focused on shared community spaces, units 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 returning to the town after the fire, affordable housing projects focused on the specific needs of residents 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 terracotta, 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, a community of residents who trust 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 increased 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 incorporated local and recycled materials. The Rural Studio gave a modern spin to southern architecture while respecting the local aesthetic, which enabled the countless structures they built over the years to seamlessly fit within the town and rural fabric of Hale County. The Camp Fire makes 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’s 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 stay protected for years to come.

05 CONSTRUCTING A DOWNTOWN

GENERAL PLAN UPDATE The New Proposed Paradise Plan aims to create a more 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 with lower density the farther they sit from the downtown villages. The two main N-S roads are Skyway Road, Clarke Road, and Pentz Road, which have been maintained as the main town entrances and exits. The main existing E-W roads, Wagstaff Road and Billie Road, have been maintained as the major E-W roads with the addition of Elliot Road, which has been extended to meet and continue past Pentz Road. The new town includes infrastructure placement that will promote a self-sustaining town. This means including facilities that make use of Paradiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 will house a water treatment facility for rainwater recycling and an anaerobic digester for energy production. Specific proposed projects are located in the West Village and East Village as well as on Skyway Road and within neighborhood centers near the West Village. A total of four 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+ new jobs exist within these proposed projects.

Paradise Old Town Map

DOWNTOWN PLAN DESIGN BASIS 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 Road, 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 enjoying 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 lowdensity housing as the next closest zone to allow for ease of evacuation. INFRASTRUCTURE (ROADS, WATER AND WASTEWATER, RAINWATER, SOLID WASTE, AND ENERGY) Paradise, California, before the Camp Fire essentially was comprised of two main roads and a series of winding cul-de-sacs that navigated through 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: the main Street (located on Almond Street), vehicular-accessible streets, and pedestrian-only streets. The main street and vehicular-accessible streets will include a bike lane each way as well as a vehicular lane each way. Main street also will include a center leftturn 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 selfsustaining 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 will house 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 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 Road 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 interior 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 is an important component of the Downtown Plan as it promotes walkability and bike-ability for residents. Two proposed projects, the Paradise Recreation Center and the Commons (Center for Safety and Well-Being), utilize the trail as integral to their design and programming. In these projects, the Yellowstone Kelly Heritage Trail becomes an integration of the Recreation Center’s green roof while the Commons activates the trail with their programs.

PARKS AND GREENWAYS Many people have been attracted to, visited, and moved to Paradise due to the close proximity of accessible nature . Within the Downtown plan, the existing Paradise Community Park becomes important as the Memorial Trail runs through the park and allows for an increase in community events and gatherings. WALKABILITY From the Downtown plan, each block consists of one horizontal alley that becomes a pedestrian-only lane through the dense multi-use zoning. Within each pedestrian-only street, the zoning allows community and commercial mix-use buildings to exist on each block and allow pedestrians to experience a safer commute on foot.

(RE) IMAGINING PARADISE, CA DOWNTOWN CONCEPT PLAN

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scale: 1” = 100’

WHAT IS PARADISE’S CLIMATE LIKE?

PROPOSED DOWNTOWN RENDERINGS

THE WEST VILLAGE LAYOUT One of the main goals with the West Village was to create a layout that would encourage walkability and allow the people of Paradise to get to places in an effective manner by grouping the commercial mixed use by the downtown area and community parcels around it. The West Village is ultimately designed to bring a new main street (Almond Street) to Paradise. This new main street will include retail space, commercial offices, and housing, all of which is intended 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 are envisioned to become a medical campus. Community buildings and commercial mixeduse buildings will weave through the entire West Village, with the existing Paradise Park as a green buffer 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 and with other structures of two to three stories built to the sidewalk. The downtown area will be a concentrated combination of community based and mixed-use buildings.

roads that run horizontally to promote walking around the town. Skyway Road also will be widened to increase safety, public transit, and safe bicycle circulation along this important thoroughfare. Overall, the newly built neighborhood of the West Village is designed to foster social, economic, and physical resiliency for the next generation of Paradise. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER AND MASSING Within the West Village, most commercial mixed use spaces will vary between two to three stories while parcels with community associated buildings will be around three stories tall. The materials used within the town will most likely be glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) to create a town that fits the personality of Paradise with a material that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too flashy in color, style, or price. GFRC offers a wide variety of colors, so if certain businesses want to erect a building in line with their specific style they will be able to do so while simultaneously allowing for one important factor: GFRC will encourage physical resilience since it is fire resistant.

THE STREETSCAPE AND ITS CONNECTIONS During the design of the West Village, heavy consideration has been placed on promoting a walkable environment with an emphasis on public transportation. One particular goal of the downtown plan is the reduction of the automobile dependence. As such, in the design of all streets, bike lanes and bus lanes have been included, with widened sidewalks to encourage pedestrians to get around town without automotive use. Since previously there were only two main roads, Skyway Road and Clark Road, the West Village will now be designed to allow for both vertical navigation with Almond Street, Black Olive Drive, and Foster Road and horizontal navigation with Birch Street, Pearson Road, Cedar Street, and Fir Street. Since these streets are situated within the part of town that will contain the densest human traffic, pedestrian walkways have also been designed across the West Village between the

BUILT TO THRIVE (RESPONDING TO CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, AND RESILIENCY) Because Paradise is a smaller town, a denser, suburbantype downtown might benefit its development and encourage economic growth as well as community growth. In short, the aim is creating a downtown that allows for the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residents and visitors to gather and support its businesses. In order to fulfill the requirement of architecture 2030, most of the community buildings in this plan will implement daylighting and natural ventilation strategies to minimize energy use throughout the buildings. With high precipitation levels 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 Camp Fire, 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 an emphasis on providing gathering spaces for Paradise community members and therefore the concept plan is expected to increase job opportunities as well as the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capability to generate enough revenue to thrive economically. The town of Paradise is anticipated to attract various demographic groups with its economic and social potential. The medical village will be placed in the northern portion of the 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 nature, to figure out the fatal flaw that caused such disaster, and to prevent the catastrophe from happening again. Social, economic, and physical resiliency were the three foci of this project in hopes that the future community of Paradise will thrive. It was imperative to understand the economic pace of the town prior to the fire, create new opportunities for businesses to be successful, and increase residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; involvement with the overall economic status of the town. While acknowledging and preserving nature and prior vegetation was a goal while we moved forward in the redesign process, being mindful of specific species that are fire resistant was the other path on which we are focused in order to promote physical resiliency. In regards to social resiliency, it is

understandable that the Camp Fire caused a lot of trauma, which has made it difficult for some residents to feel safe and comfortable returning. The hope is that the redesigning process will give former Paradise residents the opportunity to work alongside the design process, to be involved and to create a town that could heal some of their scars and encourage their return to Paradise.

06 THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

POTENTIAL PROJECTS After three weeks of research and community outreach with Paradise, we collectively listed different potential projects which we saw would serve as a catalyst for the rebuilding of Paradise. The initial brainstorming was less refined but aimed to get out different ideas: 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 Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 Preschool Entrepreneurship Center Skatepark YMCA Teen Center Food Bank Senior Center Hospital

Further iterations based on peer community comparisons and from community members themselves reduced our 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

HEARTH + RESCUE OVERVIEW

PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENTS

Hearth + Rescue is a mixed-use complex introducing a rock climbing and bouldering gym (Hearth) and a larger fire and emergency management station (Rescue) to Paradise. It serves two important groups: fire safety personnel and the active public. This project is proposed to be located at the corner of Skyway Rd and Pearson Rd, at the edge of downtown. The project places an emphasis on young adult and college student users, as well as all others who value an active lifestyle. It is intended to add additional apparatuses and full time employees to the existing Paradise Fire Stations #82 and #83, and #1.

While the program of Hearth + Rescue was based on needs identified by stakeholders, the form arose out of climactic and programmatic understanding. The building is designed to minimize operation costs and reduce fossil fuel and water dependency.

Both programatic components provide assets to the existing community, while encouraging new residents to develop roots in the town. As Paradise rebuilds, it will need additional residents to create a viable economy. However, it can be hard for a tight-knit community like Paradise to invite new residents in. Hearth + Rescue seeks to bridge the gap by providing a place for people with a common love for the beautiful natural surroundings to recreate and socialize. Further, Hearth + Rescue seeks to join firefighters with the community to start conversations with each other in a casual setting at the Hearth and also more formal conversations in a classroom setting at the fire station (Rescue).

Program wise, a fire station has many different component. Above all, fire readiness must be facilitated, minimizing travel and prep time. Additionally, privacy must be maintained in order to best support firefighters and their daily activities. The living area is lifted up above the apparatus bay to separate these spaces from not only the rock climbing gym, but the fire station offices as well, providing the fire fighters with separation, while maintaining proximity.

ADMINISTRATION

A101 1-

LIVING QUARTERS

The site will be designed around an interpretive trail connector that joins a newly proposed Honey Run Trail to the existing Paradise Memorial Trail. The trail connector will teach visitors about fire resistive materials and native ecology, with the goal of encouraging users to rebuild Paradise using a pallete of materials that create disaster resiliency.

CLIMBING GYM

The program recognizes that the community and those that serve it are best able to do their part when the effort is collective. Firefighters can educate the public on their work and teach them preventative measures to take in order to reduce fire risk in the urban interface. In return, the community can work within their homes and neighborhoods to implement these techniques. ROCK CLIMBING APPARATUS BAY FIRE STATION

SITE PLAN The site around the building is designed as an interprative area to educate the public about fire resilient techiniques. This would allow residents to have precedents to view as they rebuild their own properties, with guidance on what materials to build out of and what sort of plants to landscape with. Using a consistent palette of fire resilient materials throughout the town amplifies each individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts and creates an additional layer of safety.

Address Phone Fax e-mail Consultant Address Address Phone Fax e-mail Consultant Address Address Phone Fax e-mail Consultant Address Address Phone Fax e-mail

FIRST FLOOR PLAN The first floor plan is activated by landscape on the exterior ofNo.both No. the north and the south sides that pull people into the building. In front of the rock climbing gym, users can sit under the shade of trees before entering into the gym. Once inside the gym, they are received between two rock towers. The first floor of the gym also features a recerational equipment store, allgender restrooms and showers, and back patio space that leaks into the surrounding educational area. The first floor of the fire station has all the necessary spaces to allow the personnel to bring many services to the community, including fire saftey classes. Personnel also have a patio space, break room, and views into the naturl surrounding.

Description

Date

Town Town of Paradise of Parad

HearthHearth + Rescue + Res 1 Unnamed Project number Date Drawn by Checked by

Scale

Project number Date Drawn by Checked by

Scale

00 05/14/201 Autho Checke

1ground

1/16" = 1'-0

REF. REF.

Fax e-mail Consultant Address Address Phone Fax e-mail Consultant Address Address Phone Fax e-mail Consultant Address Address Phone Fax e-mail

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

No.

Description

Above the fire station office, firefighters have a space to relax and spend their downtime. Here, they have private dorms, a large and spacious kitchen, dining area, and loung space, as well as a sunset room and private gym. They have both front and back balconies to give the firefighters additional options on how they spend their time. The second floor of the rock climbing gym has a lounge area as well that looks out into the tree canopy. Here, users can grab a smoothie at the juice bar, or come to work or socialize in many different configurationes. A catwalk provides space to use more traditional exrcise equipment, and a seond floor mezzanine above the recreational equipment store provides additional retail area.

Town of Parad

Hearth + Resc 1 Project number Date Drawn by Checked by

A108 Scale

PEFRORMANCE GOALS Based off the created Insight Energy Model, we were able to produce an EUI score of 37.7. EUI, or energy use intensity determines a buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual energy use, and is measured in kBTU/ft2/yr. The goal of all these projects is to create self-sustaining and low energy using buildings. We approached different aspects in our building in order to get the 37.6 EUI score. First, because the envelope was within 23 degrees from true north, we located our glazing respectively, maximizing glazing in the south, and minimizing in the north. Using the Insight Energy Model, we determined that it would be appropriate to use Triple Lo E Glazing. Unfortunatly, although we were able to bring our EUI down to a lower score, we were still unable to meet our net zero goals. One possible reason for this is the extensive glazing used on the north facade. Because this facade is the entry facade, we decided to increase the window to wall ratio in the north. Finally, we hope to start incorporating the use of solar pv on our flat roof.

cant strip roofing membrane wrb sheathing plenum space w/ 2 x 4 lumber clt structural slabs suspended light

metal capping dri-design aluminum panel z-girt with rigid insulation wrb plywood sheathing metal stud plywood sheathing gypsum board w/ finish flashing window mullion glazing cant strip finished concrete radiant floor heating rods sheathing plenum space w/ 2 x 4 lumber clt structural slabs suspended light

glulam column 5

metal capping stucco brown coat scratch coat w/ self furring lath 2 layers of wrb plywood sheathing 2 x 4 lumber framing plywood sheathing gypsum board w/ finish flashing window mullion glazing

finished concrete radiant floor heating rods sheathing plenum space w/ 2 x 4 lumber foundation slab rigid insulation gravel 6

WALL ASSEMBLY This building features a growing technology in structural design. This particular plan uses 25’ x 75’ Cross Laminated Timber panels spanning two directions are placed onto glulam columns. The panels replace a more traditional girder and beam system, and are thinner in section because any sheathing or joists are incorperated into the panel itself. The floor panels are layered with 2x4’s to create a plenum space for air and utility distrubution. This is sheathed and topped with a three inch concrete layer that acts as thermal mass for solar radiation as and houses the radiant coils as well. In addition this building utilizes two different hvac systems. First is a displacement air system using a plenum space within each floor. This allows air too pass through this space to cool the area. For heating, small rods are embedded in the concrete slabs to warm the space.

MATERIALS In order to achieve fire resilient buildings, the exterior facade required non combustible materials. During many iterative processes of choosing materials, the building now uses a variety of 3 different materials: standing seam metal siding, stucco, and concrete masonry units (CMU). These materials are easily available and a more affordable choice. These are also common and is familiar with the Town of Paradise. Overall the goal of the material palette is to make it feel of place and educate the public about non combustible materials that they could use in their own homes.

07 THE FUTURE

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? If it’s not Paradise, then it’s New Orleans. If it’s not New Orleans, then it’s the Gulf of Texas. If it’s not the Gulf of Texas, then 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, and 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 is inherent that future projects be strategic in how they are built, where they are built, and with what they are built. Moving forward, the hope is that this project can serve as a map for future design of towns. As a result of this studio effort, Paradise will receive research about similarly affected cities; custom weather data; and downloads of street sections, town plans, 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 also may be utilized in other contexts. If it’s not Paradise, then it’s New Orleans. That is to say, there will be other fires and there will be other disasters. The projects and work resultant from this effort may be transferred into other settings and give others who have been affected by natural disasters a sense of hope in dark times. FOCUSING ON LONG-TERM ECONOMIC VIABILITY Social, economic, and physical resiliency are key to the re-imagination of Paradise. Following a way to spur social resiliency, it is also important create economic resiliency. The proposed future plan for Paradise includes a medical campus, which will provide countless job opportunities, basic access to healthcare, and educational opportunities. Not only will a medical campus help foster social resiliency, then, but also the medical campus will 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.

IMPLEMENTATION BEGINS Vacant Property Given the varied sources of funding for the rebuilding of Paradise, 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 during the development process. As rebuilding occurs, there also will likely be vacant properties interspersed among 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 when managing this potential issue are as follows: 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 concentration near the town core that gradually moves outward. Concentrated growth will help create a complete appearance in downtown which can then be built out from there. By focusing on the center and working outward, Paradise may rebound more quickly and may be served more affordably by utilities and services. A Kickstarter campaign for this effort could include CALReUSE and Proposition 1 (amongst others). 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 neighborhoods 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 land-bank 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 nonprofits on development.

DEVELOPING (THE NEXT) RECOVERY PLAN 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 a well-built infrastructure must come first. 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 spaces, public services, and other commercial mixed-use projects 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 it will be easily navigable. Through strategic investment, the centralized downtown will support a flourishing community. 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 is inspiring and essential to both its identity and success as a town. Residents of Paradise engage in festivals together and celebrate its rich history, regardless of their backgrounds or differing personal perspectives. Rohn Grotenhuis and Gretchen Holy from BNIM suggest that the first building type in which a re-imagined Paradise should invest should be one of a civic nature, like a school. A school allows a place for community meetings, it may incentivize people to return, and it can be easily converted to serve whatever programmatic needs must be met. This necessary investment will spur social resiliency first and foremost. INCENTIVIZING REBUILDING RIGHT A challenge of this project has been the inherent need and want from Paradise residents who “just want to go home.” Given the sensitive nature of this project, it has been of the utmost importance to attempt to understand the pain former residents have been and continue to go 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 aimed to display how rebuilding right can lead to long-term success for the town. Since 1999, there have been 13 large wildfires within the

footprint of the Camp Fire. A long history of wildfires necessitates the need for design that acknowledges such a 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 addition, prior to the fire, Paradise did not have a centralized downtown or walkability. The fire provides a unique opportunity to redesign the town in way that improves the lives of those who live there and encourages a new generation to be involved in the community.

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. 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 upon which the town can rebuild. 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 a 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, economic, and physical 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 of the future.

Following this, and as Paradise looks to rebuild, a series of surveys must first be initiated. 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 also 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 the 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, Western University of Health Sciences, 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 will attract others to relocate to Paradise. To help with rebuilding and designing, a staffed local office that provides free/low-cost design services (likely by students) 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.

APPENDIX MANIFESTO

MOONSHOT

PRECEDENTS

FLUMES NATURE CENTER - INDIVIDUAL PROJEC T

HEARTH AND RESCUE - EARLY ITERATIONS

MANIFESTO I remembered attending my first architecture class. The professors would present their white background, sans serif slides which would glare light into the dark lecture halls. One of the first slides would ask, what is an architect? The professors would express that architects are master builders, individuals who are experts of the built environment. Throughout my first year this romanticized idea carried on with me. As “master builders,” that meant freedom of design, and the power to manipulate others’ experiences through space. During my first year, we architecture students were given much creative freedom. We designed sculptural cubes, installations, and piers which all consisted of facets, boolean forms, cantilevers, etc. with not much restriction to codes or client interests. With that being said, there wasn’t anything wrong with how we were taught first year. We were able to dip our feet into the water of design and graphic representation. First year allowed us to develop the basic skills and knowledge we needed to proceed to the next years. Second year was where we finally had our first crack at designing a building. I better understood how different spaces can affect how people behaved and became more “people-conscious” of my designs. I enjoyed the idea of creating these “stories” with my spaces, and came to believe that the architect’s role is to serve the people. However, as amiable and humanitarian this ideal is, there are still many flaws to this view. As quoted from one of our readings, “Regardless of whether or not architecture can indeed save the world, holding this belief simultaneously means acknowledgement that architecture can also do harm.” Sure, architects are meant to serve the people, but how much are architects listening to people? There is something fulfilling about the idea of taking on humanitarian projects such as slum improvement, or affordable housing. Yet, the path of humanitarian designs holds a problematic history. In Design Like You Give a Damn, we uncover the many different ways architects tried to improve the lives of the displaced or the disadvantaged. Many of these were temporarily successful, but over time these projects came to be more harmful than good. This book led to a response called Design Like You Give a Damn - About What Exactly? The paper states, “This is directed towards any architect (or student of) who believes that their heavily culturally potent and political design skills has a justifiable place, let alone positive impact on a targeted ‘vulnerable’ community far-removed physically and socio-politically than themselves.” Here the author writes how western architects do not develop a deep enough understanding the context they are designing for. They are too blinded by their privileges that many see these individuals as incompetent and in need of helping rather

than looking at their strengths or possibilities. Many architects believe they know what’s best for these people instead of asking them what they truly need. Despite these flaws, I still believe that the architect’s role is to design for the people. And although I agree with many of the points of Design Like You Give a Damn About What, I believe that many of the architects taking on these projects had good intentions nonetheless. There are many projects now that focus not only on affordable housing, but also have goals of community interaction and future improvements. I feel that architects take on these challenges because helping others is something many of us naturally want to do. Yet, as I’m writing this now I’m starting to realize that maybe this was the typical romanticized western ideal that the article criticizes. With many viewpoints combined with my personal experiences as a student, I have created more conflicting thoughts in my head and even more posing questions. I want to become a great citizen architect, but how do I do this successfully? Maybe this conflict and uncertainty comes with what I have been learning the past years in architecture. Even though we are supposed to design spaces for people, we’ve never really interacted with many clients and it was all left to ourselves to design the building. For now, I suppose I should do what I know, and try my best to listen to the people’s needs and not be clouded by my own bias and intentions. As said in Design Like You Give A Damn, “The answer will likely depend on the willingness of architects and designers to reach beyond the design community and its traditional audience - to humbly venture into the communities in which they live, listen to the needs of their neighbors, and offer their services.” I am looking forward to collaborate and interact with my peers, my leaders, and the clients and hope to expand my knowledge of the different viewpoints. Hopefully, then I will have a more focused stance on this topic. After our few trips to Paradise I feel that my stance has not changed but has grown. Going to Paradise the first time was our chance to better learn what the town needs. In order to gain a better understanding we had to dive into the community without any preconceived biases. This means we have to approach the situation not in the way that we are coming to solve their problems, but we are there to listen to them. Overall, many of the individuals we visited seemed excited about our ideas, therefore for now we will continue the same processes that we have always been taking.

MOONSHOT The project I chose to take on is a Nature Discovery Center which will be located around Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road by the Flumes. Different activities I can see taking place in this project include interactive ecology classes, hiking trips led by locals, research, community events, and much more. Paradise has the perfect setting for this project, and I feel that having this center will highlight the natural beauty of the place. When visiting the highschool, many of the students expressed how they wished the Flumes would be built again. I learned that this was a very popular spot for many to go to. Bringing a similar asset back would change the narrative because it would spark nostalgia with the old residents but also attract new ones This Nature Discovery Center would be a perfect place to bring in different students doing scientific research, where they can even have part time jobs in teaching ecology classes. The center could also bring in local volunteers such as high school students who can lead different hiking trips. Finally, this center would also have a few assembly spaces where different community events could be held. Throughout my journey in architecture school, I found that my favorite aspect is creating a story within my spaces. Whether it be a scene of highschool students in their standard collared volunteer shirts guiding visitors through the hiking trails, or Chico scholars out in the woods teaching individuals how to test soil levels, there are a lot of narratives I can create in my Nature Discovery Center. This project will also be an exciting challenge because of the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slopes, finding the perfect style to fit the the forest scenery, and much more. During my research, I found that the Flumes were an asset of Paradise, which was confirmed to me by the high school students I met. I also learned from Kentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s class that the different streams in Paradise served many diverse species, which would make a perfect place to learn about ecology. Finally, I learned about the term of ecotourism. A Nature Discovery Center would not only bring hikers and visitors in, but can also attract workers interested in a field that revolves around nature. Thus, this Nature Discovery center could add both social and economic resiliency.

101

PRECEDENTS MONT-TREMBLANT NATIONAL PARK DISCOVERY CENTRE

103

PRECEDENTS FRICK ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER

105

1 lobby

7 staff / admin

2 cafe

8 rain collection / garden

3 obser vation deck

9 hiker â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lounge

4 sanctuar y

10 research

5 banquet hall

11 active learning

6 galler y

12 atrium

3 7

LE VEL 0

FLUMES NATURE CENTER ecotourism: tourism directed toward exotic, often threatened, natural environments, intended to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife. assets: located near the old Flumes and adjacent to feather river and the cable pools, this center showcases the natural beauty of the town, attracting diverse individuals from hiking enthusiasts to ecology specialists. rain collection: with abundant yearly rain, this center includes a demonstration of rain water harvesting, which can be observed and implemented heavily throughout the town.

107

HEARTH + RESCUE (EARLY ITERATIONS)

109

111

WORKS CITED

Chapter 1: Introduction Rural Studio and the Architecture of Decency, Dean and Hursley, Introduction (1-13) Introduction: McDonald, L . H. ( 2000). This Paradise we call home. Paradise, CA: Gold Nugget Museum. California, S. O. (n.d.). California Statewide Fire Map. Retrieved from http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/ incidents_details_info?incident_id=227 7 http://www.ontheridge.com/paradise.html http://www.usacitiesonline.com/cacountyparadise. htm#history https://www.townofparadise.com/index.php/visitors/ about-paradise Chapter 2: Community Overview History http://www.ontheridge.com/paradise.html http://www.usacitiesonline.com/cacountyparadise. htm#history https://www.townofparadise.com/index.php/visitors/ about-paradise Culture and Community Assets https://www.paradiseprpd.com/index.html https://www.townofparadise.com/index.php/9uncategorised/93-gold-nugget-days http://www.paradisechamber.com/johnny-appleseeddays http://www.seecalifornia.com/festivals/paradise-johnnyappleseed-days.html http://chocolatefest.us/ Economics U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics **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/geo/ paradise-ca/. UDA . “Paradise, California.” Paradise, California, 2019, makeitparadise.org/. U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics **Census data is tagged to residential address, not a work address, some residents may live in Paradise and work somewhere else

Ecosystem Understanding Climate Consultant “Paradiso Series.” USDA , October 2006. Web. 16 May 2019. https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/P/ PARADISO.html. “About Paradise.” Town Of Paradise. Web. 16 May 2019. https://www.townofparadise.com/index.php/visitors/ about-paradise. “Climate Paradise - California.” U.S. Climate Data. Web. 16 May 2019. https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/ paradise/california/united-states/usca0836 “Butte Valley Wildlife Area.” California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 31 October 2018. Web. May 16. 2019. https:// www.wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Butte-ValleyWA . California Native Plant Society. Web. 16 May 2019. loc39.7596,-121.6219(Paradise, California). “Mountainside Settlements.” Architecture 2030 Palette. Web. 17 May 2019. http://2030palette.org/mountainsidesettlements/ “Choosing the Right Plants for Northern Nevada’s High Fire Hazard Areas.” Living With Fire. Web. 17 May 2019. https://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/nr/2017/ sp1701.pdf “Building.” Architecture 2030 Palette. Web. 17 May 2019. http://2030palette.org/building/ Chapter 3: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery Defining and Implementing Recovery Becker, Christine. “Disaster Recovery: A Local Government Responsibility`.” ICMA , ICMA , Mar. 2009, icma.org/sites/ default/files/47 18_.pdf. “Community Recovery Plan.” Make It Paradise, UDA , 18 Apr. 2019, issuu.com/makeitparadise/docs/2350pres190418_ final_rev_. https://calfire-forestry.maps.arcgis. com/apps/webappviewer/index. html?id=5306cc8cf38c4252830a38d467d33728&extent=-

135478 10.5486%2C4824920.167 3%2C-1351876 4.47 78%2C4 8 41526.1117%2C102100 “Long-Term Community Recovery Planning Process: A Self Help Guide.” Fema.gov, FEMA , Dec. 2005, www.fema.gov/ media-library-data/20130726-1538-20490-8825/selfhelp. pdf. Vujanovic, Anka A , and Matthew W Gallagher. “Psychological Impact of Natural Disasters in Adults.” Psychological Impact of Natural Disasters in Adults University of Houston, University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, 12 Sept. 2017, www. uh.edu/class/news/archive/2017/august-september/ natural-disasters-impact-adults/. Wildland Urban Interface http://www.fire.ca.gov/fire_prevention/fire_prevention_ wildland_codes https://makeitparadise.org/brochure Defensible Space: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/pds/ fire_resistant.html Fire Resistive HomesL http://www.energy-design-tools. aud.ucla.edu/FIRES.html

hcd.ca.gov/community-development/disaster-recoveryprograms/cdbg-dr/docs/HCD-CDBG-DR-AP-01Nov18Full-English.pdf Paradise Recovery Plan: https://makeitparadise.org/ Town of Paradise, Butte County Recovers: http:// wildfirerecovery.org/ Appendices Precedent: Mont Tremblant https://www.archdaily.com/55447 7/discovery-centrefor-the-mont-tremblant-national-park-smith-vigeantarchitects Precedent: Frick Environmental https://www.archdaily.com/8946 49/frick-environmentalcenter-bohlin-cywinski-jackson

Chapter 4: Vision and Goals Design Thinking: https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_brown_ urges_designers_to_think_big?language=en 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 ( 33-8 1) 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.

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