Puerto Rico Re_Start 2 - Municipality of Cataño, Toa Baja and Dorado

International Project & Research Workshop

Puerto Rico Re_Start 2 Š

Municipalities of CataĂąo, Toa Baja & Dorado Eco-transformation

A new vision for the Atlantic shore line and its communities

Edited by Prof. Martha Kohen Workshop Director

Dr. Harrison Fraker Dr. Silvia Aloisio Lab Directors

Maria E. Barrios Workshop Coord.

Workshop Directors: Dr. Carlos Betancourt - Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Prof. Martha Kohen - University of Florida

Workshop Coordinators: Dr. Omayra Rivera - Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Maria E. Barrios - University of Florida

Lab Directors: Dr. Harrison Fraker - Berkeley University Dr. Silvia Aloisio - University of La Sapienza Consultants: Jonathan Marvel - Marvel Architects Jose Juan Terraza - Marvel Architects Prof. Melissa DĂ­az - Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, School of Engineering Dr. Lucio Barbera - UNESCO Chair-holder Sustainable Urban Quality & Urban Culture Students: Shane Ah-Siong | Natasha Beach | Thanh Huynh | Natasha Lotch | Kathryn Mallory | Aya Mohanna |

Victoria Tracy

Eco-transformation

A new vision for the Atlantic shore line and its communities

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Concept

The future of the local communities is linked to their capacity to re-adapt their way of life to the new conditions imposed by the climate and the economic situation. To test this idea we selected along the Atlantic shore line an established settlement: Levittown, very affected during the hurricane, to apply some selected strategies as the use of renewable energy, biogas production composting of waste, retrofitting of the existing residential typologies and more, providing a sustainable collective urban action to transform it into a resilient sustainable community. The belief is that the recycling and sustainable systems could become a community building, and a social experience, useful to achieve systemic change, providing a demonstration project for the island. Working on the neighborhood scale allows us to create a self-sufficient community in energy, waste and water, towards an integrated system through renewing a traditional urban model. More in detail we have studied Levittown as part of a larger system that goes from Cataňo to Dorado. We suggest that to encourage the “re_starting” of the island we have to consider the possible collaboration between municipalities, a vision that puts together their strongest points like: the waterfront of Cataňo, the water link between Cataňo and San Juan, the creation of a bike path along the coastline to improve “slow tourism” and an alternative to automobiles for residents, the enhancement/promotion of the preservation reuse, and the agricultural land and the implementation of greenhouses. This new vision/masterplan addresses weakness like flood risk and the proliferation of abandoned buildings.

At neighborhood scale we proposed the re-activation of abandoned lots, introducing in that spot for each eco-community a “living machine” that can guarantee the self-sustenance of the block, the increase the permeability of the soil to help water management and the buildings creating a hybrid floodable ground floor. Every residential unit could be equipped with photovoltaic panels and a system to collect and re-use the rainwater, integrated in the new design for a renovated residential typology.

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Existing Conditions

Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo, PR

To test the idea, the team identified an existing settlement, Levittown, that was very affected during hurricane Maria and applied selected strategies to transform it into a resilient sustainable community.

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Selected Areas

Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo, PR

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Master Plan Proposal

Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo, PR

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The team studied Levittown as part of a larger system that goes from Cataño to Dorado. The proposal encourages the “re_starting” of the island, for which collaboration between municipalities must be considered, proposing a vision that put together their strongest points such as: the waterfront of Cataño, the water link between Cataño and San Juan, the possibility to create a bike path that goes along the coastline becoming a way to improve the “slow tourism” and provide residents an alternative to automobiles, the enhancement of the conservation areas, to addresses weaknesses such as flood prone areas, and the proliferation of abandoned buildings caused by population migration.

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Area 1: Cataño

Dorado, Toa Baja and Cataño Proposal

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Cataño New Waterfront

Dorado, Toa Baja and Cataño Proposal

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Bike Path

Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo Proposal

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Existing Conditions

Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo Proposal

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Future Conditions

Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo Proposal

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Existing Conditions

Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo Proposal

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Future Conditions

Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo Proposal

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Area 2: Toa Baja - Levittown Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo Proposal

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Levittown - Water Management Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo Proposal

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Levittown - Eco Communities Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo Proposal

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Eco Communities - Type A Levittown Proposal

Eco- Community Number of Houses: 433 Number of people: 856 Number of Abandoned Houses: 8 Number of Abandoned Special Buildings: 5 Investment Buildings: 26

Consumption per resident in one year

Consumption per Household

Consumption of the Block

Water: 36,720 gal/yr Waste: 1,864.8 lbs / yr Energy: 5,837.27 kWh/yr

Water: 91,800 gal/yr Waste: 4,662 lbs/yr Energy: 14,593.18 kWh/yr

Water: 39,749,400 gal/yr Waste: 1,596,286 lbs/yr Energy: 4,996,403 kWh/yr

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Type A

Functional Diagrams

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Type A

Existing Conditions

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Type A

Future Conditions

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Type A

Future Conditions

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Type A

Anaerobic Digester - The Living Machine

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Type A

Anaerobic Digester - The Living Machine

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Type A

Anaerobic Digester - The Living Machine

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Eco Communities - Type B Levittown Proposal

266 Houses

665 Residents

Abandoned Houses: 8 No Ownership: 1 Investment companies: 5 Housing department: 2

Consumption per resident in one year

Consumption per Household

Consumption of the Block

Water: 36,720 gal/yr Waste: 1,864.8 lbs / yr Energy: 5,837.27 kWh/yr

Water: 91,800 gal/yr Waste: 4,662 lbs/yr Energy: 14,593.18 kWh/yr

Water: 24,418,800 gal/yr Waste: 1,240,092 lbs/yr Energy: 3,881,785,88 kWh/yr

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Eco Block - Type B

Retrofitting at a Neighborhood Scale

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Levittown

Existing Housing Typologies

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New Housing Typologies Levittown Proposal Existing Typology

Proposed Typology

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Area 3: Dorado - Eco Agriculture

Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo Proposal

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Area 3: Eco Agriculture

Dorado, Toa Baja and CataĂąo Proposal

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University of Florida + Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico