Transforming Poorest city to Forest City : The Reimagined ScarCities

Project idea

1. URBAN INCUBATOR- It is an attempt to revitalize the principles of collectivism in order to focus resources and effectively steer the development. The house is the central piece, giving the initiative and energy to construct the site, and, with its own program, it orchestrates the operation of the landscape
2.VERTICAL IRRIGATION- Flood can be treated as opportunity. Overflowed river water can act as a natural fertilizer, reducing the need of using chemicals. The area can be developed into an exclusive bio-agriculture zone with higher economic values. trajectories over the ground.
3.ORGANIC ENERGY TOWER- Natural sedimentation and on-site water treatment enable the development of organic agricultural products. While lowland can cater for crops, a new network of highland can be used to experiment and cultivate orchard, which brings more jobs and income.
4. URBAN REFRIGERATOR- Besides maintaining the compactness of the housing complex, agriculture gives initiatives to secure the permeable surface as it provides more job and income for the neighborhood. Multi- and cross-scale hierarchies of agriculture and water management are proposed in order to optimize the use of open space as an urban food source.

Project description

The Transforming Scarcities Project is proposed in metropolitan Manila which houses almost 15 million people during the day and 8.5 million people during the night. Most of the agricultural products consumed in Metro Manila are imported from Baguio, Ilocos Region and Central Luzon. However, what is produced in Manila itself is difficult to bring into the city on account of congestion and time constraints. Food production in Manila had become an issue in the city. However, poverty is an intractable problem in the Philippines for many years. Rapid urbanization has created problems of land and housing scarcity, and as these scarcities increase and housing prices rise, economic constraints force the poor to inhabit land that no one else wants. Hence, a proper housing project should be taken to reduce the poverty rate in the city.

Transforming Scarcities Project is a bright idea in giving hope to poor people in Metro Manila to survive in a better lifestyle. Transforming Scarcities Project is a combined housing and farming project, where the residents will live, farming and working in the same building. This project encourages citizens to involve in urban farming and produce food to reach the demand of the city. This project is emphasized for the poor people in Metro Manila to secure a safe living environment and provide jobs opportunities to the people. How does the building function?

The building consists of 500 units (50 sqm per unit), 40 levels of farming area (Hydroponics and Aerobics), outdoor farming area, market and food stall at the ground floor. The main concept of the project is to enable residents to live, farming and working together in the same building. This cycle enables them to earn money in order to pay for their rental fees. Working and living within a building helps them in saving money and energy which is more economical. The products of the farming will be sold at the ground floor market and food stall. Eventually, the idea will help in reducing unemployment and urban poverty issue as people are getting jobs.

The main purpose of Transforming Scarcities Project is to provide a better living place for the poor people in the Philippines and eventually lower the unemployment and poverty rate. Besides, encouraging urban farming that is beneficial for a developing city like Metro Manila. To make a new border for inclusivity but not to marginalized.

Turning congested areas into free, organized and free spaces can improve not only the quality of the lives of the inhabitants but also the environment surrounding them. Putting the similar houses in the same neighborhood can affect the relationship of one another in a community. Even though there are numerous people living in the area, because of the organized and planned housing units, it would not look congested. It also allows privacy for each occupant. Living between borders can make their lives comfortable and at ease.

Technical information

1. Thermal Strategy- If two semi-infinite bodies initially at temperatures T1 and T2 are brought in perfect thermal contact, the temperature at the contact surface Tm will be given by their relative effusivities. Generally, heat in a space is stagnant, but in a tapered space, spatial volume near the ceiling is much smaller, and thus easily cooled by chiller surface, and then it creates convection and makes thermal conditions in the tapers space close to the ideal condition.
2. Slopes/ramps- for joining two different levels, as at the entrance or between floors of a building instead of using any stairs or mechanical vertical lifts. To slow down the user and to appreciate what's on their surroundings. Making this project accessible to all especially for Person/s with disabilities.
3. Architectural stilts- Elevating the allotted space to make an open space above the ground and constructing architectural stilts to make sure that the site is durable.
4. Architectural marker- Extrude all sides to form a pyramid-like figure to serve as marker/border.
5. VORTEX BLADELESS- Vortex Bladeless is a vortex-induced vibration resonant wind generator, as compared to HAWT (horizontal axis wind turbines) and VAWT (vertical axis wind turbines) that work by rotation. Vortex's innovation comes from its unusual shape and way of harnessing energy by oscillation, where a fiberglass and carbon fiber mast oscillates in the wind taking advantage of the emission of Von Karman's vortexes when a fluid passes through a slender structure. At the bottom of the mast, a carbon fiber rod moves an alternator that generates electricity with no moving parts in contact. Since Vortex devices don't rotate they cannot be technically called "turbines".
6. HYBRID SOLAR CELL- a hybrid solar cell that can produce electricity come rain or shine, using the triboelectric effect to harvest energy from the movement of raindrops on its surface.