Among the drawings he has been posting on his Facebook page is a smiling Spongebob figure beneath busy thoroughfares, which is really Alcazaren's image for large underground cisterns for collecting rainwater which would otherwise become floods.
Witty and exasperated, Alcazaren has been hyperactively reminding his Facebook fans in the days leading up to Typhoon Pablo that simple solutions can be found to flooding, if Filipinos just found the will and common sense.
The weeks following Ondoy in 2009 saw him produce a flood of drawings containing his quirky ideas, from a barangay hall design with a helipad for quicker evacuations to a hardier umbrella.
He has been trotting out these designs and more than a few new ones, as Typhoon Pablo made flooding top of mind again. A few of his proposals below.
1. Oplan Spongebob
One of his most recent designs posted just before Typhoon Pablo arrived in the Philippines , posted on his Facebook wall, is dubbed “Oplan Spongebob.”
Spongebob represents a giant rainwater catchment basin, which could prevent floods by simply providing a large enough space for water underground.. Image by Paulo Alcazaren
It represents a giant rainwater catchment basin, which could prevent floods by simply providing a large enough space for water underground. It's a public application of a concept that has already been implemented by private developers.
Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City, for one, has a flood catchment basin underneath its Burgos Circle.
Alcazaren's vision for a barangay hall that can possibly enable nearby residents to survive the apocalypse.
After Ondoy ravaged Luzon in 2009, Alcazaren drew a multi-level barangay hall with a helipad for rescue operations, elevated rescue boats, one floor full of relief goods, and solar panels as an alternative source of power.
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In this photo, one billboard = 100 shelters for 500 refugees. This, according to Alcazaren, can help informal settlers have better structures for their houses, and clear the major roads from huge billboards, an obvious pet peeve to the urban reformist.
4. Better yet, build bridges from billboards.
Because major streets are filled with billboards, Alcazaren thinks we will not run out of uses for them, such as stronger bridges from the metal poles.
“All of my sketches are drawn to scale,” Alcazaren said about his sketches which generate voluminous comments on Facebook.
Alcazaren, who is also one of the authors of the book "Lungsod Iskwater," said that one of the major problems that need to be addressed to mitigate flooding is the relocation of informal settlers.
5. Stop squatting, build medium-rise buildings (see here).
Because major streets are filled with billboards, Alcazaren thinks we will not run out of uses for them, such as stronger bridges from the metal poles.
“All of my sketches are drawn to scale,” Alcazaren said about his sketches which generate voluminous comments on Facebook.
Alcazaren, who is also one of the authors of the book "Lungsod Iskwater," said that one of the major problems that need to be addressed to mitigate flooding is the relocation of informal settlers.
5. Stop squatting, build medium-rise buildings (see here).
Alcazaren wrote as a description for this image:
“These squatter colonies are built with no infrastructure and are actually inefficient in its use of (more often than not, hazard-prone) land. They are all composed of mainly 1-2 story light structures and have what planners term - floor area ratios (FARs) of less than 1. A medium-rise development of 4-5 stories can accommodate the colony on using 20-25% of the original site. The 75% can then be turned to green open space (with water cisterns underneath to store storm surges and harvest rainfall). These buildings can sit on pilotis (concrete stilts) like public housing in Singapore, which are much taller and thereby accommodate more residents without reducing the open space around them. This strategy also allows clear views to the green space from the road and gives a feeling of spaciousness."
Alcazaren also said that the problem is so huge that solving it will take trillions of pesos, not to mention a large dose of political courage.
6. Proper zoning for residential areas
When PAGASA came out with the color coding system for rainfall amount, Alcazaren devised a proposal for proper zoning.
When PAGASA came out with the color coding system for rainfall amount, Alcazaren devised a proposal for proper zoning.
As a commentary on the lack of effective urban zoning in the country, Alcazaren proposed that government officials should reside near coastal areas -- so they are motivated by their own survival instinct to address the threat of inundation.
7. Armbrellas
Current umbrella designs usually cannot protect the user from stormy winds. Plus, walking beside someone who also carries an umbrella can be tricky.
Alcazaren said an "armbrella" can help end these problems. For one, it takes up less space and can be folded into backpack when not in use. He says that someone saw his idea on Facebook and has already commercialized it... in the United States.
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