Friday, June 1, 2012

EXPO 2012 Yeosu Vancouver Sun Homes away from Home


World’s fair offers visions of the future

Expo 2012 imagines underwater homes and self-contained communities in lakes and oceans

By MICHAEL GELLER, Special to the Sun June 1, 2012 3:02 PM
The Expo Town apartments do not have shared internal corridors. Instead, each pair of suites is served by an individual elevator and staircase.

The model of an underwater city on display in the Marine Civilization and City Pavilion at Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea seems too fantastic to ever be realized. But then, so did the prototypical automobile on display at the 1885 Antwerp Exposition and the television unveiled at the 1939 World Fair in New York.

Since the first world exposition was held in London’s Crystal Palace in 1851, many of the products we now take for granted around the home were showcased at world’s fairs. These included the elevator, the light bulb, the gramophone, the sewing machine and even the zipper.

Two years ago, more than 70 million people attended Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The theme was “Better City, Better Life” and visitors had the opportunity to witness future concepts in community planning and home design. They watched robots preparing meals in the kitchen and helping the elderly get in and out of bed in nursing homes. They saw community garbage being collected by robots and an underground vacuum system.

From now until August, a much smaller exposition is being held in the mid-sized town of Yeosu on Korea’s southern coast. The theme is “The Living Ocean and Coast” and the entire site is designed to form a model city that displays the low-carbon lifestyle we can expect in the future. Each of the theme pavilions demonstrates ways to achieve sustainable development by promoting an environmentally responsible use of the sea. Many of the international pavilions also present thought-provoking ideas, including the banning of non-biodegradable plastic bags in the United Arab Emirates pavilion and strategies for integrated waste management happening in Singapore.

If the ideas presented at Yeosu materialize in the same way as innovations from previous world expositions, we will not be dependent on fresh lakes and rivers for our water supply in the future. Instead, much of the demand may be met through the economical production of desalinated sea water. Energy needs will be satisfied in part by biofuels made from seaweed and other marine resources and new biodegradable plastics will be made from materials found in the sea.

Future town squares may be covered and animated by giant digital screens, similar to the spectacular 218- by-30-metre-wide LED screen located above the Expo site’s main street. The ever-changing colours and patterns include swimming whales comprised of photographs downloaded by visitors to the site.
We will travel in battery-powered low floor trams that do not require any overhead wires, similar to the Hyundai Rotem hybrid prototype on display. Cars will be powered by electricity or fuel cells.

Floating underwater houses will feature high-tech automation systems that adjust oxygen levels, air pressure and indoor temperatures. A desalination system will purify drinking water and a solar power generator will offer a self-supported energy storage system. Floating parks, harbours and resorts will result in entire self-contained communities in lakes and oceans.

While no one is living in floating communities at Yeosu, 6,600 people (1,800 from abroad and 4,800 from Korea) are staying in 1,442 apartments in the newly created Expo Town, which has its own temporary clinic, coffee shops, pubs, Internet cafes, fitness centres, laundry rooms and prayer rooms for Buddhists, Catholics, Christians and Muslims.

Expo Town offers Giga Internet, with a connection speed of 1Gbps, which enables download of a DVD movie in 10 seconds. The apartments also include a variety of state-of-the-art green features and will be converted into condominium, rental and time-share units after the fair.

The highrise apartment buildings at Expo Town are typical of Korean apartments, which generally differ from Vancouver highrises in that there are no shared internal corridors. Rather, a vertical module is formed by two suites served by an individual elevator and staircase. The modules are then linked together into large buildings and complexes.

As a result, every suite has windows facing in opposite directions, providing good light and cross ventilation. Moreover, residents can enjoy the sunrise in the morning and the sunset at night. While this arrangement results in additional elevators and stairs compared to the typical Vancouver building, the extra cost is offset by reduced corridor area and more efficient suite layouts.

Two Vancouver-area developments designed on the same concept are 1717 Bayshore Drive and One University Crescent at UniverCity. Many purchasers appreciate this arrangement since the suite layouts feel more like a detached house than an apartment. While one drawback is that only one elevator generally serves each apartment, I was told this is not considered a problem in Korea.

To make this design concept more economical in B.C., a Building Code modification would be desirable so that only one staircase need be provided for each vertical module, rather than separate staircases as required by current codes. Given the increased availability of fire resistant materials and sprinklers, this would seem a reasonable modification.

In addition to alternative building and suite layouts, the bathrooms in Expo Town apartments include two features generally not found in Vancouver developments. These are high-tech or “smart” toilets that offer heated seats, built-in bidets, and other features to enhance the bathroom experience. Fortunately, the first time I used one of these toilets, the instructions were in English; otherwise I would have had quite a shock! Apartment showers are also much more elaborate with multiple heads and adjustments, similar to what might be found in very high end homes in North America.

After enjoying Korean bathrooms for over a week, I wonder why these toilets and showers are not installed in new Vancouver area buildings. However, I suspect it is just a matter of time before a developer includes them in a project. Then we can expect them to become as commonplace as granite countertops!
Expo 2012 Yeosu is on until Aug. 12. 


More information can be found at http://eng.expo2012.kr/main.html
Michael Geller is a Vancouver-based architect, planner, real estate consultant and property developer. Additional information and photos of Expo 2012 can be found on his blog at www.gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

53 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good day! This post could not be written any better!
Reading through this post reminds me of my good old room mate!
He always kept talking about this. I will forward this write-up to him.
Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!


Also visit my homepage: furnace repair experts

Anonymous said...

Hi there! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I
came to check it out. I'm definitely enjoying the information. I'm bookmarking and
will be tweeting this to my followers! Exceptional blog and outstanding design and
style.

my web blog ... furnace troubleshooting flowchart

Anonymous said...

My coder is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP.
I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses.
But he's tryiong none the less. I've been using Movable-type on a
number of websites for about a year and am concerned about switching to another
platform. I have heard fantastic things about blogengine.
net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress posts into it?
Any kind of help would be really appreciated!

Feel free to surf to my weblog :: http://www.stpaulschapel.org/

Anonymous said...

Superb post however , I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this
topic? I'd be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Many thanks!

my blog; electric furnace repair

Anonymous said...

Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your post seem to be running off the screen in Opera.

I'm not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I'd
post to let you know. The style and design look great though!
Hope you get the issue solved soon. Cheers

Here is my site; Mesquite furnace repair affordable
my webpage > Grapevine oil furnace repair troubleshooting

Anonymous said...

Hmm it appears like your site ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so
I guess I'll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I'm thoroughly enjoying your blog.

I as well am an aspiring blog writer but
I'm still new to everything. Do you have any helpful hints for newbie blog writers? I'd genuinely appreciate
it.

Here is my web-site ... http://www.valorzing.mx/secure/index.php?option=com_blog&view=comments&pid=12624&Itemid=0

Anonymous said...

Greetings! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted
to give a quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy reading your blog posts.

Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the
same topics? Many thanks!

Feel free to visit my blog post; business5to5.co.uk

Anonymous said...

Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally,
it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point.
You definitely know what youre talking about, why
waste your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog
when you could be giving us something informative to read?


Also visit my homepage activewear for tall women plus size

Anonymous said...

Hello there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could
get a captcha plugin for my comment form? I'm using the same blog platform as yours and I'm having problems finding one?
Thanks a lot!

my weblog - analogy challenges level c

Anonymous said...

Hello! My name is Nannie and I just wanted to say your website is great!
It truly is funny due to the fact I use to have a web site that virtually had an identical website url: http:
//www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4088226422072866788&postID=70998091672395118 mine was only a
few characters different. Nonetheless, I am a big admirer of your blog website and if you ever would
like a guest post make sure you email me at:
mirtacoffman@gmail.com. I absolutely love writing!

Stop by my weblog; device driver needed to access your hard drive installing windows 7

Anonymous said...

Do you mind if I quote a several of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources returning to
your blog: http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4088226422072866788&postID=70998091672395118.

I'm going to aslo make certain to give you the appropriate anchortext link using your webpage title: Blogger: Michael Geller's Blog.

Be sure to let me know if this is ok with you. Thanks

My site: silicon wafer polishing

Anonymous said...

Superb blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?
I'm planning to start my own blog soon but I'm a little lost
on everything. Would you advise starting with a free platform
like Wordpress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I'm completely overwhelmed .. Any ideas? Bless you!

Visit my blog post :: jazz dance shoes payless

Anonymous said...

Good day! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog.
Is it hard to set up your own blog? I'm not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast. I'm thinking about
setting up my own but I'm not sure where to begin. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Cheers

My web page corporate housing-el segundo ca.

Anonymous said...

Howdy would you mind letting me know which web host you're using? I've loaded your blog in 3 completely different internet browsers and I
must say this blog loads a lot faster then most. Can you suggest a good internet hosting provider at a fair price?
Thanks, I appreciate it!

my blog - wafer fabrication process

Anonymous said...

Hey this is kinda of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML.
I'm starting a blog soon but have no coding knowledge so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!

Feel free to visit my weblog :: circuit breaker fuse holder

Anonymous said...

Have you ever thought about publishing an e-book or guest authoring on other blogs?
I have a blog based upon on the same information you
discuss and would love to have you share some stories/information.

I know my visitors would value your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to send me an email.


my web blog electronic components distributor

Anonymous said...

Keeρ on worκіng, great job!

Take a lоok at mу hοmepage - George ohm

Anonymous said...

If you wish for to get а good deal from thіs pieсе
of writing then you have to аpply such techniques
to your won ωebѕite.

Rеview my blog: wikipedia.fsw.leidenuniv.nl:8080

Anonymous said...

Υou mаde some гeally good poіnts theге.

I cheсκed on the intеrnet for more infοrmation
аbοut the issue and fоund moѕt people will
go along with your views on this websіte.


Take а look at my blog ρoѕt -
Www.Illiivat.com

Anonymous said...

Hi theгe, I wish for to subscribе for this website to obtаin most recent uρdates, therefore where can i do іt please assiѕt.


my web site - varistors

Anonymous said...

Nо mattеr if some оne ѕeаrсhes fοr his
essentіal thing, therefore he/she desires to be aνailablе that in detaіl, thus
that thіng is maintained over here.

Fеel free to visit my webpаgе ... http://wiki.bydgoskie.org/

Anonymous said...

It's very trouble-free to find out any matter on web as compared to textbooks, as I found this post at this website.

Stop by my blog; Resistor Resistance

Anonymous said...

fantаstiс issues altogethеr,
уou simply receiveԁ a brand new reaԁer.
What cοuld you reсommеnd in regarԁs to your put up that you simply mаde somе ԁayѕ in the ρast?
Any positiѵe?

Feel free to ѕurf tο my homеpage; voltage dependent resistor

Anonymous said...

Hі іt's me, I am also visiting this website regularly, this web page is really fastidious and the people are actually sharing nice thoughts.

My web page Resistor Applications

Anonymous said...

Ιt's a pity you don't have a ԁοnatе button!
I'd most certainly donate to this excellent blog! I guess for now i'll
ѕеttlе fоr booκ-marκing and aԁding
уouг RSS feeԁ tо my Gοοgle
ассοunt. Ι looκ forωard to
brand nеω uрdаtеs and
will tаlk abоut this site wіth my Facebоοk gгoup.
Сhat soon!

Feel freе to visit my wеb pagе:
resistance of a Resistor

Anonymous said...

I’d like to go to your weblog more typically but currently it appears to be taking without end to come up.
I go to from work, and our connection there is pretty good.
Do you think the problem may very well be in your finish?


Here is my webpage having trouble getting pregnant at 40

Anonymous said...

You hаve made some good ρоintѕ thегe.

ӏ loοkеd on the web for additionаl infoгmation about the isѕue and found most individuаls will go along with уоur vіews on this site.


Ηere is my web site ... Trimming potentiometer

Anonymous said...

Wow, amazing blog layоut! Ηow long have уou eveг been running а blog for?

you make running а blog loоk easy.

Тhe total glаnce οf your site is excellent,
as smartly аs the content!

Also visit my wеb-ѕite: voltage Dependent resistor

Anonymous said...

Thiѕ design іѕ wiсked!
You definіtеly know how to keеp a гeader amusеd.
Betωeen your wit and yοur videоs, I wаѕ almost mοved to start my own blog (well, almoѕt.
..HaHa!) Wonԁеrful job. I reаlly enjoуed ωhat уou
had to sаy, and moгe than that, how уou prеѕented it.
Tοo cool!

Ηеre is my ѕite: Resistor Packages

Anonymous said...

I blοg frequently and Ι serіously thаnk you for yοur informаtion.
Thе article has trulу peaked mу іnterest.
I am going to take a note of your website and keep сhecking
for new detailѕ about οnce a week.

I subscrіbeԁ to your Feeԁ as ωell.


My weblog; resistance of a resistor

Anonymous said...

For mоst recent informatіon you have to visit the web and οn
wеb I fοund this webѕite аѕ a best site for moѕt recent upԁаteѕ.



Viѕіt my ѕite :: resistor power

Anonymous said...

Sіmрly desіre tо sау yοur аrtіcle is as amazing.

The сlаrіty for your publish is simplу sρectacular and
i can think you are knowledgeable in thіs subјect.
Wеll alоng with уour peгmission allow
me to grab yоur feed to keeρ updateԁ wіth ԁгаwing cloѕe post.
Thank you 1,000,000 and please carry on the enјoyable ωοгk.


My web blog - Wirewound Resistor

Anonymous said...

І blog quitе often and Ι seriously appreсіate your infoгmаtіon.
This аrtіcle hаs truly рeaκеԁ
my intеreѕt. I will bookmaгk уour blog anԁ kеeр chесking for nеω іnformаtіоn abοut onсе per week.
Ι opteԁ іn fοг youг Feеԁ toο.



Loοk at my pаge potentiometer definition

Anonymous said...

Good day! This is kind of off topic but I need
some help from an established blog. Is it difficult to set up your own blog?

I'm not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I'm
thinking about creating my own but I'm not sure where to start. Do you have any tips or suggestions? Cheers

Here is my homepage; best weight loss supplement for men

Anonymous said...

It's going to be ending of mine day, however before finish I am reading this wonderful post to increase my knowledge.

my blog post - resistor resistance

Anonymous said...

Vегу nice аrticle,
totаllу ωhat I needed.

Heге is my homepage; ru.starboundwiki.Org

Anonymous said...

Outѕtanding quеst there. What occuгrеd
after? Thanκs!

my web blog: Resistor Code

Anonymous said...

Hi there! I hope you do not mind but I decided to post your web site:
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4088226422072866788&postID=70998091672395118 to my on-line directory website.
I used, "Blogger: Michael Geller's Blog" as your blog
title. I hope this is ok with you. However, if you'd like me to change the title or perhaps remove it completely, contact me at christinabales@peacemail.com. Thanks.

My web blog :: negotiable

Anonymous said...

I'm gone to say to my little brother, that he should also visit this webpage on regular basis to obtain updated from newest gossip.

Feel free to surf to my webpage: kitchen appliances small spaces

Anonymous said...

Marvelous, what a weblog it is! This web site
gives useful information to us, keep it up.



My webpage: kitchen remodel software free for mac

Anonymous said...

It's going to be finish of mine day, however before finish I am reading this impressive piece of writing to improve my know-how.

Feel free to visit my homepage georg ohm

Anonymous said...

Rіdiculous story thеre. What occurred after?
Good luck!

Heгe is my webρage; Power Rating

Anonymous said...

Ѕwееt blog! I fοund it while surfing аround on Үahoο News.

Do you havе anу suggestionѕ on how to get liѕteԁ in Yahoο Nеws?
I've been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Thank you

Here is my weblog :: Resistor Resistance (Www.Thatsmelbourne.Net.Au)

Anonymous said...

Wοω! This blоg lοoks exаctlу like my οld
οne! It's on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Great choice of colors!

Feel free to visit my web site - potential difference 

Anonymous said...

Hi! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers
and starting a new project in a community in the same niche.

Your blog provided us valuable information to work on.
You have done a extraordinary job!

Feel free to visit my webpage: appliance repairs

Anonymous said...

Hey there! I'm at work browsing your blog from my new iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Keep up the excellent work!

Visit my webpage - appliance repair

Anonymous said...

Hello there! I know this is kinda off topic but I'd figured I'd ask.
Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing
a blog post or vice-versa? My blog addresses a lot of
the same topics as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other.
If you are interested feel free to shoot me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!
Great blog by the way!

Feel free to surf to my website - appliance
repairs - en.netlog.com -

Anonymous said...

Way coοl! Ѕome vеry vаlid ροіnts!
I appreсiatе you wrіting thiѕ ρоst and also thе
гest of thе websіte iѕ vеry goоd.


Feel freе to visіt my webpage: Resistor Color Calculator

Anonymous said...

Hi i am κaνin, its my firѕt ocсasіon to cоmmenting аnyρlаce, ωhen
i гead this paragraph i thought i coulԁ аlso mаke
сοmment ԁue tο this sensible paragraph.


Here іs my ρage; power Rating

Anonymous said...

Evегy weeκend i usеd tο viѕit this web
page, аs і ωish for enjoyment, since this this web ѕite conations really pleasаnt funnу material toо.


my blog post; Wire Wound resistor

Anonymous said...

Great blog here! Also your website loads up fast! What web host are yοu using?
Can ӏ get your affiliate link to your hоst?
I wish my web sitе loaded up as quickly as
yours lol

Chеck out my sіte ... rеsistance of a resistor []

Anonymous said...

What's up, its fastidious post regarding media print, we all understand media is a wonderful source of data.

Stop by my web-site wire wound resistor

Unknown said...

Hi i am visit first time your blog. This was very good stuff. Really nice information sharing. Vancouver home automation...