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TIME LOOP

Written by: Korey Patterson and Nicholas Varga


We know that in the year that ME-18 opened the average lifespan of a commercial building was 50-60 years. The conditions surrounding the building and the need for changing uses of the structure have not made it easy for the building to stay up and running. Given that it has been roughly 200 years since ME-18 first opened, what has become of the space in the passing of time?


The space for the hyperloop has become an extraordinary campus and a technological facility that has been breaking down walls and boundaries, by uncovering a new means of transportation. When ME-18 was first introduced in 2020, it became a theoretical observation that seemed almost impossible to salvage and restore at the time. Although, ME-18 was later restored to its full glory and all the necessary features and equipment were restored with it. This facility created the fastest transportation system on the planet in 2020, and offered a haven and lab for people to come and visit, study, and observe the technological advancements that ME-18 has offered. Now we go to 200 years into the future, and we see something quite extraordinary that has occurred with the ME-18. The campus and facility have been revolutionized to a greater extent. The facility offers a newer transportation technology than the hyperloop that was presented two centuries ago. The campus itself has not changed the building and parts have moved from where they landed. Although, the other larger parts that have landed have also been restored as well and made use for new labs, offices, and common areas for everyone interested in the site.

As we know, the use of the structure had to be changed to keep up to date with the latest in transportation technology. Did this impact any changes in the design of the building? Also, did the size of the building have to be altered to accommodate these changes?


Most definitely! From 200 years ago when Korey Patterson and Nick Varga designed the original facility, they remade the facility into what it used to be. This was a laboratory dedicated to new transportation technology. They transformed the space and land around it at the time to offer a new space to the public and private lives of students and faculty, as well as the public. The transportation that was used back then was focused on the hyperloop and its revolutionary means of transportation. This made it possible to reach places faster than ever before and cut the quantity of emissions. Although, two centuries later, the hyperloop no longer exists.

ME-18 has made groundbreaking advancements in the means of transportation since the introduction of the hyperloop. Recently, in the last decade the last of the hyperloop tubes were taken down all around the world. The facilities however still remain standing. This is due to the newest technology of 2220 and is the fastest transportation system in the world, the Time Loop. This new technology warps the time, space, and molecules of an individual and transports them to a given location in a matter of milliseconds. By the time someone were to close their eyes, they would have already arrived at their destination. This new means of transportation cuts emissions completely and makes the world a better place.


Many buildings either get torn down and rebuilt or remodeled to accommodate a change in use. Since you talked about how the building had to grow, can you explain a little more into what has driven the expansion of ME-18 and what principles the structure held true to from its opening to its Time Loop remodel?


The entirety of the structure itself is a large and vast megastructure that was built on the concept of world building.

This structure was designed to be a megastructure that would be turned into a transportation facility capable of developing a transportation system that improved society and life. The building was in fact worn down and reconfigured when it crashed into the Earth and then was redesigned and repurposed. In 2220, the facility itself has taken megastructure to a new meaning in that there are new buildings on the campus for the people to visit and see.


ME-18 is a very unique structure in that it houses not only professional laboratories for professionals to work on the leading technology of human transportation systems, but also houses a state of the art area for students to learn and a welcoming public visitor experience. The idea of allowing the public to walk around companies headquarters started to become popular back when the structure first opened. Examples include Apple Park and Amazon’s headquarters. The guests of ME-18 are not only able to tour the facility, but are also able to watch how the professionals are working first hand. How have these different types of occupants impacted the spaces of ME-18 and what was the thought behind providing visitors with this kind of hands on experience?


The users that inhabit the ME-18 use the structure to the full extent of its ability. The people here use their time wisely and look towards the future. They look at how this structure came to be and what has become of this megastructure. The people here wander the campus in awe and see the new technology that is being invented. They see how the facility has been transformed with the landscape, and are also able to visit new locations on the site.

Inside, the people are able to see the labs and classrooms and visit the theatre and social spaces. The students who have impacted the space, spend time in classrooms learning about the new technology being invented and the capabilities of the hyperloop, as well as learning other subjects. The people in the lab have performed multiple experiments to make the performance of the hyperloop faster and more efficient, while also developing new technologies.


Although buildings in the desert don’t have to deal with heavy precipitation loads, they do have to be capable of withstanding harsh thermal conditions, ultraviolet degradation, and can even face high winds that blow sand into the building. These can cause large issues to structures and can really take a toll on them over time. Considering the design elements that went into designing ME-18, how would you anticipate this harsh climate impacting the structure itself?


The desert conditions have paid their toll on ME-18. The constant blowing of sand has scratched the structure and made it impossible to keep clean from day one. The sand, in addition to the hot desert sun constantly pounding down on the structure, really beat on the exterior of the structure.

The paint has been faded and chipped away, especially after intense maintenance ceased following the decision to dismantle the Hyperloop tracks. However, new buildings have been constructed around and branch off of ME-18 that have a much better exterior appearance thanks to a newly invented type of paint that helps protect metal against the constant corrosion of the desert environment. It was recently announced that the original structure of ME-18 will be repainted in a more modern fashion with this type of paint. In addition, two series of new, more energy efficient air conditioning systems have been installed since the first opening of the structure.


Over the course of 200 years a lot can impact how people use and occupy a space. We’ve seen examples of this from pandemics, environmental issues, and the amount of people who leave their homes for work decreasing more and more. By the year 2220, it is expected that less and less people will be going to physical places. Have the number of people using and occupying the structure been reduced, stayed the same, or increased since its original opening in 2020?


The structure has not become abandoned. In fact, it is more lively than ever! With the addition of the new buildings and landscapes, the most up to date technology, and being the leading research center in the world for Time Loop technology, people are flowing into ME-18 from near and far everyday to experience everything it has to offer. Between the daily influx of students, professionals, and public guests and constantly increasing technological advancements, people will likely continue to populate the structure for another 200 years.


As research is finding, buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. The theme of building a sustainable future was prevalent not only in the research conducted in ME-18, but also with the structure itself. Buildings with such a large impact on the world have proven to be influential to how other buildings are designed and built. To summarize, how would you describe the impact that this structure has had on the world?


ME-18 has had an amazing impact on the world over the past 200 years. To start, the structure is now housing the leading research for the newest, most efficient, and greenest way of transportation ever envisioned by mankind. Once finalized, travel will be practically instantaneous while releasing net zero emissions. This is not the only world changing transportation system that has been created in the labs of ME-18. As we all know the Hyperloop was also developed within this structure. At the time of its creation it was the fastest, most energy efficient transportation system in the world.

The Hyperloop was able to reduce noise pollution in many cities throughout the country, drastically reduce carbon emissions nationwide, and was able to reduce fossil fuel emissions from flying by 58%. Both of these systems have changed the way that people travel as well as the decreasing the impact that human travel has had on the environment, however, the structure has had an impact on much more than transportation. ME-18 has been the home of the leading lab set up and technology in the world since its opening in 2020. In addition, it has changed the way that people all over the world work and study by using industry leading methods and approaches to each. Finally, the structure has changed the way that public visitors can experience and learn from professionals while they are working, without interfering with them. This was the first building providing this type of public experience when it opened and has impacted the design and uses of many other buildings that were designed after it.


In review, ME-18 is a structure that has lasted 4 times the average lifespan of buildings in a harsh desert climate, can accompany three different types of occupants, has state of the art laboratories and educational facilities, has completely shifted what technology it is set up to research, and has grown vastly in size to hold the increasing number of users. Also, ME-18 has impacted the world in terms of helping to better the environment, creating the newest transportation technology, and influencing building design and construction for future buildings after it. With all of that said, what really is the best thing about the structure?


The best thing about ME-18 is how versatile and adaptable it is. Keep in mind that the structure originally started its life as a spaceship that was capable of traveling between planets. Since then, the structure has been used for laboratories, classrooms, and a place for visitors to learn and enjoy themselves. What’s amazing about this is how the structure was able to transform from one transportation system to another almost immediately after the Hyperloop was no longer in use. Not only has ME-18 been able to adapt the way it has, it has also been a precedent for laboratories, educational facilities, and guest experiences since its opening back in 2020.






Works Cited


Authorship, Hyperloop Transportation TechnologiesClose, et al. “What Will Hyperloop Mean for Climate, Ecosystems and Resources?” Greenbiz, www.greenbiz.com/article/what-will-hyperloop-mean-climate-ecosystems-and-resources.


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