With the increase in frequency, severity, costs, and negative impacts from harsh climate events, including natural disasters, perhaps the best defense to protect human life and the built environment is risk mitigation through resilient design. While there are several resilient design strategies that can be implemented from project-to-project, depending on several variables, including local climate conditions, following are three universal resilient design strategies that should be considered to improve the resilience of structures from various weather events.
Anticipating Future Disaster Impacts
Architects and engineers committed to resilient design must proactively anticipate the impacts of future disasters, moving beyond simply reacting to past events. This involves a deep understanding of climate change projections, including potential increases in extreme weather events like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, as well as considering seismic activity and other regional hazards. By analyzing these long-term risks and their cascading effects on infrastructure and communities, designers can strategically integrate adaptive and robust solutions. This forward-thinking approach ensures that buildings and infrastructure are not only capable of withstanding immediate disaster forces but can also recover quickly and continue to function in the altered conditions that follow, ultimately minimizing long-term social, economic, and environmental disruption.
Modern-day technologies, including smart building systems, are commonly used today to monitor and manage building conditions and system performance. In some cases, these systems are also being used as predictive technologies to alert occupants to impending disasters, while also adjusting environmental controls for the safety and comfort of the occupants. By exploring and implementing the latest tools and technologies, architects and engineers can transform how they design for resilience – for the betterment of their client, project, and the community. One such material is waterproof membranes, which prevent water penetration and minimize long-term damage.
Use Sustainable Materials
One of the table stakes strategies for designing for resilience is by selecting sustainable materials – materials that can withstand extreme conditions. If a project is being designed, for example, in a flood-prone climate, materials that can repel water, dry out quickly, and maintain their usability post-flood event should be the preferred material type. This will not only reduce repair costs, but it also reduces the repair and recovery time of the structure, so it can return to its usefulness as quickly as possible (Rethinking the Future).
Design for Adaptability and Upgradability
Perhaps the most important resilient design strategy of the three covered in this article is designing for adaptability and upgradability, which includes such considerations as site selection, modular construction, renewable energy systems, and sustainability. Modern innovations such as these are critical to design strong structures that can withstand diverse environmental challenges.
In addition to the universal design practices above, other potential strategies include prioritizing microgrids and renewable energy, leveraging passive design, and soil and water management strategies, such as rainwater harvesting. When it comes to designing for resilience and sustainability, architects, engineers, and designers have a duty – to their clients, the industry, and communities, to consider the future impacts of harsh climate events and their potential impacts on human life, real estate, and the environment. Anticipate the unexpected – the natural disaster of tomorrow – to the best of your ability. Don’t just rely on lessons learned and data from recent events. Continue to innovate and solve problems that may not have been presented yet. Incorporate sustainable materials that can weather any storm. And at a minimum, design all facilities to be adaptable and upgradable, so they flex for different scenarios and situations, including recovery from tomorrow’s harshest weather conditions.