Well-designed buildings often evoke a sense of permanence and longevity. The reality is, however, that such permanence can be routinely and sometimes dramatically challenged by natural or man-made disasters. Weather-related events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding can compromise or destroy building enclosures and structures within a matter of hours or even minutes. Seismic events can cause almost immediate destruction of entire buildings or sections of them. And in our security-conscious era, human attacks on facilities can target human lives, building structures, or both. In light of all of these conditions, architects and engineers are called upon to design buildings that can withstand these forces and situations. Some parts of the design may be mandated by regulations, others influenced by insurance requirements, and still others simply by request of the building owners. Regardless of the motivation, design teams need resources and understanding on how to address these very real situations in the interest of protecting not only the buildings we design and the contents within, but also the full health, safety, and welfare of the people who use those buildings. This course will look at some of the current thinking on these topics.

Image courtesy of Smart Vent Products, Inc.

Designing for resilient buildings involves recognizing potential hazards and incorporating measures to mitigate the risk of adverse effects on facilities, communities, and people.

Designing in Anticipation of Disasters

The reported rise in natural and man-made disasters in recent years has focused increased attention and funding on how to prepare for and survive different types of disasters. Those engaged in this effort understand that while buildings play an important part, community resources and infrastructure are also critically important. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has been directly involved in this area since 1972, when the role of architects was formally recognized as part of emergency response. This role became better defined in 2006 when the AIA established a Disaster Assistance Program led by a nationwide committee of architects and other stakeholders. Since then, a number of events and publications have come about, including the recent (March 2017) release of the third edition of the AIA’s Disaster Assistance Handbook (available for free download at www.aia.org/resources/71636-disaster-assistance-handbook). This informative publication provides a great overview of the topics related to resilient design (i.e., the ability to not only survive but to “bounce back” after an adverse event), some detailed information on hazard risk reduction and mitigation, and resilience planning before, during, and after an event. There are also appendices identifying AIA member groups to connect with and extensive lists of resources for more information.

The AIA website (www.aia.org/resilience) provides architects and others with additional tools and information to address the design of resilient buildings and communities. In particular, the AIA’s Understanding Resilience is a helpful primer on key terms, and Qualities of Resilience is a good jumping off point when discussing what makes a building (or community) resilient. Additional technical guidance is also available for both hazard mitigation and climate adaptation.

Using some of the AIA work as a basis, let’s turn our attention to some specific issues and how to mitigate them in the design of resilient buildings.

Image courtesy of The American Institute of Architects

The third edition of the Disaster Assistance Handbook published by the AIA addresses disaster response and preparedness, with an expanded section on mitigation, resilience, and long-term recovery.