The third in a series of Sandy-related workshops recently brought together more than 100 participants to listen to speakers from both the public and private sectors, who discussed resilient measures that have been implemented since Hurricane Sandy hit the Greater New York region almost two years ago.
Organized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Regional Recovery Working Group (AIARRWG) — which is made up of leaders from AIA chapters in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island, and Architecture for Humanity — the event featured discussion panels on critical buildings, infrastructure and transportation.
Held on the campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ, in partnership with BASF, the event highlighted design efforts from across the region and included tours of BASF’s double LEED Platinum North American Headquarters.
Many of the region’s large architectural and engineering firms were represented on the panels and topics discussed included current projects that are implementing resilient design measures at major airports, college campuses and hospitals, including the development of micro-grid energy.
Scott Davis, of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), discussed the award winning Rebuild by Design projects, and Steven Gutkin of N.J.‘s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) discussed how the agency is actively working to catalog and protect assets across the region.
NJOHSP has started small, working with the electrical utilities, waste water, petroleum and food on creating virtual links to connect the data and to conduct the analysis in order to build an interoperable network for future catastrophes like Sandy.
“We are very pleased to have been able to once again bring together professionals to discuss what is happening in the region related to critical buildings, infrastructure and transportation because the same strategies may be applied to the smallest of projects,” said Justin Mihalik, AIA, first vice president of AIA-NJ and co-chair of the AIARRWG.
“The AIA has a very significant role in promoting awareness and education on these issues not only to its members but also to the public in order to help create and develop design solutions and – more importantly – policy changes.”
Jason Oliver Vollen, registered architect (RA) of AECOM and the Center for Architecture Science and Energy discussed current studies that look at “negative” energy flows as “positive” — such as solar, biological or wave energy — and urged the design and engineering community, as well as consumers, to re-imagine how they develop and use energy. Current energy use relative to the gross national product (GNP) is unsustainable.
Meredith Bostwick-Lorenzo Eiroa, AIA LEED AP of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill (SOM) discussed the new Cornell University campus project on Roosevelt Island in New York City’s East River, which will be an open, collaborative community for network scientists, designers and entrepreneurs.
The big challenge, she said, is that the island is primarily a flood plain so the entire campus is designed to sit above the base flood elevation (BFE) and to have its own electrical plant known as a “microgrid.”
Other critical facilities, such as hospitals, are implementing “flood walls” to mitigate the significant flooding that many hospitals encountered during Sandy. Since these facilities cannot be elevated like homes, flood walls are now being constructed around the buildings and critical equipment.
Ben Lee, AIA from NK Architects demonstrated the implementation of these walls, which proved their value in recent floodings. Hospitals are also relocating back-up generators to higher elevations to ensure that they remain dry during a flood.
