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Trend Report: Building for Resiliency
Creating homes that last
Amara Holstein
February 25, 2020
Writer about all things to do with architecture, art, design, travel and books.
This story is from our Trade Program Trend Report email series.
As hurricanes, fires and floods increasingly batter the country, homeowners are asking architects and builders to shore up their homes. With attention to place, products and a methodical approach, residential building professionals are developing ever-better ways to help houses withstand these natural disasters — so that they endure far into the future.
‘Resiliency’ defined. “Resiliency is the ability of a home to protect its occupants and itself from adverse conditions,” says architect Stephanie Horowitz, principal at ZeroEnergy Design in Boston. Dan Nelson, principal at Designs Northwest Architects in Stanwood, Washington, offers that “it means that even when we have flooding or a seismic event, the structures we design will still be standing.”
As hurricanes, fires and floods increasingly batter the country, homeowners are asking architects and builders to shore up their homes. With attention to place, products and a methodical approach, residential building professionals are developing ever-better ways to help houses withstand these natural disasters — so that they endure far into the future.
‘Resiliency’ defined. “Resiliency is the ability of a home to protect its occupants and itself from adverse conditions,” says architect Stephanie Horowitz, principal at ZeroEnergy Design in Boston. Dan Nelson, principal at Designs Northwest Architects in Stanwood, Washington, offers that “it means that even when we have flooding or a seismic event, the structures we design will still be standing.”
Approach matters. Location plays a big part. “It’s important for pros to start by asking the following three questions before you or the homeowner get too attached to a certain approach: What is the climate projection for the region you’re in? What stresses does this create for your building? What is the project doing about it?” Horowitz says. Cory Hannaford, president of Sierra Sustainable Builders in South Lake Tahoe, California, also cites weather as being a prime factor. “In Tahoe, we can see a 50-degree temperature swing in five hours. Materials have to expand and contract because of this,” he says. “So we start by looking at climate and weather at the outset of any project.”
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Practical Solutions:
Alpine climate: With homes situated in the High Sierras, Hannaford has to take snow conditions into account. “We think about how the house will shed snow and where it will drip for weeks after a snowstorm; there’s a constant flow of water all winter long here,” he says. This means waterproofing, French drainage and other infiltration mechanisms are used to alleviate the impact of snowmelt on the home. He also installs top-to-bottom metal siding and metal roofs for fireproofing, as well as backup generators and solar home battery systems.
Earthquake zone: Nelson works near Seattle in earthquake country. “Every home is designed around codes that require structures to stay rigid in an earthquake or heavy windstorm,” he says. He uses 3-foot-wide plywood shear walls, bolting them to the foundation and connecting them all the way up to the roof sheathing to establish a firm connection from top to bottom. In areas prone to flooding, he uses concrete columns and includes breakaway walls in foundations.
Flood plain: Around Boston, Horowitz addresses flooding by putting mechanical systems in the attic instead of the basement, or “not building a basement in the first place in a flood plain,” she says. And the cold? “We think about how the home will keep the occupants warm during a power outage with a real focus on the building enclosure,” she says. Passive solar gain via window orientation, an airtight envelope, high-performance windows and good insulation is a way to achieve this.
Alpine climate: With homes situated in the High Sierras, Hannaford has to take snow conditions into account. “We think about how the house will shed snow and where it will drip for weeks after a snowstorm; there’s a constant flow of water all winter long here,” he says. This means waterproofing, French drainage and other infiltration mechanisms are used to alleviate the impact of snowmelt on the home. He also installs top-to-bottom metal siding and metal roofs for fireproofing, as well as backup generators and solar home battery systems.
Earthquake zone: Nelson works near Seattle in earthquake country. “Every home is designed around codes that require structures to stay rigid in an earthquake or heavy windstorm,” he says. He uses 3-foot-wide plywood shear walls, bolting them to the foundation and connecting them all the way up to the roof sheathing to establish a firm connection from top to bottom. In areas prone to flooding, he uses concrete columns and includes breakaway walls in foundations.
Flood plain: Around Boston, Horowitz addresses flooding by putting mechanical systems in the attic instead of the basement, or “not building a basement in the first place in a flood plain,” she says. And the cold? “We think about how the home will keep the occupants warm during a power outage with a real focus on the building enclosure,” she says. Passive solar gain via window orientation, an airtight envelope, high-performance windows and good insulation is a way to achieve this.
Everyday issues. Everyday living also plays a part in resilient building. “We get a lot of requests from clients for low-maintenance materials,” Nelson says. In response, his firm uses cement board siding for durability and rain screens to ameliorate moisture in the damp Northwest. “It’s about better materials, employing better methods and techniques,” Hannaford says. He especially likes to apply an organic liquid roll-on waterproofing substance before siding is installed. “It seals around the nails and has a certain breathability. It’s like Gore-Tex for the house,” he says.
Setting the stage for sustainability. “Energy efficiency and resiliency sometimes go hand in hand,” Horowitz says. “Appreciating passive heating strategies, focusing on the enclosure — making sure it’s airtight and well-insulated — are great forms of resiliency.”
Setting the stage for sustainability. “Energy efficiency and resiliency sometimes go hand in hand,” Horowitz says. “Appreciating passive heating strategies, focusing on the enclosure — making sure it’s airtight and well-insulated — are great forms of resiliency.”
Photo by Lucas Henning
Moving forward. “We don’t have to look very far to see issues with fires, hurricanes and other environmental issues — we’re facing more every year. It’s more and more important to be aware of building in these areas,” Nelson says. Horowitz adds, “That is where I put the onus 100% on the design pro and the builder to say to the homeowner, ‘I understand this is what you have now, but this is what I suggest for these reasons’” — because the best way to handle a natural disaster is to build for it. “Resiliency is all about preventative care,” she says.
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Moving forward. “We don’t have to look very far to see issues with fires, hurricanes and other environmental issues — we’re facing more every year. It’s more and more important to be aware of building in these areas,” Nelson says. Horowitz adds, “That is where I put the onus 100% on the design pro and the builder to say to the homeowner, ‘I understand this is what you have now, but this is what I suggest for these reasons’” — because the best way to handle a natural disaster is to build for it. “Resiliency is all about preventative care,” she says.
More Editors’ Product Picks: Oatey 3 in. Aluminum Flashing, Clear Low-E 5-Lite Fiberglass Smooth Double Door, Amerimax Galvanized Roll Valley Flashing
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