Flooding is an inevitable phenomenon worldwide, which has led to the development of many structures designed to survive this natural disaster. These forward-thinking structures use cutting-edge materials and construction methods to safeguard against the effects of increasing water levels and assure their resilience.
(Photo : Pexels/Melike Benli )
1. The LIFT House, Dhaka
Prithula Prosun designed and constructed the LIFT (Low-Income Floor-proof Technology) Houses after completing her master's thesis on creating a fresh solution for sustainable, flood-resistant homes for Dhaka's urban poor. Rising water levels cause the house to rise to the water's surface then descend to the ground as the water level lowers. As mentioned, along with a bamboo-framed base filled with used plastic water bottles, a hollow ferro-cement foundation is utilized to achieve buoyancy.
2. The Float House, New Orleans
The Float home is a concept for a self-sufficient, prefabricated home that can withstand flood waters created by large storms as a result of the devastating hurricane Katrina. Morphosis Architects' low-income housing project is mass-produced and considers New Orleans's dynamic culture and distinctive location designed to accommodate many people. This Float House is built on a four-foot base that doubles as a porch, just like the colorful vernacular buildings in the neighborhood. During extreme floods, the home will only rise on its guideposts, and the base will function as a raft regulated by steel masts.
3. The Kentish Classic, London
By submitting these vernacular-styled townhouses, which were planned for the city of London and will probably experience heavy urban flooding, The D*Haus Company was able to win the competition to create future urban residences. With 3D-printed concrete platforms, the plan presents prefabricated timber homes lifted above the rising water levels. Accordingly, both the colorful buildings that can be found throughout London and the two-story Georgian-style mansions that were built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries served as inspiration for the design. The idea behind the design is that people who live in the future will wish to retrofit their buildings with elements from the past.
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4. NRC Pavillion, Ontario
As a result of climate change, the National Research Council sponsored a pavilion project to investigate efficient flood resilience methods for particularly vulnerable First Nation communities. By minimizing the amount of time and money required for recovery, buoyant foundation retrofits have the potential to prevent communities from being displaced. The research on a stormwater retention pond will assess buoyant materials for retrofit prototype design and construction.
5. Michael Baker Boathouse, United Kingdom
One of the most important goals in constructing this upper-level extension was to make an existing brick building more resistant to flooding. To make the original, lower building more resistant to high water levels, the structure's footprint was increased, and a second layer of brick was added. This extension, which is constructed from significantly lighter materials, is situated above the flood line.
6. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, United States
A tiny pond is created between the two sections of this art museum, where it also serves as a dam that is reportedly an unusual combination of functions. Instead of focusing on the building's function as infrastructure, the emphasis is placed on the dramatic vistas over the ocean. A ceiling form held up by wires, like a suspension bridge, is included to emphasize further the practical aspects of the link between people and water.
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