Making Change
We need to make substantive change to address the impacts of climate on our communities and the environment. Creating a new future requires research, partnerships, and proof of concept. Our team at the +lab is dedicated to making positive change by bringing together thought leaders and technological representation that as well ahead of common building practice. In Making Change, the artifacts that we create are proof that we can build to a much higher standard that is cost-effective, recognizable, and attainable by everyone.
Hurricane Strong Home
114 Oceanside Avenue Breezy Point, Queens, NY
Hurricane strong home is an all-hazard design response that provides a resilient and sustainable solution that is relatable, attainable, and affordable for all families. The house is the result of using best practices and guidance from a broad spectrum of sources on resilient construction along with innovative industry collaborators. The house provides 4-dimensional resilience and is a prototype or artifact that can be cited as an example, serve as a platform for further innovation, and studied for long-term performance against shocks and stresses along with energy savings.
CHALLENGE
Our overriding project goal was to change federal policy in post-disaster housing recovery to meet the challenges of the 21st century, creating a high-performance prototype that demonstrates that resilient, sustainable homes are cost-effective and attainable for everyone. The replacement of the family home of someone who lost her house during Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 was the project that made this possible. The client partnered with +LAB and the design team to advance sustainability and resilience concepts, giving tours to city officials, design professionals, and Breezy Point neighbors alike.
ROLE
+LAB served as design architect of record for this all-hazard hurricane home. Existing federal guidelines for replacement housing following disasters do not focus on building back better to address the future shocks and stressors of climate change. +LAB’s goal was to advocate for better methods and materials to create a sustainable, resilient house that could withstand climate change-related events. With access to the federal funding that helped to support Build It Back NYC, Illya was able to break through some of the institutional constraints that typically govern housing design, proving that you can build better and for the future with the same budget.of Homeland Security (DHS), and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
OUTCOMES
To create this new housing pilot project, +LAB brought together an innovative team of multiple industry partners such as the Portland Concrete Association (PCA), Simpson Strongtie, BASF, not-for-profit organizations such as the Federal Alliance of Safe Homes (FLASH), and New York City agencies Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the Mayor’s Office of Resiliency (MOR), and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). That collaboration, along with the house itself, demonstrated new ways of thinking about housing and climate change. #HurricaneStrong’s reputation spread, making it a must-see project for city agency representatives and architects. FEMA broadcast from the site and uses as a best practices case study. In 2018, AIA National hosted A’18, its annual convention, in New York City, and the house was featured on a tour of resilient post-Sandy projects in the Rockaways. In 2019, AIA National featured the house as the seed film Designed to Last: Blueprint for a Better Home for its national film challenge. The finished building confirms that a house does not have to look different - it just needs to perform differently. As a passive house, #HurricaneStrong also sets a new standard for sustainability. The City of New York has adopted the house as an example of the next generation of housing.
The house is now included as part of the New York State climate impact assessment as a successful case study to build a better resilient future.
New All Hazard Homes
Cranberry House Massachusetts
