80 CLIMATE CHANGE
building. Similarly, in the KAPSARC centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, HOK channelled breezes through the centre of the site, provided screening and sunshades, and channelled storm water to provide a cooling garden, all helping to mitigate temperatures in a country where 1,300 pilgrims died last summer when temperatures in Mecca hit 50°C.
Turning the tide For the more temperate parts of the world, excess water is probably the most pressing problem, whether from flash flooding or rising sea levels. ‘In New England, the advent in recent years of torrential rainstorms each summer and the subsequent flooding has made stormwater design a very high priority,’ says Adam Mitchell, principal at CambridgeSeven.
Meanwhile Dimitris Linardatos, partner
at Price & Myers is concerned that water f lows in UK rivers are increasing so fast, that even buildings completed a decade ago may now be at risk. ‘Designing new buildings to be safe from flooding in the long term is the biggest challenge in the UK,’ he says, explaining that for pre-2016 developments, the guideline was that water flows in rivers would increase by 20% in 100 years due to climate change. In 2016, however, there was a reassessment, showing increases of up to 52% on the horizon in some areas, such as the Weaver Gowy management area in Cheshire. ‘Tese adjusted allowances for climate
change show that the flood risk could have been underestimated for developments designed prior to 2016. Similarly, what we estimate now as a storm event with a return
period of 1 in 100 years, could potentially be reclassified as the 1 in 50 years storm event in the near future. So, what we consider as an adequate design now, could be considered as inadequate in the near future,’ he warns. With so much uncertainty, Linardatos is
cautious about relying on flood prevention technology other than to protect existing buildings and communities: ‘Locating new developments in areas which are not at risk of flooding is the most effective approach for managing flood risk, and designers should aim to direct water away from buildings rather than designing buildings to withstand flood water, as if flood defences fail then it’s a threat to life. I was involved in the design of flood mitigation measures for properties that were affected from the summer 2021 floods in London. Water inundated some properties from the main entrances, but still some
PROJECT CORAZÓN DEL VALLE
Award-winning Corazón del Valle, a housing development in the LA neighbourhood of Panorama City, comprises 180 homes for those on low incomes. It features three curved masses, carefully designed to funnel the prevailing winds into the courtyard, gardens and homes, with shade structures and plantings for additional cooling effects, plus a 288-panel solar array and greywater reclamation system.
Architect Perkins & Will Client Holos Communities
PHOTOS: PHOLOS COMMUNITIES/PERKINS & WILL
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