In the face of climate change, historic communities are becoming more vulnerable to increasingly frequent storm and flood events. Adapting to changing water levels requires forward-looking strategies to limit disastrous impacts on the well-being and cultural heritage of these communities. Successful risk reduction strategies for heritage structures require a level of cultural sensitivity and adaptability that is usually lacking in conventional flood mitigation approaches that rely on permanent static elevation.
This paper argues that amphibious architecture is an innovative, affordable and low-impact approach to flood damage reduction for heritage buildings. Three case studies explore potential projects in areas of North America particularly prone to flooding where retrofitting the structures of existing buildings with buoyant foundations would enable the enhancement of community and cultural resilience in the face of flooding and climate change.
Read the paper in WaterResearch.