The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is urging Senate lawmakers to adopt the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) to ensure communities across America can recover from natural disasters more efficiently and cost-effectively.
AIA is supporting the legislation as it will prioritize pre-disaster mitigation and ensure that post-disaster assistance enables communities to rebuild with the latest model building codes to ensure future resiliency.
“Strong, disaster-resilient building codes are a vital foundation to creating safer communities,” said Rose Grant, chair of AIA’s disaster assistance committee. “Adoption of these codes go even further to help the built-environment battle the onslaught of billion-dollar disasters.”
Grant was speaking at the AIA’s educational briefing for policy makers Tuesday night, which provided insights on the lessons architects have learned serving as responders with AIA’s Disaster Assistance Program following hurricanes Maria, Harvey and Irma last year. The briefing also featured insights into how communities can prepare for the 2018 hurricane season that commences June 1.
“As hurricane season approaches, architects stand ready to help communities prepare for and recover from the kind of weather related events that victimized so many,” said AIA EVP and Chief Executive Officer Robert Ivy, FAIA. “We hope this discussion brings new insights and appreciation for how architects can assist communities in recovering from disasters and help to prepare for them in the future.”
AIA's Disaster Assistance Program has trained thousands of architect volunteers in responding to disasters. Through the program, architects serve as second responders providing critical safety inspections of buildings and infrastructures following disasters. In addition, architects provide lawmakers with insights and lessons they learn in the field to help shape better policies around disasters, which includes resilient-building policies.
“Forging relationships between architects and local officials is key to mitigating and preventing the damage caused by weather related disasters,” said Illya Azaroff, AIA (principal of +LAB Architect PLLC). “Of the post-Sandy policies AIA recommended, nine were enacted into law in New York and 10 were included in the New York City building code. This is just one of the many examples where architects have been able to lend their expertise to shape policies that support a better built environment.”
Visit AIA’s website for more information on its Disaster Assistance Program.
Related Stories
75 Top Building Products | Dec 12, 2019
Top Building Envelope Products for 2019
Sto's beetle-inspired exterior coating and Dörken Systems' UV-resistant vapor-permeable barrier are among the 28 new building envelope products to make Building Design+Construction's 2019 101 Top Products report.
Resiliency | Apr 22, 2019
Turner Construction doubles down on jobsite efficiency
The company targets a 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions and water use from construction activities by 2030.
Resiliency | Mar 29, 2019
Designing for resiliency: Lessons learned from Hurricane Florence along the Carolina Coast
Resilient design principles will be critical in preparing our communities for future storms, writes LS3P's Charles H. Boney, FAIA.
Resiliency | Mar 7, 2019
Building for resilience - All about RELi
Sustainable design strategies create more resilient buildings. However, only truly focused purposeful resilient design strategies will create the adaptation needed.
Resiliency | Feb 27, 2019
ResilientSEE: A framework to achieve resilience across scales
Conceived in the Boston studio of Perkins+Will, the ResilientSEE team developed a resilient planning framework that can be applied to other neighborhoods, cities, and countries.
Sustainability | Oct 25, 2018
As project delivery models evolve, designers rethink their role
New York City’s newest university campus, Cornell Tech, pushes the limits of sustainable and resilient design.
Resiliency | Sep 4, 2018
It takes more than money to fund resilience
Resilient design, much like all projects in the built environment, requires funding.
Resiliency | Feb 21, 2018
Resilience team selected to help protect a vulnerable Bridgeport, Conn., from floods
The design and construction project would perpetuate efforts that date back several years.
Resiliency | Jan 24, 2018
A luxury community in Florida mandates resilience in new-home construction
Alys Beach’s in-house GC builds to standards set by the FORTIFIED program.
Resiliency | Jan 24, 2018
Effort to develop first whole-community resilience benchmarks for buildings, water, and energy launched
Volunteers sought for committee openings.
