Hurricanes and architecture: adaptation to the destruction
Authors: None The Lancet Planetary Health
Journal: The Lancet Planetary Health (2018)

Although hurricanes occur naturally, human-caused climate change is exacerbating the risk of major damage. What is clear from numerous studies is that a warmer world makes hurricanes nastier and wetter, giving them more energy and greater intensity. The frequency and intensity of storms vary from basin to basin. In the North Atlantic Basin from 2000 to 2013, the average number of tropical storms was 16 per year, including about eight hurricanes. Estimates show that the strongest hurricanes have also increased in intensity over the past two or three decades in the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans. During the 21st century in the continental USA on the edge of the Atlantic Basin, models project a 45–87% increase in the frequency of category 4 and 5 hurricanes—ie, the deadliest kind. Since 1970, there have been on average six Atlantic hurricanes per year. 2017 was the worst year on record, with ten hurricanes. Hurricanes Maria, Irma, and Harvey left thousands dead and together cost an estimated US$265 billion. Category 5 Maria left 2975 dead in Puerto Rico, as estimated by Carlos Santos-Burgoa and colleagues in a recent Article in The Lancet Planetary Health. And this year Hurricane Florence, which hit the coast of the Carolinas in the USA, led to a death toll of almost 32 people. If hurricanes become the norm, how should we adapt to the destruction brought by them and how will the design of our cities and houses respond to human-caused climate change? An important driver of the increased cost of hurricanes is increased development in coastal areas. Between 1970 and 2010, the US coastal population increased by nearly 35 million people. As more development occurs, the more likely the damage will grow. Urban planning will need to face the emerging reality of the flood risk to buildings in coastal areas. Natural disasters have always presented a particular challenge to architects, and in recent years many have emerged with solutions that are not only strong enough to withstand extreme weather, but beautiful as well. Elevating vulnerable buildings to reduce flood damage and designing structures to be resilient to high winds and flying pieces of debris might be future strategies to combat storm damage. One example of using design to overcome adverse weather conditions was led by artist Dionisio Gonazalez, brought together surrealism and disaster adaptation to deliver unconventional photographs created for an exhibition. Those images were inspired by Neolithic stilt houses to inhabitants of Dauphin Island, AL, USA, who have suffered a history of devastating hurricanes. Another example is the spherical shape of Solaleya's design homes, conceived by architect Patrick Marsilli, which have been shown to last through even the most extreme category 5 hurricanes. Additionally, the British architect Alex Whitcroft recently designed a staircase connencting London Bridge with the riverside walkway situated 8 m below the bridge, in case the level of the River Thames rises. Although far from an emergency situation, discussions need to be had about how to plan cities so that they can cope with the level of water that floods bring in. Projects such as the Climate Tile, a type of pavement tile used in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, are an examples of urban planning that is trying to mitigate flooding from heavy rainfall, in this case by using a system of holes and tunnels that converge water to areas of vegetation. Clearly the magnitude of flooding in Denmark is much lower than that experienced by people in, for example, Puerto Rico last year after Maria hit their coasts. The way the architecture of a city has to change will be a consequence of the sociopolitical commitment of the country it is in—eg, if architectural designs and urban planning represent a valid way to resist destruction, political and social commitments need to be made to make this a realistic option. Several approaches could be initiated: taking part in international agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are exacerbating storms; enacting policies that discourage development in vulnerable areas; funding research design projects that bring new conceptualisations of how buildings in the 21st century should be designed; preserving coastal wetlands, dunes, and reefs to absorb storm surges; and improving infrastructure that protects coasts, such as sea walls. It is probably time to rethink how we should live with these emerging, extreme conditions. It is time to explore new solutions that take into account short-term and long-term solutions to preserve the planet, but at the same time allow us to survive in this constant changing environment. It is probably time to have a plan. This online publication has been corrected. The corrected version first appeared at thelancet.com on Nov 2, 2018 This online publication has been corrected. The corrected version first appeared at thelancet.com on Nov 2, 2018 Correction to Lancet Planet Health 2018; 2: e414The Lancet Planetary Health. Hurricanes and architecture: adaptation to the destruction. Lancet Planet Health 2018; 2: e414—In this Editorial, the fifth sentence of the fourth paragraph has been amended. This correction been made to the online version as of Nov 2, 2018. Full-Text PDF Open Access