Dimensions - Winter 2018 - 3

know l e dge

Key Steps
to Achieving

Resilience

in Buildings

Senior Vice President John Boulé addresses the importance
of managing risk to properties through effective resilience
measures.

What options should property
owners consider in order to create
more resilient facilities?
The first step is to invest in evaluating strategies: what
makes the most sense for the property and its use? We help
building owners explore a range of resilience strategies
and assess the likely return on investment. We consider
the building's location and potential vulnerabilities, such

impact a community's identity or quality of life. For

as flooding. It may be important to invest in measures to

example, if we're planning measures that address

create redundancy in emergency power generation, or to

waterfront flooding, it will likely be important to

move mechanical/electrical and life safety systems to a

preserve community access to the waterfront, and avoid

higher elevation within the property. Owners might also

measures that hinder views or diminish the natural

consider incorporating dry floodproofing measures, such

quality of a scenic landscape.

as a flood wall, earthen berm, deployable wall system,

Second, as much as possible we should implement

or an aquadam. The property might also be designed

green solutions that enhance the environment. Long-

or retrofitted for wet floodproofing, which allows water

term sustainability is critical. Next, we need to address

to penetrate certain areas without causing significant

affordability. How can we achieve the greatest impact

property damage. The solutions should be specific to each

within the client's budget? We also find that it's important

site and each structure.

to work closely with the community through active public

What are important considerations when
working on resilience measures at the
community level?

outreach to understand concerns and priorities first-hand.
The opportunities to study and implement resilience
measures since Superstorm Sandy created a sort of
laboratory for us in the New York City metro area to

There are several factors that come into play as we

develop these skill sets. We should now export these

work with communities at a broader level on resilience

solutions to towns and cities throughout the country. We

strategies, such as addressing waterfront flooding or

can assist vulnerable communities with best practices

protecting critical operations and emergency services.

and innovative strategies that we've honed over the past

First, it's important to maintain the character of the

few years. Our clients are already seeing the all-important

community. We don't want to impose measures that

return on investment.

Winter 2018

3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ7rLrgMWxw&feature=youtu.be
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dimensions - Winter 2018
