Worldwide, approximately 3.5 billion people live near coastlines, according to the Nature Conservancy. Every year, hurricanes, storms, and floods cost the global economy about $250 billion. Investors are recognizing the disconnect between long-term ownership horizons, such as 30-year mortgages, and short-term insurance pricing, which resets annually and increasingly reflects climate exposure. As a result, incorporating climate risk into long-range strategies and analyses has become a business imperative for both the public and private sectors.

Some U.S. coastal cities are taking action and large-scale projects are moving forward, such as the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Plan in Manhattan and the Landmark Coastal Resilience Master Plan in San Diego. These initiatives and others seek to realign infrastructure and green spaces to better protect property and coastline from flooding, erosion, and other damage.

Embedding Coastal Resilience into Architectural Design

Coastal resiliency is central to planning at the architecture and design firm Hart Howerton. With offices in New York and San Francisco, the company specializes in hospitality projects in coastal areas such as Florida, where Hurricane Ian caused $112 billion in damage in 2022.

Buildings that had stood for several decades were condemned by city officials, and the storm ended up being the costliest in state history. “Questions quickly evolved from ‘how did it last?’ to ‘how do we smartly design something that will endure for the next 70 years?’” said Tim McCarthy, partner and managing principal at Hart Howerton.

For McCarthy and his firm, resiliency begins with sound site planning, both horizontally and vertically. The organization’s work is guided by a combination of best-available science and regulatory framework, including FEMA guidance, ASCE standards, and third-party certifications like the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s (IBHS) FORTIFIED program, a construction method that goes beyond standard building codes. Careful consideration is given to where people and critical infrastructure are positioned relative to stormwater, floodwater, storm surge, wind, and topography.

Design Strategies for Flood- and Storm-Resistant Buildings

Key strategies at Hart Howerton include elevating occupied spaces, designing lower levels to allow water to pass through using frangible construction, and avoiding building forms that deflect or amplify wave energy onto neighboring properties. Major building systems, such as mechanical and electrical, are located outside of wave zones, and positively pressurized buildings can help prevent moisture intrusion and mold growth.

At the firm’s Jupiter Island Club project in Hobe Sound, Florida, the strategy centered on relocating the private beach club farther inland and raising structures to reduce long-term exposure. At another of the firm’s projects, located along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the team preserved more than 70 acres of drainable soil and open space through a conservation easement at the Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, earning an NFIP credit and, in turn, reducing insurance premiums for the community while improving flood abatement throughout the surrounding neighborhood.

Balancing Regulation, Insurance, and Long-Term Climate Risk

Despite the growing urgency for more resilient construction, developing coastal land comes with many challenges. Overlapping regulations at the federal, state, and local levels add layers of complexity to projects, while insurance availability has become a significant constraint in some places. Hart Howerton and other firms are tackling these issues through education, industry collaboration, and commitment to the best available, forward-looking science.

“Clients are increasingly aware of climate-related risk and are actively asking how buildings and landscapes can be designed to perform safely over long-time horizons,” McCarthy said, “not simply meet minimum code requirements at the moment of construction.”

Read more in Urban Land HERE