Resilience is the ability of a system to bounce back from disruptions or interruptions. As climate change advances, we will face increased storm intensity, flooding, heat waves, drought, and wildfire, while terrorism or political strife could result in extended power outages and interruptions in heating or transportation fuels. To prepare for these risks, buildings and communities should be designed to be more resilient.
This online course will examine both the context for resilience and practical strategies for achieving resilient buildings and communities. Elements include the siting of buildings and infrastructure to protect against flooding, land-use planning to ensure functionality in the event of gasoline shortages, high-performance building designs that will maintain livable conditions during extended power outages or loss of heating fuel, water supply and delivery options for times of drought or power outages, and renewable energy systems that can function during power outages. All of these measures also contribute to sustainability.