New building takes climate change into account

HIGH RISE: The new YMCA Sailing Center in South Kingstown sits 14 feet above sea level to account for potential flooding. / COURTESY OYSTERWORKS
HIGH RISE: The new YMCA Sailing Center in South Kingstown sits 14 feet above sea level to account for potential flooding. / COURTESY OYSTERWORKS

As debate and warnings about climate change swirl, some architects are creating Rhode Island buildings that incorporate elements to address what has turned out to be the most talked-about environmental issue of the 21st century.
“The new YMCA Sailing Center on Turner Point is close to 14 feet above sea level,” said Andrew Baer, principal in the Charlestown-based architecture and design firm Oyster Works. “Both the sailing center and the marine-biology center are [designed to be built] on a grade beam foundation that will allow flood waters to flow underneath the building, without harming the building.”
Oyster Works designed the master plan for YMCA Camp Fuller at Turner Pointin South Kingstown, a complete redesign and rebuilding of the facility, with the first phase of construction expected to begin in the fall.
“The building design anticipates the impact of climate change, specifically the chronic changes brought about by rising sea levels and the catastrophic impact of major storms – storms that are forecast to increase in both frequency and severity,” said Baer.
The coeducational summer camp is located on Point Judith Salt Pond in the village of Wakefield in South Kingstown. The new design connects the sailing center and marine-biology buildings by covered porches. Camper tent cabins, staff cabins, classrooms and offices are part of the master plan.
Oyster Works has examined building codes and best practices in New Orleans and South Florida, areas hard hit by hurricanes, and incorporated those practices into the firm’s architectural designs, said Baer.
Elevation is the most visible part of the climate change-confronting design of the sailing center.
Within the walls another critical element is built in – a practice growing more common after hurricane-devastated communities have dealt with soaked interior walls and insulation, often resulting in structural damage and health hazards from mold. The rain screen is an air space behind the exterior siding. It’s open at the bottom, with a screen.
When rainwater from severe storms penetrates the outer wall, the rain screen provides a channel for water to get out before it enters the inner wall, or the building.
“A rain screen is part of best practices in Florida, and I’ve seen it done in Massachusetts, although it’s probably not commonly done in New England yet,” said Baer.
The new buildings at Camp Fuller are designed to withstand wind gusts of up to 138 mph.
Boardwalks are part of the design, to preserve the sensitive ecosystem on the salt pond.
“We need to have a longer-term focus when it comes to climate change,” said Baer.
State leaders are taking steps to address climate change, with Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee’s establishment of the R.I. Executive Climate Change Council in February. The council’s initial report, “A Resilient Rhode Island: Being Practical About Climate Change,” was released in May.
In June, the General Assembly approved the Resilient Rhode Island Act of 2014 to provide a coordinated state response to climate change. The legislation creates a nine-member Climate Change Council, charged with coordinating efforts to ensure the state is taking all possible steps to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to improve public understanding of the changes in sea level, severe weather events and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.
In spring 2010, several years before the state intensified its efforts to address climate change, Johnson & Wales University opened its Cuisinart Center for Culinary Excellence at its Harborside campus near Narragansett Bay. “First and foremost, we designed the building with a 12-foot elevation, because it sits amidst the flood plain,” said Johnson & Wales spokeswoman Lisa Pelosi. “The design maintains the integrity of the building in the event of a hurricane or other weather event that would raise water levels.
“We designed the building this way intentionally, and with the creativity of the architects, it has an aesthetic appeal,” said Pelosi.
“Sited within a designated flood zone of the harsh coastal New England environment, the center includes innovative solutions aimed at minimizing damage from potential flooding,” said Nick Koulbanis, of the Cambridge, Mass., firm of Tsoi/Kobus & Associates, in an email. Koulbanis was the project manager and architect on the Cuisinart center at Johnson & Wales.
“As a LEED Gold-certified building, it advances the university’s commitment to restoring the beauty of the Narragansett Bay shoreline,” said Koulbanis.
Continuing reports on the environmental and economic impacts of climate change will, no doubt, increase the attention to architecture and design that address the issue.
One recent report, “Risky Business: The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the United States,” released in June, warns of “significant and diverse economic risks from climate change.”
The report, produced by the Risky Business Partnership, a joint partnership of Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Paulson Institute and TomKat Charitable Trust, said serious impacts will befall the U.S., unless the nation acts aggressively to confront the potential damage to coastal property and infrastructure from rising sea levels and increased storm surge, climate changes that affect agricultural production and energy demand, and have potential impacts on labor productivity and public health. •

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