FAU CES Student Spotlight: School of Architecture

Just Add Salt
Areas of North Beach Village in Broward that were reclaimed from former marsh land are experiencing "blue-sky flooding," when seasonal high tides flood streets with salt water. And since South Florida will increasingly experience more deleterious effects of climate change and sea level rise from flooding three ways --from the bottom, top, and laterally--solutions will be different than those employed in other areas of the state and country. New adaptive design models that integrate best practices in urban design, planning and infrastructure that address the unique geology and ecology of our region will be sorely needed.

Over this Fall semester FAU has led an effort to provide the region with robust adaption plans to address these complex issues. On October 14, 2016 FAU School of Architecture professors Jeffrey Huber and John Sandell and their students hosted University of Kansas professor Dr. Keith van der Reit and University of Southern California professor Lawrence Scarpa and their students. All three institutions discussed and presented strategies to adapt the North Beach Village Neighborhood to existing and future flood risks. CES graduate students Alyssa Wood and Jeanmarie Steckler Buck gave feedback. The SoA students presented their ideas to the City of Fort Lauderdale sustainability, zoning, landscaping and urban design staff.

The NOAA Florida Sea Grant-funded research effort also includes Dr. Colin Polsky, Dr. Diana Mitsova and Dr. Fred Bloetscher, as well as Professor and Associate Provost for Broward Campuses Anthony Abbate. An exhibition of the work is being organized in early 2017.