Resilient Design: 4 Apartment Case Studies
Purposeful, strategic planning helps properties withstand the worst of the elements. Here’s how.
Since 1980, damages from natural disasters above the $1 billion threshold have totaled almost $3 trillion. That jaw-dropping figure doesn’t start to account for the pain and suffering, but it gives us a glimpse into the scale of it all. With so much at stake, some multifamily developers have been turning to resilient design—a set of strategies and materials that go beyond building codes to withstand the wrath of natural disasters and worsening climate change.
“There’s a true business case for resilience and ROI for developers and investors,” said Lindsay Brugger, vice president of resilience at the Urban Land Institute. Resilient buildings can adapt, recover and continue to function after a disruption.
According to Brugger, investors are asking: “Have you assessed the risks in this area? What are you doing to reduce those risks so that this is a sound investment?”
If a disaster happens, resilient assets are likely to see fewer losses and higher values. “In some cases, we’ve seen higher rental premiums and, therefore, better resale value and also better financing,” she added.
As the likelihood of catastrophic losses rises, preparedness is critical, designers say. The following case studies from four teams showcase robust designs that prioritize protection from the elements.
READ ALSO: Is Your Community Prepared for Climate Disasters?
A Flood-Free Future in New York City
Halletts Point
Astoria, Queens, N.Y.
The East River waterfront in Astoria, Queens, has some of the best views of the Manhattan skyline. But despite its desirable location, there were still challenges for Halletts Point, a mixed-use, mixed-income development.
“The Durst Organization carefully examines the ways climate change and rising sea levels may impact our buildings over time,” said Alexander Durst, a principal at the firm. “For 20 and 30 Halletts Point, we deployed a comprehensive strategy to protect the building and our residents from extreme weather events.”
All residential lobbies and critical services are elevated above design flood elevation. For an imminent emergency, the building has deployable flood barriers. Additional mitigation measures include backwater valves, marine glazing of the facade within the DFE and flood-tolerant landscaping materials for the public waterfront esplanade.
“In the event of a power outage, backup generators will supply power to outlets in building corridors and amenity spaces,” noted Durst. “Elevators, toilets, domestic water and hot water will still be operational.”
The design team also considered where residents would enter the building. “(It’s) not on First Street, as some might expect,” noted Greg Kamback, an associate with Handel Architects. “Instead, we created an esplanade driveway in the center, which allowed us to ramp up from about 9 feet to 14-plus feet. We put the lobbies up there, so they’re always protected. This meant that no additional flood measures were necessary for the facade and the lobbies. Apart from a 500-year storm, they will always be safe places that should not flood.”
PROJECT AT A GLANCE
Owner/Developer: The Durst Organization
Architects: Handel Architects (20 & 30 Halletts Point), Dattner Architects (10 Halletts Point), Starr Whitehouse (waterfront esplanade)
Size: Three towers; 1,000-plus units
Expected completion: Spring 2025 (20 & 30 Halletts Point); 2019 (10 Halletts Point)
Noteworthy: 10 Halletts Point is LEED Gold certified; 20 and 30 Halletts Point are designed to achieve LEED Platinum
An Arizona Harbor From the Heat
Culdesac
Tempe, Ariz.
Culdesac is a low-rise multifamily community just 2.5 miles from downtown Tempe, Ariz. Located on the light rail, it has captured attention for its intentionally car-free lifestyle. It’s also a model for apartment development in desert climates that keep getting hotter.
“Last year, the Phoenix metro area experienced 21 days of record-breaking daily heat. In fact, 2024 was Phoenix’s hottest year on record,” said Alex Vondeling, a senior associate at Opticos.
Using a passive approach to shading and cooling, Opticos designed Culdesac’s architecture to be compatible with its desert setting, creating an internal micro climate that is anywhere from 10 to 40 degrees cooler than the surrounding area.
A network of pedestrian-focused narrow paseos provides shaded walking routes through Culdesac, replaces typical car-oriented streets and enables buildings to shade one another during the day, according to Ryan Johnson, CEO & co-founder of Culdesac. This reduces heat gain.
“We did shading studies before finalizing construction documents to make sure that we were providing the shade we needed,” added Vondeling. “We studied historic precedents in dry places to make sure that we were modeling it correctly.”
Trees with large shade canopies were specified instead of palm trees, stucco buildings were painted bright white and roofs have a highly reflective white coating. All materials were designed to reflect heat rather than absorb it. For example, using paving made of concrete and decomposed granite rather than asphalt has made a huge difference. According to Vondeling, a temperature study done on an adjacent property showed the pavement was 40 degrees higher.
PROJECT AT A GLANCE
Owner/Developer: Culdesac
Architect: Opticos Design
Size: 700-plus units
Completed: 2023
Amenities: Half-acre park, fitness center
Noteworthy: Marketed as the first intentionally car-free neighborhood in the U.S.
Rising Above the Ashes in California
Fountaingrove Inn Apartments
Santa Rosa, Calif.
In 2017, the Tubbs Fire ravaged Northern California, claiming 22 lives and destroying more than 5,600 structures, with an estimated property loss of $5 billion to $7 billion. Two high-profile properties lost in the fire were the Fountaingrove Inn and Fountaingrove Round Barn in Santa Rosa.
“We were approached by the owner to pivot to multifamily instead of rebuilding the hotel and restaurant,” said Lauri Moffet-Fehlberg, senior vice president of architecture with DAHLIN.
“The new vernacular is inspired by Santa Barbara-style architecture with a little bit of an Italian flare. From a design and entitlement standpoint, this gives us stucco exteriors with accent materials that look like wood but can be created out of a cementitious panel or trim to really harden that exterior shell.”
The concrete barrel tile roof is also noncombustible. Working with the local fire marshal, the team tucked a new fire access road behind the large podium building. Local codes have adopted standards and methods of hardening buildings against fires in zones where the wildland-urban interface is top of mind, according to DAHLIN Director of Architecture Jeff Escott.
Vent styles that prevent ember intrusion were used for the roofs, balconies and soffits. Irrigated landscaping near the building—drought-tolerant plants just need a little water to stay green and vibrant—is less likely to catch fire.
“Immediately adjacent to the buildings, we have a 3-foot gravel band that’s vitally important because that’s oftentimes where these fires take root,” noted Escott. “Fire can’t go through the stucco, but it can find a spot at the base of that wall where it meets the ground and gets in and catches the framing for the wall on fire.”
PROJECT AT A GLANCE
Owner/Developer: Angelo Ferro
Architects: DAHLIN, Vander Tool and Associates (landscape)
Size: 239 units
Completed: November 2021
Amenities: Swimming pools, barbecue grills, parking, pedestrian trails
Noteworthy: Site of historic Fountaingrove Inn and Fountaingrove Round Barn, which were both destroyed in the 2017 Tubbs Fire
A Louisiana Hurricane Haven
Les Maisons de Bayou Lafourche
Lockport, La.
In 2021, Hurricane Ida tied as the fifth-strongest storm to make landfall in the U.S. One newly constructed housing development in Lockport, La., emerged largely unaffected by the heavy rain and winds that damaged other nearby properties. Les Maisons de Bayou Lafourche, developed by Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, is a poster child for hurricane resilience.
Les Maisons de Bayou Lafourche’s storm-protection features include a tight, well-insulated building envelope that can maintain habitable temperatures during extended power outages; underground electric power and switch panels that reduce the likelihood and impact of power loss; paperless drywall to discourage mold; tile floors for easier water removal; and dehumidifiers to minimize flood impact. Also, each building was constructed with a reinforced standing seam metal roof system.
“The roof is always the most important thing in the event of a hurricane,” said Will Bowling, a project manager for Gulf Coast Housing Partnership. “We used the IBHS FORTIFIED Gold standard.”
FORTIFIED Gold creates a continuous load path by connecting the structure of the building from the roof to the foundation to help withstand storms as powerful as Ida. “When Ida hit us, it decimated a lot of buildings in the area. A storm went right over our project—and it was completely unscathed except for a small area of the building that wasn’t done yet, which had some of the wrap on the outside ripped off.”
PROJECT AT A GLANCE
Owner/Developer: Gulf Coast Housing Partnership
Architect: VergesRome Architects
Landscape architect: Dana Brown & Associates
Size: 35 units in duplexes and triplexes
Completed: 2023
Amenities: Central air and heat, front porches
Noteworthy: First property to achieve dual certification from Enterprise Green Communities and the Insurance Institute for Business Health & Safety’s FORTIFIED program
