How New Projects Are Responding to Climate Concerns in Boston
Designs Reflect Effects of Extreme Heat and Rising Seas
TAT Director of Sustainability, Nate Thomas AIA CPHC, pens an article for Banker & Tradesman about how our firm is using planning and design to futureproof our current multifamily projects as the effects of climate change, like extreme heat and rising water levels, continue to pose a risk to waterfront cities.
By Nathan Thomas, AIA, CPHC, Director of Sustainability
Like other waterfront cities across the Eastern Seaboard, Boston faces existential risk from climate change – not just rising sea levels, but also storm surges and other severe weather events, as well as the urban heat island effect periods of extreme temperatures.
This shouldn’t be news to anyone in the real estate world. In fact, we know that the building industry is one of the greatest contributors to global carbon emissions. It’s time to acknowledge that if we really want to ensure our cities remain livable, we have a responsibility to be proactive and change the way we plan and build.
But this imperative shouldn’t be seen as a burden. Instead, it’s an opportunity to realize developments that are more climate resilient, more efficient to operate, and more comfortable for residents. Taking this longer-range, holistic approach to sustainability, in other words, also leads to buildings that are simply better.
Our firm, TAT, sees this firsthand. As architects collaborating with innovative developers and nonprofits, committed elected officials, and resourceful public agencies on projects across Boston and the surrounding region, our clients constantly push for more sustainable and resilient solutions. What do these climate-resilient projects look like? Here are several examples and strategies for development teams to keep in mind:
Continue reading this article here.
Nate Thomas, AIA, CPHC, is Director of Sustainability at The Architectural Team, Inc. (TAT), an award-winning architecture, interiors, and planning firm based in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Thomas is regarded as a valued advisor on design and construction strategies across a range of market sectors.
TAT’s joint redevelopment of the Mary Ellen McCormack public housing complex in South Boston will raise grades across the property by five to seven feet, elevating them above 2070 projected flooding scenarios.