A critical aspect of disaster risk reduction is the destructive impact that climate change has on the built environment. Sustainable building design has become a common practice in recent years. However, the greatest blow to sustainability is destruction. Therefore, reducing disaster risks with resilient architecture is critical for creating sustainable communities for current and future generations.

If it’s not resilient, it’s not sustainable!

From 2016 to 2022, in the United States,122 separate billion-dollar disasters have killed at least 5,000 people and cost more than $1 trillion in damages. Extreme weather events in 2023 alone caused $92.9 billion in damages. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the property insurance industry are struggling to mitigate the costly impacts of climate change. Unfortunately, we have been slow to incorporate resilient design strategies to mitigate or adapt to the impact of increasing hazards, often because of the misperception that it costs too much. Sustainably resilient buildings can be effective and affordable when hazard risks are identified and prioritized early in the project design process.

This webinar will feature four industry experts discussing how the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) community can help us reduce disaster risk by creating sustainably resilient buildings

Who should attend?

The event will benefit AEC professionals, building owners, insurers, risk managers, planners and building inspectors.

Speakers

Architect – Steve Sunderman, Virginia Architect, LEED AP BD+C
Wildfire Risk Expert – Tammy Nichols Schwartz, CPCU, Senior Director of Analytics and Data Solutions, Guidewire
Construction Risk Expert – Jeff Benson, VP and Program Manager, Victor Insurance
FEMA Expert – John Ingargiola, EI, CBO, CFM
Moderator – Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, DPACSA, NOMA