Written by Maeve Moran

In the face of climate change, we are constantly rethinking how to mitigate and adapt to extreme heat, flooding, hurricanes, and other severe climate events. The number of climate-related disasters has rapidly increased over the past four decades, and this is trending upward. Resilient construction is one way to limit harm done during these events, and it’s a more sustainable approach to building performance and construction.

Source: World Trade Organization/Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (WTO/CRED)

Resilience is about preparing for future hazards associated with climate change, focusing on using smart strategies to create buildings that will withstand extreme weather events time and time again. Sustainability on the other hand is about reducing the environmental impacts of the buildings we’re constructing, with a focus on using efficient resources to conserve water, improve energy efficiency, and reduce CO2 emissions.

The Cost of Natural Disasters
NOAA has reported that between 1980 and 2024, climate and weather disasters have cost the U.S. more than $2.7 trillion. As climate change continues to exacerbate natural disasters, this number is likely to jump by billions each year. We can combat this by investing in resilience and preparedness for climate disasters, greatly reducing the cost of damage after a disaster and saving lives.

While using resilient construction methods costs about 10% more than traditional methods, the financial benefit overtime greatly outweighs the upfront costs.

A generally accepted ratio for climate investment is every $1 of investment in climate resilience solutions reduces the cost of damage of a disaster by $6. Knowing this, investing in resilient construction feels like common sense, but just in case you are convinced yet, here are some concrete examples of resilient construction.

Hurricanes
Studies have shown that over the years the intensity of storms and natural disasters are increasing at a rapid rate. Even if we just look at the 2024 hurricane season, every Atlantic hurricane was made stronger then it would have been without the impacts of human-caused climate change. We need to create adaptive structures that can withstand the force of these disasters. 

Some examples of resilient construction for hurricanes include:

• Impact-resistant windows and doors specifically designed to withstand hurricane-force winds and projectiles
• Reinforcing concrete structures with steel to create structural redundancy
• Ensuring proper sealing throughout the home

Using these strategies, buildings will be better equipped to withstand flooding, extreme winds, and rain, and better protect human lives, ultimately decreasing the time and money spent repairing damage.

Wildfires
Wildfires are a part of natural climate patterns; however, they are often exacerbated by increasing global temperatures and the impacts of climate change. While resilient construction cannot prevent wildfires on its own, building homes designed to withstand wildfires is possible and can be easily implemented in new and existing homes.

The International Code Council published the first International Wildland Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) in 2003 and just recently published its 2024 version. This code “established requirements for land use and the built environment within designated Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas using prescriptive and performance provisions” (ICC). The IWUIC is a helpful resource for better understanding each state’s requirements when it comes to building homes to coexist with fire.

Other approaches to resilient construction in regions prone to wildfires include:

• Non-combustible windows, vents and skylights
• Using solar panels rather than powerlines to energize homes
• Building homes with ignition-resistant exteriors

Earthquakes

Although earthquakes are not directly impacted by climate change, earthquakes pose a threat to human well-being. We need to approach building construction in earthquake-prone regions with resilience at the heart of the design. Steel reinforcement and ductility are essential pieces to building structures that can withstand even extreme earthquakes, however new technologies, such as mass timber offer a new approach.

Mass timber is a low-carbon alternative to traditional construction materials and potentially has the same if not better structural integrity as steel and concrete during an earthquake. Mass timber is an engineered wood made of smaller pieces of wood glued, nailed, or screwed together creating a large durable structural component that can be used in several types of construction. When constructing buildings to withstand earthquakes, mass timber can bend without snapping, unlike concrete and steel. It is also less expensive than traditional building materials, making it more accessible to lower-income communities that may have less funding after disasters.

CONCLUSION
Every natural disaster and climate event requires a unique response, so understanding the geographical environment where it takes place is going to help us adapt for a safer and more resilient future.

Constructing buildings and homes to withstand climate disasters may be more expensive now, but investing in resilient construction is an investment in the future of the planet. We can learn from the environment around us to better understand how to co-exist even in the face of extreme weather events. Modern technology has opened the door to so many new ways to implement resilience into construction plans for more adaptable and durable homes.