Page 2 - Green Builder's Resilient Housing Design Guide 2018

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

The Groundwork

of Resilience BY MATT POWER

Storm-ready housing will prepare us for the challenges ahead.
T HE TERM “RESILIENCE” has become a catchword most people, their home is their “haven” from both physical and

psychological buffets of life, then mitigating and strengthening
that can be confusing. It’s used in at least three
different contexts, including psychological—
buildings is the best way to address all aspects of resilience.
If you’re not familiar with the work we do at Green Builder, this
surviving trauma, grief and stress, resource
scarcity--shortages of food, water or unpolluted
book is a good primer. We’re advocates for better building science,
but also for living in a more ethical, compassionate way of life that
air, basic human survival needs, and building
tough--the ability for a structure to withstand
extreme weather-related events-floods, wildfires,
We write, present and demonstrate visceral ways of protecting and
preserving wildlife, ecosystems, fresh water--and reducing our vast
earthquakes and superstorms. takes into account the rest of nature and the rest of humankind.
This book focuses primarily on the latter category, but in doing and growing global footprint.
so, it also addresses the other two. If you believe, as we do, that for We believe the next few decades will put increasing pressures on
finite planetary resources. In response
to Climate Change, we can expect no
quarter from Mother Nature. It’s unlikely
that humans will act in time to prevent
the unleashing of ever more destructive
weather events.
That’s not pessimism, it’s realism. But
this is no time for despair. If we CAN
prepare, and weather the next couple
of decades, there’s hope on the horizon.
Solar power is fast replacing coal.
Awareness of environmental impacts is
on the rise. Population is slowing in some
of the most consumptive nations (such
as the U.S.). We might leave a world on
the mend to the next generation
But first, let’s keep our eyes on the
short term goals. We need safe havens,
homes and other structures that allow
us to keep working and dreaming
amidst the coming tempests. This book
will give you many specific ideas about
how to manifest that new reality. GB
Living Proof. This home in Gilchrist, Texas was built to meet newer codes, and survived Hurricane Ike
in 2008—unlike neighboring structures.

2 GREEN BUILDER MEDIA Resilient Housing Design Guide www.greenbuildermedia.com