When psychologists talk about the concept of ‘resilience’, they often refer to the process of adapting well to adversity, trauma, tragedy and threats. In terms of ‘urban resilience’, climate change is the number one source of pressure that the built environment faces.

Extreme weather alongside population growth

From excessive heat to heavy rainfall, droughts to tropical storms, extreme and changeable weather events are putting great physical strains on communities around the world, and the buildings that serve them. Hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters are predicted for cities, with temperatures in the summer expected to be 10° higher in urban areas than the countryside surrounding them. 

Alongside these meteorological demands, population is forecast to grow exponentially - it’s predicted that 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050.

In a world of climate uncertainty, where more and more people call cities their home, the demand for innovative, environmentally responsible and high-performing urban design is greater than ever. 

HafenCity is an urban development in Hamburg, Gemany, deigned to withstand occasional flooding by being raised between 8 and 9 meters above sea level. 

View of Dubai, surrounded by desert. 

Rethinking ‘resilience’

How we interpret the notion of ‘resilience’ is being forced to change. Ultimately ‘resilient architecture’ is architecture that - at a minimum - allows us to live with a changing climate, and that ideally, allows us to prosper.

As a promising example, flood resilient architecture shows the potential this shift can have for the future of urbanism. Rather than relying solely on barriers to keep the water out, the ingenuity of architects, landscape designers and engineers is paving the way for a built environment which can co-exist with floods. 

Along with adaptability to dramatic weather events, sustainability, ethically sourced materials, structural longevity, and sensitivity to the needs and wellbeing of users, are all key ingredients for resilient architecture in the 21st century.

From the micro-level of materiality to the macro-level of city infrastructure, climate change is the most demanding stakeholder for buildings everywhere. The most demanding client is often the client that pushes a building to work harder and achieve more. The challenges the environment presents today mean that the necessity for increasingly resilient buildings is growing, and with it, architectural and engineering ingenuity.