November 2025
Resilience is defined as the ability to adapt in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress. This capacity to "bounce back" to a state of normal functioning or transforming is an experience that brings growth. It's not a fixed trait but a dynamic quality involving learned behaviors, thoughts, and actions, influenced by factors like social support, self-awareness, and positive emotional regulation.
As Applied to Climate Resiliency
It is the ability of communities, ecosystems, and businesses to anticipate, cope with, and recover from the impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events like floods or heatwaves. Building resiliency involves a holistic approach to enhance capacities through mitigation (reducing emissions), adaptation (adjusting to climate impacts), and response strategies to minimize damage and ensure well-being.
Climate resiliency in architecture and engineering is the ability to integrate design strategies that enable buildings to withstand extreme weather and minimize their environmental impact by reducing carbon emissions. This involves using durable, low-carbon materials, implementing energy-efficient and renewable energy systems, incorporating passive design and nature-based solutions like rain gardens, green vegetated roofs, and designing structures like elevated foundations to protect against floods. Ultimately, the goal is to create adaptable, functional buildings and communities that promote long-term well-being and reduce ecological and economic costs.
Climate resilient architecture and engineering involves more than just the intention to withstand climate change; it requires a thoughtful integration of innovative technologies, materials, and design methods that together enhance the resiliency of buildings and communities. Architects and engineers face increasing professional risk if their designs do not account for future climate hazards. Building codes reflect historical conditions, but legal liability may stem from foreseeable risks that extend beyond code compliance.
Climate Resiliency Strategies
- Site Planning:
Incorporating features like permeable pavements to manage stormwater.
- Advanced Materials:
Utilizing high-performance materials, such as self-healing concrete and corrosion-resistant alloys, to enhance durability and adaptability to harsh conditions.
- Energy Independence:
Integrating renewable energy sources like passive and active solar panels and wind turbines to maintain building operations during power outages caused by extreme events.
- Durable Design:
Focusing on structural strategies to withstand extreme weather conditions like heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and floods.
- Green Design:
Design of the built environment and surrounding areas that allow ample access to sunlight, air and water.
The American Institute of Architects’ Code of Ethics & Professional Code of Conduct, Ethical Standard 2.4 on Environmental Equity and Justice states that:
AIA Members should promote fairness and safety in providing professional services and make reasonable efforts to advise their clients and employers of their obligations to the environment, including: access to clean air, water, sunlight and energy for all; sustainable production, extraction, transportation and consumption practices; a built environment that equitably supports human health and well-being and is resistant to climate change; and restoring degraded or depleted natural resources.
Environmental Sustainability Strategies
Minimizing embodied and operational carbon through energy-efficient design and construction.
- Nature- Based Solutions:
Incorporating green roofs, living walls, and rainwater harvesting to improve air quality, promote biodiversity, and reduce energy use.
Employing durable, low-carbon materials to decrease the building's overall environmental impact.
In Sum, How This Works Together
- Climate-Responsive Design:
Combining the goals of active climate protection (reducing emissions) and adaptation (resilience to climate impacts) to create buildings that are both low-impact and durable.
- Interconnected Approaches:
Both areas are interdependent, with strategies like passive cooling contributing to a building's ability to withstand heatwaves (resilience). Geothermal heat pump (GHP) or a ground-source heat pump (GSHP) technology takes advantage of the earth's relatively constant underground temperature to exchange thermal energy.
- Long-Term Benefits:
These integrated approaches result in buildings that are not only safer and more functional but also more cost-effective over their lifespan, while improving occupant comfort and overall quality of life.
Further Reading: The Five Pillars of Climate Resilience
Rutger de Graaf-van Dinther
https://scispace.com/papers/th...
In this treatise, the authors present the overarching framework of climate resiliency in urban areas, which consists of five pillars: threshold capacity, coping capacity, recovery capacity, adaptive capacity, and transformative capacity.
The urgency of climate resiliency for urban areas is discussed by providing an overview of the most important climate impacts such as floods, droughts, biodiversity decline, urban heat stress, and social vulnerability. The book presents the overarching framework of climate resiliency in urban areas. The framework is based on an extensive literature review of definitions on resilience and vulnerability, and it can be used to develop comprehensive resilience strategies. The framework uses an integrating thematic line throughout all the chapters in the book.
Rutger de Graaf-van Dinther is an academic researcher from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. The author has contributed to research on topics: Adaptive capacity & Resilience (network). The author has an index of 1, co-authored 3 publications. Previous affiliations of Rutger de Graaf-van Dinther include University of Groningen.
And Further Reading: AIA’s Commitment to Climate Action - Where we Stand on Climate Action
https://www.aia.org/about-aia/where-we-stand/climate-action
Climate change is everyone’s crisis, and architects and engineers are uniquely positioned to help solve it. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) calls on architects to support humanity’s collective call to climate action through an unrelenting commitment to sustainable, resilient design. The AIA also recognizes and addresses climate justice within architecture, promoting equitable solutions for a healthy and sustainable built environment.
The AIA provides extensive information on climate change, offering resources such as the “Climate Action Plan and Business Playbook,” the “Climate Risk Factsheet” for members, and various initiatives like the “Materials Pledge” and the “2030 Commitment” to guide architects in designing for a zero-carbon, resilient, and healthy future. The AIA's “Climate Action Plan” sets goals to achieve a net-zero, equitable, and healthy built environment, supported by tools for both project-specific and practice-wide climate action. The AIA also invests in research and education to provide architects with the knowledge and tools needed to design for resilience and incorporate climate action into their work.
A Footnote on LEED v5 (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Although many environmental impacts are associated with buildings and addressed by rating systems such as LEED, climate change deserves special consideration because buildings and land-use are responsible for a large proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. To be effective, the policies that are emerging at the local, state, and federal levels to regulate greenhouse gas emissions must reflect a clear understanding of the connection between climate change and the built environment. Unfortunately, it is not enough for green building to lessen the effects that humans have on our climate. It must also prepare us for the inevitable consequences of climate change on our homes, communities, and society as a whole. A lower-carbon future will not only have higher-performing buildings but also require higher-performing communities.
Excerpt from Nora Knox’s article “Green Building and Climate Change, Mar 04, 2015
LEED v5 is the latest version of the world’s leading green building standard—offering clear steps to achieve near-zero carbon, prioritize people, and build for resilience. The best buildings use LEED to create healthier, stronger communities.
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About the Author of this Risk Management Building Block Article
As a risk manager for the last 20 years for the design profession, Eric O. Pempus, FAIA, Esq., NCARB has experience in professional liability insurance and claims, architecture, engineering, land use, law, and a unique background in the construction industry. Prior to risk management, he has 25 years of experience in the practice of architecture/engineering, and as an adjunct professor teaching professional practice courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels for 37 years at Kent State University’s College of Architecture & Environmental Design.
As a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and AIA National Ethics Council 2021 Chair, he has demonstrated his impact on architectural profession. He has presented numerous loss prevention and continuing educational programs to design professionals since 2000 on topics of ethics, contracts, and professional practice in various venues across the United States and Canada. He is a former member and chair of his city’s Board of Zoning & Building Appeals for 24 years, and is a licensed architect, attorney, and property & casualty insurance professional.
His educational background includes a JD from Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles; Master of Science in Architecture from University of Cincinnati; and BA in psychology/architecture from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
The above comments are based upon DesignPro Insurance Group’s experience with Risk Management Loss Prevention activities and should not be construed to represent a determination of legal issues but are offered for general guidance with respect to your own risk management and loss prevention. The above comments do not replace your need for you to rely on your counsel for advice and a legal review, since every project and circumstance differs from every other set of facts.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily approved by, reflective of or edited by other individuals, groups, or institutions and this article is an expression by the author to generate discussion and interest in this topic.