Water and flooding

Flooding is a growing concern in several areas, and with the backdrop of a changing climate, it will likely increase. When designing, several things need to be considered on a site that has been highlighted as subject to flooding in a one in one hundred year storm. Firstly, where are the floodwaters coming from?

What building can be built on the site?

What have the neighbours done?

Are there other risks to building in that area?

Discovering these answers will lead to what should be built on the site. Some challenges may be too significant, or some sites may not be feasible to build commercially. Others may require a slight modification to the brief. The key is to pull back to get as big a picture as possible, make considered decisions and take it one step at a time.