The Resilient Design Institute (RDI) advances practical solutions to adapt and thrive amid accelerat
The Resilient Design Institute is concerned both with catastrophic events, such as storms, floods, fires, and sudden power outages, and with long-term shifts like drought, rising temperatures, and economic dislocation. The institute maintains a website on resilient design, sponsors think-tank retreats on topics related to resilience, publishes white papers, and provides consulting services related to resilience.
11/23/2022
I just posted an in-depth case study of Babcock Ranch in Florida—which was in the direct path of Hurricane Ian and survived virtually unscathed.
Babcock Ranch – A Solar Town Proves Resilient During Hurricane Ian “I had 5,000 neighbors who were depending upon the promise we had made that it was a resilient community and they could shelter-in-place safely.” Syd Kitson, developer Babcock Ranch
03/07/2022
BuildingGreen just posted my OpEd article, "Creating a More Resilient Ukraine." With the Ukraine crisis, the world has an opportunity to take a giant leap in moving beyond fossil fuels. And, if Ukraine can survive as an independent country, it can bounce forward, not just bounce back.
Creating a More Resilient Ukraine What can the green building and resilience communities do to help the people of Ukraine?
08/05/2021
The western drought, extreme heat, and wildfires are an urgent call for resilience. Read the latest RDI article on this issue.
The Cascading Impacts of Drought and the Role Resilience Must Play We need to examine where we build, how we build, and how to protect existing buildings and infrastructure.
05/25/2021
My first RDI blog in a while: on Ford's all-electric F-150 Lightning full-size pickup truck, announced last week, and its use as a backup power source for houses. This could be a game-changer.
Using Our Vehicles for Backup Power: Ford’s F-150 Lightning Heralds a New Age for Resilient Backup Power Systems The media event on May 19, 2021 introducing the all-electric version of Ford’s iconic F-150 pickup truck was one of the biggest news stories in resilience and back-up power this year. The F-150 Lig…
08/07/2020
With tens of millions of Americans unemployed and an urgent need to enhance our resilience, the time is ripe for a national service corps.
A Resilient America Service Corps – in the Age of COVID-19 The Resilient America Service Corp would be targeted toward young women and men graduating from high school or college and wanting to do something to better the country and the world.
03/16/2020
I've just posted a blog about resilience and pandemics. Getting by during the COVD-19 outbreak is all about resilience. I'd be interested in your thoughts. -Alex Wilson
Resilience in a Pandemic Resilience isn’t only about getting back to where we were before; it’s also about learning and adapting so that we will be better prepared next time—when the disturbance might be a flood or wildfir…
10/27/2019
The extreme fires we're seeing (again) in California and the preemptive power outages being implemented by PG&E point to the importance of resilient design. Recently, In September, I participated in a day-long design charrette in Malibu about rebuilding after last year's fire there, and out of that experience posted the following blog.
Fundamentals of Resilient Design: Designing Homes for Wildfire Resilience Guidance for building and managing houses in sites vulnerable to wildfire
02/12/2019
I've been re-examining the building material AAC and consider it to be a great option for resilient building.
AAC: An Ideal Material for Resilient Buildings “I’ve seen too many wood-frame buildings damaged by moisture, termites or other wood boring insects, fire, rot, and mold. AAC offers the best of all worlds.” – Dan Levy, Passive House consultant a…
11/15/2018
I'm excited to report that the LEED pilot credits on Resilient Design are available again! The revised credits were rolled out at the Greenbuild Conference here in Chicago this week. So building projects going through LEED certification can now address resilience directly through the rating system.
The LEED Pilot Credits on Resilient Design Are Back Up! It is possible, once again, to specifically address resilience in LEED project certifications.
09/11/2017
On the heels of Hurricane Harvey, Irma has affected virtually all of Florida, knocking out power to 5.8 million customers and resulting in one of the largest evacuations ever. In this blog I write about a potential silver lining with Hurricane Irma. I'm hopeful that some good can come out of it.
Is There a Silver Lining in the Clouds of Hurricane Irma? Passive survivability should be a design criterion for any building that is designated to serve as an emergency shelter.
08/30/2017
The unfolding tragedy in Houston from Hurricane Harvey calls out for some creative thinking about solutions. What can we learn from this disaster? How can we go beyond just "bouncing back" to "bouncing forward"? http://www.resilientdesign.org/lessons-from-hurricane-harvey/
03/01/2017
Inspired by an eye-opening article in the January 30, 2017 issue of The New Yorker, "Survival of the Richest," I've just posted a blog on investing in survivalism vs. investing in community resilience. To me the best course of action is clear. http://www.resilientdesign.org/surviving-the-apocalypse-vs-heading-it-off/
Surviving the Apocalypse vs. Heading it Off The trend of the wealthy to make provisions to protect only their immediate families will ultimately fail if the only beneficiaries are themselves and not the larger society.