My last security and resilience column discussed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) pilot credits for resilience. The three potential credits were discussed in a general sense and some indication as to how to achieve those credits was explained. Two of the credits, those dealing with assessment, planning, and passive survivability, are fairly straightforward, and the means of obtaining the credit were outlined. The other resilience credit, “Designing for Enhanced Resilience,” is a bit more complex with specific guidelines for various hazards. This column will look at the specific measures that designers must implement to receive the credit.
The LEED credit for “Designing for Enhanced Resilience” addresses specific hazards, including flooding, sea-level rise, wildfire, hail, hurricanes, and high wind areas, tornado, earthquake, tsunami, drought, landslides, extreme heat, and winter storms. Each hazard has one or more options available for meeting the credit criteria, generally referencing other standards and guidelines. Note that only two of the top three hazards identified in the assessment and planning phase need to be addressed. I will examine a few of the hazards in detail, outlining the specific steps that should be undertaken to achieve enhanced resilience.