Schools are often at the heart of communities, meaning they become a safe haven and place of shelter for the surrounding area during emergencies. In 2017, 2,246 schools in the top 100 counties were rated for high-risk flooding in the United States (The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2017). The same study, done by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that 6,353 U.S. public schools are in a flood zone, with 2,246 in the one percent annual chance flood zone and 4,106 in the two percent annual chance flood zone. During catastrophic weather events that cause flooding—such as hurricanes, typhoons, atmospheric rivers and lengthy rainstorms—students, teachers, staff, and entire communities can be affected or displaced.
Source: The Pew Charitable Trusts
This year (2024) has already seen a tremendous amount of flooding, specifically in Houston, TX, which is often plagued by these disasters. In the first week of May, 14 separate school districts announced that they were closed due to flooding from persistent rainstorms in the region (Homer, 2024). Fourteen districts means that dozens of schools and thousands of students were thrown out of their normal day-to-day activity, as well as all preparations for the end of the school year. In Beaumont, Texas, a city historically hit by frequent hurricanes and flood watches, the map below displays the number of school facilities (in red) that were within the flood warning area during the May storms, denoting major flooding around the Texas river system.
Map of Beaumont, TX schools located within the flood watch zone (red) during the May 2024 rains.
Witnessing these events unfold in real time is often when we as a society reflect on how we can be more prepared to handle the destructive nature of flooding. While research and common practices are in a constant state of evolution, we can pinpoint several popular methods that have proven to be effective by looking at case studies. Among these are intensive site analysis, material selection, and maintaining overall thoughtfulness in design. After Hurricane Harvey impacted more than 80 Houston-area schools, Pfluger Architects applied some of these strategies to the design, construction, and renovation of several elementary schools to be more resilient in the face of future flooding events.
Strategic Site Design
Several common practices can be enacted in and around high-risk flood zones. Site design greatly impacts how flood waters move through not just a singular site but the entire area. Take, for instance, the case of a community in Pamplona, Spain, which was once plagued by flooding every year in a specific area (Harris, 2020). The members of Pamplona had deemed that land unusable for anything but grassland, however, after some creative planning, the plot of land adjacent to the Arga River now has houses, farms, and parks. Using strategic grading, the area that was once under water during annual flooding now directs the overflow of the river around properties to land that becomes submerged during the five percent of the year when the river rises. Most of the year that land is utilized as a 62-acre park with trails and playgrounds scattered throughout, along with farmland that grows crops in the offseason (Harris, 2020). By taking an area of land impacted in what can be a very disastrous way and molding it so that it can be better utilized, community planners have successfully deterred flooding while also adding value.
Construction Techniques
While schools and houses have vastly different building programs, they have the potential to share the same issues. Residential structures are much more likely to be built within a more active flood zone, and, therefore, the practice has inherently more experience mitigating the issue. Common strategies include using more flood-resistant materials (Cao, 2021) and introducing raised platforms for systems equipment.
In the event of unprecedented high waters like the Houston area saw during Hurricane Harvey, a few simple options can often replicate the same aesthetic as more commonly used materials but add resiliency to the structure. Some examples include concrete—which can be molded into many shapes and have patterns applied; glazed brick that can introduce new textures; or epoxy paint, often utilized in wet areas—which can be applied to any area of a building that may come in contact with water (Cao, 2021).
A commonly used practice in residential construction is the introduction of raised platforms for systems equipment. In the event of flooding, where the unit would have been severely damaged or destroyed, installing equipment on raised platforms mitigates an otherwise costly replacement or repair (Cao, 2021). This approach can be utilized for equipment inside and outside the building.
When Hurricane Harvey took out 80 of Houston ISD’s campuses, some of the schools affected had to manage the loss of technology equipment and quickly assemble a new network or try and revive the old one. If a school does experience flooding, getting them back online as quickly as possible becomes a priority, as they must be able to continue operations. By raising these systems and equipment inside the building, we mitigate downtime and allow the school to resume operations much more quickly.
When design and materials allow, other construction techniques include making built structures permeable so as not to impede the flow of water, protecting lower elevations with water-resistant materials, and installing green spaces that support water runoff.
The Harvey Schools
Pfluger Architects had the opportunity to apply some of these flood mitigation practices when designing four elementary schools in Houston that were impacted so much by flooding during Hurricane Harvey they were deemed to be razed and rebuilt. While these are four separate schools with vastly different site conditions, many of the same strategies were used during planning and construction of all four. Braeburn, Kolter, Scarborough, and Mitchell Elementary were all built at higher elevations than their predecessors.
By designing more climate-resilient structures to endure the impact of flooding, schools can become everlasting safe spaces for their communities in times of need.
The City of Houston, along with the surrounding counties, quickly put together new regulations that were already under review by a task force (Quiddity, 2021). One of these regulations stipulated the flow of water in its natural direction could not be impeded. The higher elevation, in this case, was combined with a practice commonly seen in beachfront homes, which allows the water to flow under the building. By utilizing what would otherwise be imperviable space as a storm management system, the structures work with and direct the water rather than work against it. Having a place for the water to go is a main concern during flooding, and often, we forget to count how much water the ground itself can hold. By maintaining a smaller footprint and minimizing corners in building design by creating a footprint that keeps the geometry as simple as possible, these school buildings decreased the number of piers needed in construction, thus retaining soil that can soak up water in the instance of flooding.
Creating spaces—especially schools—with health and safety in mind is necessary to establish a healthy and safe community. By designing more climate-resilient structures to endure the impact of flooding, schools can become everlasting safe spaces for their communities in times of need. It is important to not only look at other educational institutions for reference when looking to mitigate flooding impact but also at the design community as a whole to draw inspiration and learn lessons. Finding ways to mitigate flooding and create a resilient community is the responsibility of all. With changing climate patterns and an increasing frequency of catastrophic weather events, it is imperative for communities that architects design and build structures for durability and sustainability.
Britany Bock is a head researcher with Pfluger Architects, based in Austin. Certified in Environmental Hazard Planning, Britany leads the firm’s Health & Safety Research and Benchmarking team. She can be reached at [email protected]. This is her first article for Facilities Manager.
References:
Cao, L. (2021, Aug. 20). “How Can Architecture Combat Flooding? 9 Practical Solutions,” Arch Daily.
Contributor, U. E. (2017, September 11). “School Reconstruction in Houston after Harvey: An Opportunity to Learn From the Past,” Education Week: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-school-reconstruction-in-houston-after-harvey-an-opportunity-to-learn-from-the-past/2017/09
Harris, A. (2020, Nov. 12). “Building for a flooded Future: Architects are designing for the new climate reality”
Kasakove, S. (2020). “When the Waters Rise, How Will We Keep Schools Open?” Huffington Post.
Pfluger Architects, Inc. (n.d.). “Harvey Schools,” TASA TASB Exhibit of School Architecture Submission, The Difference.
The Pew Charitable Trusts (2017). “Flooding Threatens Public Schools Across the Country.”
Homer, M. (2024). List: Houston-area school closings on Monday, May 6. Houston: KHOU 11.
Quiddity. (2021, August 23). “What’s Changed Since Hurricane Harvey?” Quiddity: https://quiddity.com/whats-changed-since-hurricane-harvey/
