NetherlandsStormSurgeBarriers

Storm surge barriers for The Netherlands [Image Courtesy William Merrill]

Zeke Minaya

Designing Life after Ike

Now what?

Almost as soon as the immediate danger from Hurricane Ike subsided, experts and government officials began asking themselves how to prevent the devastation from happening again.

The proposals have been varied but have shared certain characteristics—billion-dollar price tags and ambitious scope. One plan extends an enormous dike across the bay. Another would turn large parts of the coast into a nature reserve. The Rice Design Alliance gathered prominent voices in the Post-Ike discussion for the second of its series of three civic forums focusing on the hurricane and its aftermath. If you missed the event, download the Powerpoint presentations and listen to audio recordings below.

The Aug. 19 forum sought to offer design solutions to the wind and flood damage that accompanies hurricanes. Thomas M. Colbert, director of graduate studies at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston and RDA board member, moderated the event.

The evening’s guest speakers, along with links to audio recordings of their presentations (from guidrynews.com), included:

James Blackburn (mp3), an attorney with the firm of Blackburn & Carter and an adjunct professor with the Environmental Sciences and Engineering Department at Rice University. Find his presentation here.

William Merrell (mp3), a professor of marine sciences at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Find his presentation here.

William Kiene (mp3), the associate science coordinator of the Southeast Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Region for the NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Find his presentation here.

The speakers were allotted 15 minutes for their initial presentations and then took questions afterward. The event was held at the Brown Auditorium at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. For more information, visit this page at ricedesignalliance.org and the OffCite.org wrap-up of the first event. A Chronicle article by Eric Berger, the SciGuy, provides excellent background.

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