Adaptive Architecture and Flood Permitting Cities. Urban Flooding as Incentive for Incremental Change, the Case of Brederode in Antwerp, Belgium

The exact impact of climate change on weather patterns is difficult to predict and therefore requires a resilient design strategy which incorporates a broad range of weather scenarios. Answers must be provided on different scales and disciplines. However, currently the influence of small-scale interventions has been scarcely discussed. Hence, the aim of this research through design is to offer an alternative to large-scale engineered structures that focus on a defence strategy rather than a flood permitting strategy. To explore this small-scale ambition, the neighbourhood Brederode in Antwerp, Belgium was selected as a case study. A network of multiple design elements is structured following four possible principles of dealing with water: infiltrate locally, connect to pump, buffer temporarily and protect the weakest areas. Due to the limited predictability of the occurrence and intensity of certain weather situations the proposed network is flexible and adaptive. Rather than radical top down solutions, this research by design aims to stimulate an incremental evolution, with a positive impact on both the ecological and social sustainability of a community. Water becomes an active, structuring natural element in the daily urban reality, instead of an absolute passive recreational element that we visit on weekends outside the city. The findings reflect a redevelopment on the neighbourhood scale, with a positive impact on both the ecological and social sustainability of a community.

ISBN:978-1-9162841-5-9

Publication year:2020