Extreme Heat, Flooding, and Fires: Designing for Resiliency and Social Equity

Devastating fires, flooding, and extreme heat are increasingly impacting communities locally, nationally, and globally. Longstanding economic, planning and design practices have placed the burden of these resiliency events disproportionately on lower income communities. As we adapt the physical environment to cope with the effects of climate change, how can we integrate social equity as critical design criteria?

This panel will explore the interconnection of climate change, resiliency, and social equity through a discussion on current resilience and equity tools available to architects, and through the lens of relevant case studies. Our panelists will explore how issues of resiliency and equity are critical in a wide range of projects—from infrastructural projects specifically implemented to address resiliency issues to creation of new affordable housing. Join us as we discuss strategies for creating deeply sustainable and equitable design for resilience, as well as an open discussion on design challenges and potential solutions.

Speakers:
Illya Azaroff, FAIA, Professor, New York City of Technology (CUNY); Founding Principal, +LAB architect PLLC
Daniel Heuberger, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Dattner Architects
Grayson Jordan, AIA, CPHC, Partner, Paul A. Castrucci, Architects
Jennifer Leone, AIA, LEED, Assistant Commissioner/ Chief Sustainability Officer, NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

Moderator:
Grayson Jordan, AIA, CPHC, Partner, Paul A. Castrucci, Architects

About the Speakers:
Illya Azaroff is Professor in practice at New York City of Technology (CUNY) and founding principal of +LAB architect PLLC, whose mission is to build resilient capacity and advance goals for a sustainable, regenerative future while giving underserved communities greater voice and visibility. He is an internationally recognized leader in disaster mitigation, resilient planning, and regenerative design strategies. He is part of Resilient 21, a coalition advising the white house on resilient strategies. He served as a COP27 delegate and leads the COP-28 AIA team. He is a technical advisor on the New York State Climate Impact Assessment for the governor’s office. Azaroff is working with NYC OEM on 2023 Hazard Mitigation Plan for the city. As New York state disaster coordinator, he created the AIA Unified Task Force City and State addressing impacts of COVID19 pandemic Video Task Force. Azaroff is advised HUD, the federal government, as part of the Resilient Housing Taskforce. While with ICC/ANCR- the Alliance for National Community Resilience helped create community resilience benchmarking system. He is a founding director of KIGRR - Kalinago Institute for Global Resilience and Regeneration on the island of Dominica. His office is advancing culturally significant community resilience hubs and regenerative cluster housing in several communities across the world. This last year US State department deployed Azaroff to missions in Kyrgyzstan and the Republic of Turkey following the devastating earthquakes. He served as the 2021 AIA New York State president and is currently serving as an at-large director on the AIA National Board. Prior to coming to New York, he worked in Germany, Italy, and Holland. He has worked in the field for over 30 years.

Daniel Heuberger’s design leadership is informed by a belief in architecture’s broad public mission. Through an active engagement in each phase of design, from concept through execution, he directs institutional, educational, housing, and planning projects. As a mentor and consensus-builder, he facilitates dialogue among design professionals and clients, enabling collaboration and unifying project goals. An active member of the AIA New York, Heuberger served on the School Construction Authority Task Force, Design Awards Committee, and the Oculus Committee. He has lectured on design to professional groups, including the US Green Building Council, Society of University and College Planners, and the AIA. Heuberger has been a guest critic at several schools. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Columbia University and a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Jennifer Bloom Leone is Chief Sustainability Officer for New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation & Development (“HPD”)—the largest municipal housing finance agency in the country. Her work includes setting a holistic sustainability agenda and policy for the agency, ensuring that projects are low carbon, energy efficient and resilient while addressing the unique health and safety needs of the vulnerable populations HPD supports. Included in this role is participation in numerous climate and energy working groups to represent affordable housing and ensure that this sector is able to participate in and benefit from NYC’s aggressive decarbonization agenda.

Grayson Jordan is a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) and Registered Architect practicing in New York and Massachusetts. He has worked on a wide range of project types and scales in and around NYC. His work within the firm has been focused on energy efficiency and sustainability. Jordan was the project architect for the City’s first Passive House Net Zero building (R-951 Residence) and the NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence Blue Ribbon-winning Bethany Senior Terraces, an affordable housing building for seniors. Outside of the office, Jordan is a member of the AIA COTE Social Equity Committee, advocating for the use of community engagement in the design process. He is an active member of the NYC Energy Code advisory board, and frequently presents the firm’s work in Passive House, sustainability, and modular construction.

Please note: Those attending using the livestream link will note be eligible for CES credits.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89462832270?pwd=T9w7x9hsdZBA3ZQOjbHH8IPyvnG8w1.1