

A Rising Tide, A New Blueprint: Rethinking How We Build on the Seacoast
You've probably heard the phrase “a rising tide lifts all ships”, but does this saying still hold true when rising water levels are threatening coastal buildings? Can flooding force us to rethink how we build and connect with the natural world around us? Uncover lessons from the past in part-two of our podcast series discussing Strawbery Banke Museum’s Sea Level Rise Initiative. Previously, we heard about the unique history of Portsmouth and how coastal flooding threatens to wash away the neighborhood’s past. Today, we explore what it takes to protect a port city’s history, while writing the next chapter. Up first, John Hyde, Director of Sustainability at Chapman Construction and Design, discusses the five lenses through which construction projects can look at sustainability. John also shares his ‘silver bullet’ solution to reducing carbon emissions while meeting the growing demand for development. Next, Brian Murphy, Architect and Design Principal at Placework, discusses his idea of the farm-forest-city. Brian's hope for the future is simple, that the built environment connects us to nature rather than isolates us from it. Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is a historic site facing flood risks from rising seas, coastal storms and changing rainfall. Join host Brian Yurasits as he tries to envision what the Seacoast could look like 50 years into the future, if we get it right. Full episode transcript is available below. Guest Speakers: John Hyde, Director of Sustainability, Chapman Construction and Design Brian Murphy, Architect and Design Principal, Placework Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant Produced by: Brian Yurasits Further reading: New Hampshire Sea Grant Current Research: https://seagrant.unh.edu/resource/developing-water-level-sensor-monitoring-network-city-portsmouth-new-hampshire-build-community Strawbery Banke’s Sea Level Rise Initiative: https://www.strawberybanke.org/sea-level-rise Placework: https://placework.studio/ Chapman Construction/Design: https://www.chap-con.com/ Horsley Witten Group: https://horsleywitten.com/ Stimson: https://www.stimsonstudio.com/ Pozzotive: https://pozzotive.com/ Passive House Standards: https://www.phius.org/standards New Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement
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