Proposed NYC standards designed to make buildings more resilient
In the wake of hurricane Sandy, the City of New York recently accepted proposals for building standards that would make buildings better equipped to cause less damage and bounce back more quickly after another weather-related disaster.
A recent article on realtytoday.com summarized the June 13, 2013 press conference that announced the 33 proposals suggested by the Building Resiliency Task Force, a group of 200 builders, architects, landlords, city officials and attorneys Mayor Bloomberg created after last year’s hurricane.
The panel looked at ways for buildings in New York, especially vital areas like office space in the Financial District, to not only become more resilient but create less debris. The demand for virtual offices in NYC during the aftermath of Sandy skyrocketed because of the lack of habitable office space, and debris cleanup has cost the city billions of dollars.
Some of the proposed new building standards that would specifically affect office space include providing power failure backup and ensuring that drinking water would be available in lobbies and other public areas.
The new standards focused on resiliency to provide fewer interruptions in worldwide financial services. Limiting damage, according to the task force, is essential to limiting the number of lives lost in the next disaster. Strengthening building standards would save billions of dollars in the future, according to one task force member.
The New York Times reported that debris removal from Hurricane Sandy cost more than twice what it would have in other parts of the country. The Army Corps of Engineers, which spearheaded the removal, said the increased cost was due, in part, because of the logistical issues removing large amounts of debris from a major urban area.
