Extreme weather events, rising insurance costs, and an increased focus on climate resiliency as a part of ESG initiatives are driving action to “harden assets” – taking measures to reduce impact from wind, flooding, fire, and extreme heat. Julie Pietrzak, P.E., ENV SP, CFM, a principal and Sustainability & Resilience Practice Leader at Thornton Tomasetti, notes that, while owners are focusing first on those properties in higher-risk geographies, major events are expanding well beyond the typical coastal hurricane regions. “Cloudburst events” can lead to flooding; these events are soliciting a reactive response from property owners who now are concerned about flooding. According to Pietrzak, preventative measures typically include barriers around the facade itself and around the building envelope to keep water out of the building.  Read more about “hardening assets” here. 

An article in Retrofit’s May-June issue takes a look at the Block & Kuhl Department Store in Peoria, Illinois. Known locally as The Big White Store for its gleaming white terra-cotta cladding and seven-story height, the building was the first steel-framed structure in the city. Rachel Michelin, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, a principal and co-office director at Thornton Tomasetti, authors a project feature on the building’s recent repositioning and new life as an office space for The Order of St. Francis HealthCare Ministry. To effectively upgrade the buildings, the design team of Dewberry, JLK Architects and Thornton Tomasetti was challenged with evaluating the original terra cotta that remained while improving the exterior envelope performance. Additionally, the original materials were gone from the spandrel areas—ripped out during prior renovations—resulting in the need for replication of the 120-year-old designs with modern technologies. Read the full story here.