From wild fires and hurricanes to flooding and rising sea levels, natural disasters can strike anywhere and at any time. No region of the country is immune from the impacts and rising costs of disaster damage. In light of this stark reality, the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., has prepared a multimedia exhibition called “Designing for Disaster.” The exhibition is intended as a call to action for citizen preparedness — from design professionals and local decision-makers to homeowners and school kids. The exhibition explores strategies local leaders are currently pursuing to reduce their risks and build more disaster-resilient communities. The exhibition opened May 11, 2014 and will remain on view through August 2, 2015.
Visitors to Designing for Disaster will explore new approaches in design and engineering to protect life and property against a range of natural hazards. The exhibition will be organized by the destructive forces associated with each of the elements: earth, air, fire and water. Artifacts from past disasters, such as a door marked after Hurricane Katrina and stone fragments from the earthquake-damaged National Cathedral, help to document the destructive power of nature.