[Greenbuilding] Flood Resilient Housing

[Ross MacLeod]

I currently live in a flood plain that has not experienced a major flood in
nearly 30 years.   The community has recently approved the construction of a
berm to 'flood proof' the area against the possibility of the one hundred
year flood event.   I recognize that with climate change these intervals are
optimistic, and we can reasonably expect in my life time a more extreme
event that would flood my home (the basement, and likely put the first floor
under a few feet of water).

Despite the risks, however, I would prefer to stay in the area if I can find
a reasonable way to adapt (within reasonable cost parameters).   At this
point I am just beginning to explore what would be involved in building an
energy efficient and flood resilient house.  I have not found much out there
at this point.  Several homes in the area have been built recently with
so-called flood proof basements, but these are expensive and from what I can
see provide a poor solution to serious flood challenges.   I have read of
some extreme 'floating' homes being built in Holland, but nothing very
innovative beyond that.   I thought that a hybrid structure based on stilts
interleaved with collapsible sections of wall or ''curtain" (up to the first
floor, which would be raised several feet), might be interesting.  Does
anyone have any good pointers to information, or innovative thoughts in this
area?