University of Texas in San Antonio (UTSA) is preparing a mission to secure critical buildings against increasingly fierce hurricanes. That’s because they believe reinforcing Gulf Coast historic properties will provide rallying points for distressed communities. While also preserving an historic inheritance we might otherwise lose forever.
An Action Plan for Reinforcing Gulf Coast Historic Properties
The UTSA Center for Cultural Stainability has been working on a ‘resilience roadmap’ for two years. Their action plan for reinforcing Gulf Coast historic properties is a step-by-step guide for preserving their structural integrity. So these properties can withstand future severe weather events, and live on for future generations to treasure.
Key elements of their imaginative program include:
- A numeric model to help building custodians fortify them against hurricane damage.
- Particular strategies for elements such as doors, windows, foundations and roofs.
The UTSA team has identified nine religious facilities throughout Galveston, Harris and Victoria counties. These each previously sustained hurricane damage, and are either on the National Register of Historic Places, or eligible to be so. They also deliver service to their communities beyond their religious needs.
The Challenge Is to Maintain the Character of Each Structure
Climate experts believe Gulf Coast weather will become more severe in coming years. “The challenge” the UTSA Center for Cultural Sustainability explains “is to improve a structure’s ability to withstand disaster while maintaining its historic character”.
Moreover, faith-based groups are often at the heart of relief work during a crisis. Although William Dupont, director of UTSA’s Center for Cultural Sustainability believes survival of the buildings must take first priority.
UTSA Center for Cultural Sustainability is an interdisciplinary collaboration exploring the continuity of the cultural systems of human existence. This concept includes consideration, understanding and respect for heritage – the identities and values that bind people to places.
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