When considering an investment in a multifamily development, aesthetics and comfort are likely at the forefront of your design process. However, if you will be building in a hurricane-prone area, hurricane resistance should also be integral to your design process in order to protect your property and ensure the safety of your residents in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm.
With extreme winds and flooding common during hurricanes, it is important that developers integrate architectural elements that can reduce potential damage to their property. Keep reading as we take a look at a few architectural design solutions you should include to protect your investment and keep your residents safe.
A Strong Foundation
The foundation is the bedrock of any structure, and implementing the right foundation design is essential in order to protect your development from hurricane damage. A deep or pile foundation can help anchor the building to the ground and protect it from toppling over due to high wind speeds.
Shear Walls and Hurricane Strapping
To resist lateral forces and prevent racking during strong winds, shear walls are an important architectural element in hurricane-safe building design. Shear walls are designed to transfer loads from heavy winds to the foundation of the building, preventing it from leaning or collapsing under the force of heavy winds. Shear walls are most effective when complemented by hurricane strapping, which are metal ties that anchor the roof to the walls and the walls to the foundation. Strapping not only helps protect the roof from wind uplift, but, when combined with shear walls, also creates a continuous load path that helps channel wind forces into the ground, reducing the risk of structural damage during high winds.
Shape and Frame
When designing multifamily developments for hurricane resistance, the shape of the building and its framing will heavily impact its ability to minimize wind damage. It is particularly important that the building has an aerodynamic design that incorporates rounded or hexagonal shapes. This will help to reduce the wind load by allowing wind to flow around rather than against the building. In particular, circular-shaped buildings prevent pressure accumulation, as the pressure is redirected around the building rather than accumulating on the side of a square building. Even if the building is not round, using rounded elements and avoiding corners or projections can help reduce pressure points during hurricane-force winds.
Metal Roofing
It’s important to choose the right roofing material when designing a hurricane-resistant multifamily development, as the roof needs to be able to resist wind uplift, water penetration, and damage from flying debris. Metal roofing is generally considered to be the best option for hurricane-proof construction, as metal roofs can withstand high winds and strong impacts while maintaining their structural integrity. The design of the roof is also critical to hurricane resistance, as roofs with low pitches are more resistant to uplift.
Impact-Resistant Doors, Windows, and Shutters
During a hurricane, windows and doors can be the most vulnerable points in a home. These vulnerable points can break or fail due to pressure from high winds or impact from flying debris. When designing a multifamily development, investing in high-quality, impact-resistant windows and doors to better protect residents during a storm is incredibly important. For an extra layer of protection, consider adding shutters to windows to protect them from debris. You should also install flashing and weatherstripping around windows and doors to prevent water leakage.
Employing the right architectural design strategies when building a multifamily development in a hurricane-prone area can go a long way in protecting your investment as well as your residents in the event of a storm. Please contact us at Ted Trout Architect and Associates to learn more about hurricane-resistant multifamily housing design as well as to find out how our architects can help you design a multifamily development that will withstand the elements.
