Coastal Processes, Hazards, and Society

Early Smart Building

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Early Smart Building

The concept of smart building or building with nature is not new. Early settlers, cities, and communities living along river banks, deltas, and along coastlines have adapted their lifestyle to the pulsing and cyclic forces of nature. From fluctuating sea levels to seasonal flooding, to storm flows, these communities slowly built resilience and developed methods to help them withstand the elements to maintain a way of life. Communities were founded or expanded along high ground; evacuated low-lying areas in river valleys during floods; fled during storms, or learned to live with water, often creating floating infrastructures. We will now explore some basic early smart building approaches by visiting low-lying and delta communities in the United States, the Netherlands, and the Mekong Delta in southwestern Vietnam.