BRE, flood risk management company Aquobex and architectural firm Baca are jointly working to develop a design for a flood resilient home, supported by £50k funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The aim of the project is to enable construction of new properties on land in low or residual flood risk areas, which is not currently being developed, to help overcome the current shortage of building land.
Build partners are also being sought for construction of the building at the BRE Innovation Park in Watford to demonstrate the systems. It is likely to include a surrounding tank that will allow the building to be 'flooded' to show how systems such as barriers and rapid drainage systems would work.
"Resilience remains a key issue for new housing - given the recent floods and their profound impact on people's lives, it is more important than ever to step up research in this area and develop practical solutions," said Dr Stephen Garvin, BRE’s resilience expert.
"The proposed demonstration building at the Innovation Park will be a fantastic opportunity for developers and stakeholders to see these solutions in action."
