Galveston residents won’t soon forget the wrath of Hurricane Ike. Surge tides flooded portions of the island, displacing thousands of homeowners, destroying businesses and leaving a lasting impact on the island’s coastline. As bad as Ike was, the damage could have been much worse.
Recently, researchers from the Severe
Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center (SSPEED) proposed
a levee system to protect downtown Galveston businesses and the University of
Texas Medical Branch
(UTMB). For now, community leaders are pondering this
prospective storm barrier, but University of Houston architecture students are
actively demonstrating how it can be a functional aspect of the city’s
landscape.
This fall, 12 students at UH’s Gerald
D. Hines College of Architecture developed designs and plans for urban
amenities that can be incorporated into a Galveston levee. Parks, landscaping, parking
lots, commercial spaces and other amenities are included in students’ physical
and computer models. Students recently presented their ideas for a panel of
industry professionals, and these plans soon will be shared with Galveston
civic leaders. These projects were part of professor Thomas Colbert’s Advanced
Design Studio class.
“As architects, we have the opportunity to shape the physical environment around us…to shape our cities, so they’re more sustainable and more resilient,” Colbert said. “This exercise allows us to show community leaders that a levee doesn’t have to be a concrete wall that disrupts a pleasant streetscape. It can actually enhance an entire district and make it a nicer place, while at the same time making it safe.”
Students visited Galveston earlier in the semester and explored the area in which a levee would be placed. They then focused their energies on integrating the levee with a visitors’ center for a prospective coastal recreational area (also proposed by SSPEED).
Fifth-year architecture student Mel Fuentes developed a plan that would create an urban park alongside the levee. He also had the envisioned the transformation of an rarely used rail line into a tourist-friendly light rail system.
“For this project, I looked at other cities with levees, particularly New Orleans,” Fuentes said. “I focused on the consequences of the failure of that levee system and how I could improve on that. Galveston basically has a flat topography and is less vulnerable than New Orleans, but it still needs a levee system of some sort.”
Cristhian Bisso, a fourth-year architecture student, conceptualized a plan to unite areas of Galveston along the levee through enhanced landscaping, a jogging trail and performance pavilion. His plans also include a bridge that joins parking areas and cruise terminals.
“People often think of levees as
barriers, but I am using this one to connect two sides of the island,” Bisso
said. “It’s an exciting project because community
leaders will have a chance to look at our work and perhaps come away
with some
ideas,” he said.
Colbert is among the researchers
participating in SSPEED. He contributed to a recent report that recommended the
Galveston levee system, in addition to a hydraulic gate structure that would
protect the Houston Ship Channel. The
report also advocated the construction of
a levee system along State Highway 146, which serves a major evacuation route
during hurricanes. The entire report can be accessed at http://sspeed.rice.edu/sspeed/downloads/Final_Paper_2011.pdf.
SSPEED was founded in 2007 and is based at Rice University. Its mission is to advance research and disseminate information related to severe storm impacts and evacuation strategies in the Gulf Coast area. Participating researchers include professors from the University of Houston, Rice University, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas Southern University, Louisiana State University, University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas A&M University.
In addition to Colbert, UH contributors to SSPEED include Jim Granato, director of the Hobby Center for Public Policy and Hanadi Rifai, professor of civil and environmental engineering. To learn more about SSPEED, visit http://sspeed.rice.edu/sspeed/index.html.
“Some of the best images from this class will be included in future SSPEED presentations to community leaders in the Galveston area and possibly legislators and anyone who is interested in the future of the island,” Colbert said.
The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a variety of disciplines including architecture, space architecture, interior architecture and industrial design. Faculty members include esteemed professionals in the architectural community, as well as award-winning academic veterans. Facilities include studio spaces, the new Materials Research Collaborative, computer labs and the Burdette Keeland Jr. Design Exploration Center. To learn more about the college, visit http://www.arch.uh.edu/.
(Levee design image by student Basma Oshiba)