Researchers and materials experts urge data‑driven design and low‑carbon durable construction

Speakers stressed that accurate models and performance‑based design are essential to practical resilience. Kenneth, a research scientist at MIT, described a decade‑long campus effort that revealed a data gap: an initial model omitted private drainage and underestimated flood exposure. Refining the model led to design changes—moving mechanical systems out of basements, raising buildings and adding flood storage—that reduced risk without a clearly identifiable extra project cost.