CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE

Climate change is a universal crisis that urban context and infrastructure must consider through design. A consequence of climate change pertaining to Cal Western’s School of Law’s site in San Diego is the sea level rise. Sea level rise is an increase in the level of the world’s oceans due to the effects of global warming. According to the research organization Climate Central if global warming’s pollutants continue at their current pace, then 1 ft of sea level rise in San Diego is very likely in 2060. Additionally, at the rate global warming is moving a sea level rise of 5’ is probably for 2180. Aggressive action against climate pollution can avoid these rises in sea levels altogether. One strategy currently utilized in San Diego is seawalls. These seawalls combat the cliffside erosion that has been moving the edge of San Diego’s shoreline inland. The existing buildings adjacent to the shoreline are either a part of the local government, military bases, or infrastructure. Additionally, the San Diego shores has a net positive impact of $19 billion per year due to tourism. The steadfast continuation of sea level rise is a danger to San Diego’s economy, infrastructure, safety, and urban context. If residents are required to evacuate, the strategy of a “managed retreat” is an alternative to seawalls, which move structures to preserve the shoreline. However, larger structures such as the San Diego Airport cannot simply move inland.

San Diego Airport’s 2020 climate resiliency plan includes raising the building pad to avoid future flooding and investing $3.4 billion in overhauling Terminal 1 to withstand rising seas until the year 3000.

As proactive as these measures may be, sea level rise is inevitable and an immediate danger to the buildings along San Diego’s shoreline. The Cal Western School of Law 2023 Master Plan has integrated programmed spaces both inside and outside facilities to respond to the needs of the community and the consequences of global warming. These spaces include community gardens, outdoor sports courts, a public market, a historically preserved hotel, a transit center, and more. The materials for the proposed buildings rely on a CLT and GLU-Lam structure to reduce the project’s embodied carbon footprint and encourage designers to adopt innovative, sustainable strategies which reduce buildings’ contributions to global warming.