resilientSEE: Building Alliances for a Resilient Puerto Rico

A global alliance committed to designing and rebuilding a safe and sustainable Puerto Rico using the S-E-E approach that holistically considers, Social, Environmental, and Economic Resilience.

resilientSEE develops resilient planning frameworks that can be applied  neighborhoods, districts, and cities in need—any place at any scale. The name resilientSEE stems from the organization’s innovative, flexible framework, a multi-lens approach to achieve resilience that considers “Social”, “Economic”, and “Environmental” vulnerabilities. This holistic systems approach helps communities in Puerto Rico affected by hurricanes, earthquakes, and flooding to recover in sustainable ways and become well positioned to seek federal funds for rebuilding.

Completed: Ongoing, founded in 2018
Location: Puerto Rico
Partners: https://www.resilientsee-pr.com/the-alliance
Guanica Emergency Preparedness Plan & Shelter Design:
Pre-During-Post Event
This project tackled the analysis, programming and concept design for three different sites to develop shelters adequate for earthquakes and hurricanes. These community centers are able to serve a combined population of 2,552 people, including families, individuals, couples, elderly, disabled with companion and pets. The design of the water and energy systems allow the building to withstand 72 hours without Municipal utility connection. The buildings serve a dual programmatic purpose:
  1. A resilient community center able to build community capacity year-round;
  2. An asset that transforms into a shelter to protect the community during an emergency.
Long-term Planning for Toa Baja
The alliance’s first project was a resilience plan for the Toa Baja municipality, which creates a framework that assesses the social, environmental, and economic risks and vulnerabilities for the community of Toa Baja and the island of Puerto Rico at large, ultimately recommending a set of guiding principles to help inform actions moving forward. With an open mindset, resilientSEE used a holistic system approach to co-create an infrastructure plan and position the community to seek federal funds for rebuilding.