Design
Flood Proof House Designs
Seeking a practical yet stunning flood resistant house design, contact dion seminara architecture, flood proof house design award winners.
Flood Proof House Design Architects
dion seminara architecture won the prestigious LJ Hooker Grantham Flood Proof House Design. If you are looking for a flood-resistant house design, we have the expertise, knowledge and design skills to create an exceptional yet very effective flood free home for you.
Major flood events, such as the January 2011 Brisbane flood, remind us of the devastating effects that rising flood water cause. If you are thinking of buying a home, renovating or building in a flood zone, we are confident that we can help you. For a flood-resistant house design or possibly a flood-proof renovation, we would love to be of assistance and can assure you that our flood proof house designs are not only ‘flood proof’ but are also tailored to your needs and will be a wonderful home for you to enjoy.
If you are seeking to build a new flood proof house, this allows us to start with a clean slate and design not only to prevent damage in the event of a severe flood but also to design to take advantage of your flood zone landholding. A truly successful architecturally designed home encapsulates any views, provides privacy, has living rooms orientated to the direction of the best possible aspect (usually north to north-east) as well as to the prevailing breezes. Just because you are seeking a flood proof home, there is no reason why your architecturally designed home should not include all the advantages that a truly well-designed home can provide you.
Every flood proof house that we have designed is different depending on the needs and lifestyle of its owners and the advantages and disadvantages that the residential block provides. One thing that is constant however is that your flood-resistant design created by dion seminara architecture will ensure that should another disastrous flood occur, your home will be best equipped to withstand this event. Ideally, if your block allows, your new home should be located in an area that is above the flood zone line. This is often not possible, but if there are any variations on the steepness of the block, we would advise as to the optimal placement of your new home and rooms within your new home.
Flood Resistant Zones & Renovations
- Creating a Safe Area
One option is to create a safe zone within your home when your options are limited. If the cost of full flood proofing for your existing home is very high, creating safe zones is your best option if your house is in a flood prone area. In this instance, you could select one area or one room to be made flood resistant, or possibly a small second story area could be added to your home.
- Raising Above The Flood Line
It may be that your current home can be raised above the flood line and then the ground floor area made flood resistant. This is done as described above so that should Brisbane once again flood the cleanup of your lower level will be much easier if designed with inundation in mind and built with durable materials.
- Your Own Structural Levee
A fairly drastic and costly measure, if you cannot move or raise your home, is to build a structural wall on all sides of your landholding to provide an effective levee for your home in the event of floods. Building a levee will require a structural engineer, structural levee walls with waterproofing and rendering, water-tight gates with a steel frame and sturdy linings – sandbagging could then fill the gaps when required.
- Creative Options
Homes that cannot be raised above flood zone heights often require some creative design. It may be that the home is extended out of the flood zone area and the existing home redesigned and remodelled such that if inundated the damage is far less severe than would otherwise have been. There are design options and certain construction materials that can be used to help flood proof your home.
- Award-Winning Approach
As stated previously, Dion Seminara won the LJ Hooker Grantham Flood Home Design Competition by creating a home design unique in its approach to dealing with flood waters. This flood-proof home design is designed to survive being inundated with flood waters. The layout and choice of materials make cleaning up after a flooding event a breeze and avoids the need for expensive reconstruction. There are many aspects of this award-winning design that may apply to your new home or your existing home. Contact us to discuss the challenges your flood zone house block presents and allow us to use our architectural design expertise and knowledge to ensure the best possible flood resistant home for you.