Building our residential flood resilience

Flood resilience is the ability to prepare for, live through, and recover from a flood event with the least amount of damage and financial stress on homeowners as possible.

In 2020 at the Resilient Australia National Awards, James Davidson Architects won a Highly Commended award for their "Building Australia's Flood Resilience" initiative which began almost 10 years ago and comprises a series of interconnected projects. What began as pro-bono grassroots action in the wake of the 2011 Queensland Floods, has grown into work for Government, non-Government, industry and academic clients.

They had developed a community ‘build back better’ program; had designed a number of flood resilient private homes; written the Queensland Government’s residential flood resilience guide; designed the Flood Resilient Homes Program for Brisbane City Council which is now being rolled out; written the flood resilience guides for both the City of Gold Coast and Melbourne Water; and successfully lobbied the insurance industry to recognise flood resilient design and lower their clients’ insurance premiums accordingly.

The Flood Resilient Building Guidance for Queensland Homes provides information about improving the flood resilience of new and existing Queensland homes. The guideline is based on lessons learned through consultation with the building industry, local governments and Queensland Government agencies.