Dec 12 2012

Architecture Students Mobilize to Help Rebuild Long Beach, N.Y.

A group of architecture and design students from NYIT campuses in Old Westbury and Manhattan surveyed damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy on Dec. 8 in Long Beach, N.Y. They took a bus tour of the area's West End, Central Boardwalk, and Canal District, talked with homeowners, and met with Long Beach Building Commissioner Scott Kemins to discuss using their design skills to support recovery efforts.

Their meeting is part of "Operation Resilient Long Island," an effort by the NYIT School of Architecture and Design to aid in hurricane recovery efforts. Committed members include representatives from the NYIT chapters of Freedom By Design, the American Institute of Architecture Students, and the Construction Management Association of America.

The NYIT students, many with families who suffered personal impact from the storm, found the excursion to be an emotional experience. They spoke with residents who lost their homes and documented their essential needs as a starting point to develop ideas for durable, affordable rebuilding strategies. During the bus tour, they saw painful signs of wreckage in the community, such as "Mount Sandy," a five-story pile of sand swept from the streets into a vacant lot next to the boardwalk, and the remains of eight homes burned down in the Canal District. Kemins provided them with insight into zoning ordinances, insurance requirements, and Federal Emergency Management Agency laws.

Their next step is to plan a design competition open to architecture schools across the country to develop ideas for what they call "coastal resiliency." Also on the agenda is an internship program for students interested in applying their skills to the rebuilding process.

For more information, contact:

• Frank Mruk, associate dean, NYIT School of Architecture and Design, 516.686.1436, fmruk@nyit.edu
• NYIT student Alex Alaimo, 845.380.0923, aalaim01@nyit.edu