WMAIA 2020 Design Awards
ENTRY
PLACE Alliance, Amherst, MA
The Stockade Historic District, in northwest Schenectady, NY along the Mohawk River, has been subject to seasonal and catastrophic flooding throughout its long and varied history since it was settled in the 1660’s.
Our team conducted a thorough hydraulic and hydrologic assessment which determined that there are no in-river improvements that would have significant impact on flooding frequency or intensity, and that ice jams causing winter floods have the highest floodwater elevations and cause significant damages. Our team used a design flood elevation set by these findings to develop a historically and culturally sensitive flood mitigation strategy for the Historic Stockade District.
This concept, Managed Retreat, physically relocates the houses and streets to higher ground, offering the maximum resilience by preserving historic buildings, maintaining original street character, and creating additional flood storage in the neighborhood’s Riverfront Park.
