Resilient Design: Architecture Built for Florida
Five design decisions that can make the difference before the next storm.
When a storm starts tracking toward Florida, everything changes within hours: fuel runs low, water disappears from shelves, hurricane panels go up, and last-minute preparations take over. It's a ritual that repeats every season. But there's a question almost no one asks while getting ready: was the home where they live —or the business where they work— designed from the start with Florida's extreme conditions in mind?
That's where the real difference lies. It isn't about what happens 24 hours before the storm arrives. It's about the decisions made long before that, in the first sketch — how a roof is built, where each window goes, and how every piece of the building connects to the next.
What does "resilient design" really mean?
It sounds technical, but the idea is simple: designing from day one for the most demanding conditions a project may face, rather than adding protection as an afterthought. A resilient building doesn't depend on luck — it integrates architectural and structural decisions, from the design stage, meant to respond to the specific conditions of the site.
The good news is that this doesn't mean sacrificing design or beauty. Today, a home or commercial space can look spectacular and, at the same time, be prepared for an extreme weather event.
CORONEL ASSOCIATES' APPROACH
Coronel Associates develops its projects considering applicable codes, wind loads, opening protection, flood risk, and the specific conditions of each site in Florida.
The details that really make the difference
Five decisions, made from the first sketch, are what really do the work:
01 | Opening protection Windows, doors, and opening-protection systems selected according to applicable impact-resistance and wind-pressure requirements. |
02 | Roof-to-wall connection The roof properly "tied" to the structure, so the entire building behaves as a single piece. |
03 | Roof geometry Roof geometry affects how wind pressures act on the structure, and should be considered from the earliest stages of design. |
04 | Elevation A building's elevation is defined considering flood risk and the specific conditions of the site. |
05 | Drainage A system designed to give water somewhere to go, instead of allowing it to accumulate. |
Are you building or renovating in Florida?
One of the most common myths is thinking this only applies to ground-up construction. It doesn't. Many of these decisions can be incorporated into a renovation replacing windows, reinforcing structural connections, or adjusting the roof design on an existing project.
New Construction · Renovations · Additions · Multifamily · Commercial
Coronel Associates can evaluate these decisions from the earliest stages of design, whatever the scale of the project.
The design approach
Whether it's a residential, multifamily, or commercial project, these criteria are integrated from the earliest stages of design, not as a checklist at the end. A well-designed building doesn't have to choose between looking good and being prepared: it can —and should— do both.
To design for resilience, in the end, is to design for peace of mind.
"Beautiful architecture. Built for Florida."
