Designing in a coastal environment has always presented challenges, as climate change has intensified weather and tidal patterns, and as building codes and regulations in critical areas have become increasingly more stringent. Mr. Wiedemann will discuss coastal requirements in the Mid-Atlantic region, including FEMA flood plain requirements, and critical area regulations. He will discuss site planning opportunities and constraints in a coastal setting, including the role of flood insurance maps, and how they impact lot selection, building siting, and other decisions.

He will illustrate the impact on the design of some of his residential projects on the Eastern Shore, including a 100 acre farm on the Eastern Shore that includes 25 buildings, some within the 100 foot buffer, and how each responded to the coastal conditions. He will also share the results of a 2018 study at UMD that he helped lead, which worked with the Department of Natural Resources and the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Preserve to design a field research station on the Eastern Shore. The student work will illustrate how they addressed critical issues of sea level rise, climate change, and appropriate design solutions in sensitive ecosystems. The studio work led to the publication of “Charting a Way Forward/ Research at Monie Bay.” 


Learning Objectives: At the completion of this course, participants will be able to: explain how coastal code requirements in the region, including FEMA flood plain requirements, impact design and planning in coastal environments; Identify site planning opportunities and constraints in a coastal setting, including the role of flood insurance rate maps, and how they impact lot selection, siting, and other project decisions; Summarize construction materials and methods for coastal projects and how to achieve a resiliency; and Identify design elements that are key to a successful project. 


Speaker: Greg Wiedemann, AIA - Principal, WIEDEMANN ARCHITECTS LLC


Credits: 1.5 HSW|LUs; 1.5 GBCI Credits (Self-Report); 1.5 AICP CM; 1.5 LACES