Stilt Houses: How an Ancient Architectural Design Could Become a Climate Solution

With more frequent and severe sea level rise, hurricanes, and floods, coastal communities have had to come up with new, innovative ways to adapt to their changing environment. One idea has been around for millennia: stilt houses, or houses built on elevated platforms raised by pillared scaffolding.

Stilt houses can reduce flood risk and even offer better ventilation. They can also increase local tourism revenue. But stilt houses have challenges to overcome, from vulnerability to wind and earthquakes to inaccessibility and social stigmas. This episode of “The Sweaty Penguin” examines what needs to happen for this climate solution to live up to its full potential. Featuring special guest Dr. Thang Dao, Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alabama.