In The Media December 29, 2023

Columbia University Tennis Center Featured By Fast Company for Resilient Design

Sitting on the waterfront at the northern edge of Manhattan, this new athletic facility is designed to flood.

With rising sea levels, severe storms, and increased flooding, today’s buildings must account for the climate change risks of tomorrow. Columbia University’s new tennis center is the future of flood-resilient architecture, rethinking how a structure interacts with water. Instead of trying to keep water out, the facility is intentionally designed to let it in. Fast Company highlights our design approach and innovative strategies that protect and adapt this waterfront building.

“There are buildings around the country that have been built almost like a bathtub, with very few openings in the lower level...we didn’t want to create a building like that. We wanted to create the inverse."

Stephen Sefton, Principal

Courts both inside and on the roof take advantage of the location's spectacular views.

Instead of sealing off the first floor, the building is open and connected to the outside.

Columbia University Tennis Center Featured By Fast Company for Resilient Design

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