“ResilientSEE Puerto Rico: The Case for Rethinking Community Centers as Hubs of Resilience,” hosted by the Center for Creative Land Recycling in collaboration with the US EPA and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources.

Presenters:

• Yanel de Angel, FAIA, Principal at Perkins&Will, co-founder of resilientSEE-PR

• José Sánchez, PE, Senior Structural Engineer at Tipping Structural Engineers, co-founder of Voluntariado de Ingenieros y Profesionales de Puerto Rico

• Manuel Fontan, PE, Engineer at WSP USA, collaborator resilientSEE-PR

A cascade of recent disaster has rocked the most vulnerable among us in the Caribbean. In this backdrop, the Municipality of Guánica, Puerto Rico, is the test case for a for a renaissance of the purpose-built community center which doubles as a dignified responsive emergency shelter during disasters. Interact with our three illustrious panelists, engineering and architecture practitioners who are part of the pro-bono core of professions from ResilientSEE Puerto Rico. They share how they are pioneering the reconceptualization of the resiliency hub; Principals of strengthened organizational capacity, year-round education, emergency preparedness, food security, health, safety, and social justice equity are the backbone of a new vision for how to weather environmental, social, and economic shocks.