Pru and Louis Ryan Resilience Lab

The goal of the facility is to create a living laboratory where the general public and residential developers can see real applications of a wide variety of resilience techniques that can be utilized for retrofitting existing properties and design of new construction within the Hampton Roads coastal region. SGA collaborated with the project architect on the site layout of the building along with the placement of the various landscape zones, including removing an existing bulkhead and creating a living shoreline stabilization with oyster reef installations. A major aspect of the project is the implementation of the city’s recently adopted Coastal Resilience Overlay (CRO) zone and how projects can comply with the requirements. The project includes outdoor educational spaces to serve as a venue for classes and hands-on opportunities for visitors to engage with the site. SGA is leading the land development approval process with the City of Norfolk.