Flood Resilient Design
Updated: Oct 2
Designing homes to live with flood risk
Flooding is part of living in Brisbane.
If you're planning a renovation or new home on a flood-affected property, the immediate response is often:
“How do we keep the water out?”
Sometimes that's possible. But another important question is:
“If flooding does occur, how can we minimise the damage and recover more quickly?”
That's the principle behind flood resilient design.
Rather than relying on a single solution, flood resilience considers how the design of the house, its materials, services and surrounding property can work together to reduce the consequences of flooding.
Start by understanding the risk
Not all flooding is the same.
The Queensland Government's Design Guidance for Flood Resilient Homes identifies three common types of flooding: overland flow, creek flooding and river flooding. Each can affect a property differently.
Before designing, it's important to understand the flood conditions affecting your particular property, including relevant flood levels and planning requirements.
The appropriate response will depend on the type and extent of the risk.
Elevate or accommodate?
The Queensland Government guidance identifies two important approaches: elevation and wet proofing.
Elevation means positioning vulnerable parts of the house above the anticipated flood level. This might include raising habitable floors or locating living areas upstairs, as well as raising electrical equipment, hot-water systems, air-conditioning units and other important services.
Wet proofing takes a different approach. It accepts that some parts of the building may occasionally flood and uses materials and construction methods that can tolerate inundation and be more easily cleaned and dried afterwards.
Depending on the property, a successful design may use a combination of both.
Design for recovery
Flood resilience isn't just about what happens while the water is rising.
It's also about what happens after it goes down.
Plasterboard, MDF and particleboard cabinetry, some insulation, timber mouldings and other conventional residential materials can be badly affected by water. Wall cavities and enclosed construction can also retain moisture and make drying difficult.
The Queensland guidance identifies a range of more resilient alternatives and design strategies, including water-resistant wall linings and framing, resilient flooring, raised or water-resistant cabinetry, solid-core doors and details that allow areas to be easily accessed, cleaned and dried.
Even relatively small decisions—such as raising power points or appliances, using removable cabinetry kickboards or avoiding inaccessible cavities—can make recovery easier.
Flood resilience can be good design
A flood resilient home doesn't need to look like a flood-proof bunker.
Materials such as polished concrete, fibre cement, hardwood, masonry and tiles can form part of a contemporary architectural palette.
Raised cabinetry can make spaces feel lighter. Locating living areas at higher levels may improve outlook, privacy and natural light. Open construction can assist ventilation and drying.
The opportunity is to make the response to flood risk part of the architecture rather than an addition to it.
Consider flood resilience before you design
The best time to consider these issues is at the beginning of the project.
Before deciding what to build, understand the flood risk, identify the vulnerable parts of the property and consider how the house should respond.
Those decisions can then inform the design brief rather than becoming expensive changes later.
Want to know more?
The Queensland Government's Design Guidance for Flood Resilient Homes provides practical information, diagrams and checklists covering different Queensland house types, flood resilient materials, services, cabinetry, walls, floors, openings and landscaping.
Planning work on a flood-affected property?
Our Project Definition process investigates your property, relevant planning constraints, project requirements and budget before design begins.
Planning a renovation or new home?
Get more practical advice on design, planning, budgeting and building to help you make better project decisions.
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