FHB Summit: Why Buildings Fail Insight Session
How well we build houses to resist disasters is more about weighing risk factors against tolerance for risk than it is about building the absolute best building possible.
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In this insight session presentation from the 2019 Fine Homebuilding Summit, building science expert Christine Williamson points out that whether or not a building is likely to have structural failures, fire damage, or water leaks cannot be a pass-or-fail question. Williamson suggests that we design buildings to minimize failures when exposed to the common stresses in each building’s unique environment. It is impossible, and maybe even a bad idea, to create buildings that will never fail.
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This talk went in a different direction than I expected. She did a great job of taking building concepts we already understand and steering us away from the idea of right/wrong or good/bad, and towards the reality that constructing a building is a series of choices made according to the wishes and expectations of the client. It's how well the final product ultimately meets those expectations that determines whether the building fails or not. Well done.