MVRDV has released a series of proposals to respond to rising sea levels in Vancouver. Working as part of a North Creek Collective team, the Dutch firm produced a catalogue of options for adaptive buildings aimed to inspire other coastal cities to “undertake immediate action to adapt to climate change.”

The catalogue was originally produced as part of North Creek Collective’s entry to Vancouver’s Sea2City Design Challenge, a contest that invited teams to investigate the urban future of a body of water at the heart of Vancouver named False Creek. In contrast to typical responses to sea level rise that concentrate on defensive measures such as flood barriers and dikes, the catalogue asks the question: “what if cities learned to work with water, rather than against it?”

The catalogue responds with a variety of possible solutions for adapting waterfront buildings and infrastructure to accommodate and absorb encroaching water. Proposals for existing buildings within the catalogue range from vertical extensions of flood-adaptive townhouses with community terraces to mid-rise buildings stripped back to their structural skeletons to accommodate flexible public uses, while proposals for newly constructed typologies include floating habitat islands, mixed-use high-rises on stilts, and an amphibious restaurant that rises and falls with the tide.

“In tackling the next century of False Creek’s development, we looked closely at the context of Vancouver – considering everything from the types of building already found there, to the community values of the city and local First Nations, such as Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh, for whom this is an important site,” explains MVRDV founding partner Nathalie de Vries. “With our approach, we offer ideas that can also be adapted to new contexts elsewhere; with the Sea Level Rise Catalogue, Vancouver can become a global leader, showing other cities a way into the future. Sea level rise is a challenge that will impact cities globally, from Miami to Manila.”

Despite the variety of proposals contained in the catalogue, the team’s approach is structured by six principles: upgrading and elevating utilities away from water; finding new, flood-proof uses for underground structures; lifting the ground floor of buildings; developing raised walkways to connect structures; rearranging buildings’ programmes and enhancing flexibility; and improving adaptability in new and existing buildings.

Each idea within the catalogue is also accompanied by a series of potential “win-wins,” which MVRDV describes as “positive impacts the design can offer that make the city more equitable, sustainable, and liveable, in addition to their ability to address sea level rise.” Examples of such impacts include incorporating renewable energy sources, increasing housing provision, and enhancing biodiversity through the design of public spaces.

The catalogue was developed by MVRDV, PWL Partnership Landscape Architects, Deltares, and Modern Formline Design, with support from WestMar Advisors, G.L. Williams & Associates, Happy City, Modus, and Goudappel.

News of the catalogue comes weeks after MVRDV revealed their competition-winning 'canyon of books' library in Wuhan, China. 2023 has also seen the firm win a competition to design a new resilient water network in Taiwan.

In December, MVRDV collaborated with GRAS Reynes Arquitectos on the completion of a mixed-use district in Mallorca, Spain. In November, meanwhile, the studio launched a digital tool to demonstrate the design possibilities for Rotterdam’s rooftops, while also completing the renovation of a mixed-use scheme in Paris.