Tag: Resilience

Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab Named a ‘World Changing Idea’ by Fast Company

Work Program Architects is proud to share that the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab has been named a winner in Fast Company’s 2025 World Changing Ideas Awards. This national recognition honors bold, creative efforts that respond to society’s most pressing challenges, and this project’s message couldn’t be more urgent.

WPA was recognized alongside garbage-eating microbe technology developed at Harvard, a hydrogen-power data center created by ECL and the first-ever zero-plastic warehouse from Manifest.eco. Other architectural and design projects on the list include the Portland International Airport and the Hilda L. Solis Environmental Justice Center at Puente Hills Regional Park. 

Fast Company noted that the resilience lab “not only used flood-proof materials but also integrated habitats like wetlands, oyster reefs, and native plants to naturally absorb floodwater, shield the structure from erosion, and protect its surroundings from pollution.” The recognition went on to write that “the natural habitats also serve as educational tools for the public, and the design itself can be a model for communities at risk of rising sea levels.”

The Ryan Resilience Lab was designed as a global model for how communities can adapt to the realities of sea level rise and climate change,” says Sam Bowling, associate principal at Work Program Architects and project architect for the Lab. “That’s why it’s so meaningful to see it recognized by Fast Company as a World Changing Idea — this award spans the globe, just like the challenge we’re working to address.”

This year’s World Changing Ideas Awards featured more than 1,500 entries, with just 100 projects selected as winners. Submissions were judged by Fast Company editors and reporters for their impact, creativity, sustainability, and ability to improve lives. The Lab is included in the Summer 2025 print issue, on newsstands June 17.

“The World Changing Ideas Awards have always been about showcasing the art of the possible,” says Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “We’re proud to recognize the organizations and leaders that are making meaningful progress on the biggest issues of our time.”

Check out the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab here.

WAVY, WHRO Highlight Functionality and Resilience of New Perry Glass Studio

As the second and final phase of the Perry Glass Studio’s expansion and renovation nears completion, members of the press are taking notice of the new structure standing tall alongside the main Chrysler Museum of Art building in Norfolk, Virginia. These recent stories show how the WPA-designed project is elevating the museum’s beloved studio to become a world-class center for glass artistry that also demonstrates innovative approaches to flood mitigation.

The Perry Glass Studio has long been a cornerstone of the museum, offering hands-on experiences and drawing artists from around the world. With the $30 million expansion tripling its size, the studio will better meet a growing demand. “My favorite feature of this whole project is […] the ability to do more than one thing at once,” said Perry Glass Studio Program Director Robin Rogers in a recent WAVY segment.

While the renovation of the previously existing studio into additional instructional space is just now nearing completion, the studio’s 24,000-square-foot expansion has been open for months, providing a cutting edge facility for education, exhibitions, and live demonstrations, while also creating welcoming spaces for the community. 

In addition to functionality, the building’s design prioritizes resilience in the face of flooding. This was the focus of another recent segment, from WHRO. Norfolk’s vulnerability to sea level rise required innovative solutions to ensure the studio could withstand future flooding. 

“In our area in Norfolk, where many of our projects are, we have to deal with the environment first because of flooding,” project architect Robert Crawshaw told WHRO. “So not only are they getting the tidal (flooding), but they’re also getting all of the water that’s draining off of several square miles of area uphill.”

Measures include raising the building and the power transformer that keeps the furnaces running above the floodplain, as well as the installation of a large rain garden, designed by Stromberg Garrigan & Associates. As WHRO highlighted, the project emphasizes sustainability and adaptation, showcasing how design can address both creative and environmental challenges.

Watch and listen to the complete coverage at WAVY and WHRO.

The Ryan Resilience Lab is nearing completion

The Ryan Resilience Lab is nearing completion in the North Colley area of Norfolk. The new lab is located on Knitting Mill Creek and slated for a spring grand opening. There are a number of “preview events” during the month of November, go to elizabethriver.org for more information. WTKR recently toured the new Resilience Lab. Click here to see the segment.

The Next Wave Campaign with The Elizabeth River Project

The Elizabeth River Project is taking up position on the frontlines of the international quest to combat impacts of sea level rise on urban waterfront communities. WPA is proud to be designing the first facility on the East Coast intentionally to be constructed as a resilience model in the urban flood plain.

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