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

Written by WPA on June 10, 2025. Posted in Architecture, Civic, Education, Educational, Elizabeth River, Elizabeth River Project, ERP, Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Uncategorized, Virginia.

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.

NBC’s Today Show Takes Viewers on a Tour of the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab

Written by WPA on April 25, 2025. Posted in Architecture, Civic, Community, Elizabeth River, Elizabeth River Project, Environment, ERP, Norfolk, Uncategorized, Virginia, WPA.

The Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab, designed by Work Program Architects, was recently featured on NBC’s Today show, bringing national attention to the Norfolk-based nonprofit’s groundbreaking model for climate resilience. The segment highlighted how the lab is providing both hope and inspiration for residents of coastal communities worldwide.

Consumer correspondent Vicky Nguyen took viewers on a tour of the lab as part of the show’s climate coverage, noting how it “showcases inventive and practical ways homeowners and builders can design structures to endure severe weather and combat pollution.”

Situated along Knitting Mill Creek in Norfolk, the 6,500-square-foot lab was intentionally built within a flood zone to showcase real-world solutions to environmental challenges. The building incorporates features such as a floating entry pavilion, permeable parking surfaces, rainwater reuse systems, green roofs, and a living shoreline, each element contributing to its net-zero energy goals and resilience against rising tides.

“The thing we kept in mind from the very beginning was sustainability, resilience to flooding, and accessibility,” project architect Sam Bowling told Nguyen. “We wanted to make sure that every solution was something that someone could buy off the shelf, put together with parts [and] do it themselves or find someone locally who could do it for them.”

The lab, which opened in Spring of 2024, provides tours and programming year-round for anyone interested in learning more about the solutions included in the Today show report, as well as those just looking to connect with the river.

People who visit the lab “are so excited,” said Elizabeth River Project Founder Marjorie Mayfield Jackson. “They come back with their neighbors and friends and colleagues. It’s a new day on the Elizabeth River and I hope it’s giving hope around the world.”

For the full Today show segment above and here. Read more about the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab here.