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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com CAMPUS | 3 COMMUNITY | 6 ENTERTAINMENT | 122 ISL Qatar wins Fourth QIA Football Shuddhi not happeninging CMU-Q Pi-Day Tournament at the moment: competition kicks off Varun Dhawan MONDAY 21 MARCH 2016 Email: [email protected] thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar A movement in the home-building industry to adapt to risks of climate change is gaining momentum, promising new houses that are tougher and more able to bounce back from extreme weather events. RESILIENT HOMES P | 4-5 MONDAY 21 MARCH 2016 | 03 CAMPUS ISL Qatar wins CMU-Q Pi Day competition he inaugural Carnegie Mellon University Qatar CMU-Q) Pi-Day High School mathematics con- Ttest was resoundingly won by the International School of London (ISL) Qatar. The ISL Qatar team set an extremely high standard for future competitions. Nearly 250 students participated in the first round held on February 20, 2016. The top four teams were selected from over 60 teams, who contested the fi- nal round. ISL Qatar was represented by four students who con- sistently encouraged each other to rise to the challenge. The competition was fierce and each additional mark brought a smile of delight to the teams. Students of ISL Qatar scored exceptionally well and took first place. There are many ‘firsts’ connected to this competition. It is the first of its kind held in Qatar and ISL Qatar is the first school to get the first prize in such an event. The students of grades 8, 10 and 11 from ISL Qatar won against students from grades 11 and 12 from other schools. The winning team members were Ali Abdeen, Ab- dulla Al Rumaihi, Ga Eun Heo and Dongwon Nam. DPS-MIS workshop focuses on career in defence forces PS-Modern Indian School (DPS- DMIS) organised a workshop on “Career Planning and Career Options in Defence Services” for the students of Grade XII. The session, conduct- ed by Lieutenant Colonel Hafizullah Khan Janbaz, an eminent educa- tionist, leader and a retired passion- ate Indian Army officer, aimed at en- lightening the students about vari- ous career choices in defence forces. He briefed the students about the eligibility criteria, admission process, entrance exams,and the life in defence services and highlighted the importance of time management, focused approach and a responsi- ble action to achieve the goal. The students enjoyed the oppor- tunity to engage in lively, informa- tive and productive workshop with an established professional. 04 | MONDAY 21 MARCH 2016 COVER STORY Making homes stand up to nature’s outbursts By Brenda Richardson According to the Resilient De- The Washington Post sign Institute, a nonprofit organisa- tion based in Vermont, resilient design is “the intentional design of buildings, landscapes, communities and regions movement in the home-build- in order to respond to natural and ing industry to adapt to risks man-made disasters and disturbances of climate change is gaining as well as long-term changes resulting Amomentum, promising new from climate change, including sea- houses that are tougher and more able level rise, increased frequency of heat to bounce back from extreme weather waves and regional drought.” events. There is no one-size-fits-all ap- Although much attention has fo- proach to creating a resilient home — cused on green building practices, re- solutions vary from region to region. silient-design strategies take the con- For example, siding could be formu- cept of building efficiently a step fur- lated to be resistant to moisture and ther with a proactive approach to freeze-thaw in the North or for resist- creating durable homes that can with- ing hail and flying storm debris in the stand almost anything Mother Nature South. throws at them. High Performance Homes, a cus- Unusual weather patterns, such as tom builder in Maryland, Virginia and January’s historic East Coast blizzard Pennsylvania, has taken several steps and a rare tornado outbreak in late De- to ensure its zero-energy homes are these panels will stand up,” he said. the fact that they are much more posi- cember in parts of the South and Mid- resilient to fluctuating weather pat- “Because these panels have such a high tive in terms of the impact on the envi- west, highlight the vulnerability of resi- terns. The company was selected in thermal mass, extreme heat and cold ronment,” Mike Scyphers said. dential structures. 2015 by the US Department of Energy don’t affect the home as much as with On a cold and windy day, they don’t A 2014 climate change survey by as a Housing Innovation Award winner. a conventionally built, code-construct- have to worry about air leakage in their Munich Reinsurance America, a ma- Kiere DeGrandchamp, president ed house.” home, thanks to high insulation levels jor provider of property and casual- of High Performance Homes, said the Last year, Mike and Brenda Scy- and tight construction. ty reinsurance, found that 63 percent structural insulated panels that encase phers moved into their new home at “We certainly don’t have the drafti- of Americans plan to fortify or have his homes provide a superior wall as- the Links at Gettysburg, a High Per- ness in this house that we had in our already fortified their homes to pro- sembly that can better tolerate the ef- formance golf course community in old home,” Scyphers said. tect themselves from severe weath- fects of extreme weather and resist Pennsylvania. Concept homes showcasing the in- er events. Forty-seven percent would damage from fire, mold and water. “When we first came across the High herent advantages of resilience and consider moving away from hazard- “If you want to build a house on Performance Homes and saw the con- sustainability offer a preview of the prone areas, and a similar portion have the Eastern Shore of Maryland, like in struction techniques and the options possibilities for building a home that purchased or plan to buy an addition- Ocean City, to hold up to hurricane- available, we were very excited be- can absorb and rapidly recover from a al insurance policy, such as flood or force winds — or pretty much any- cause of the energy savings and struc- disruptive event. earthquake insurance. where with high-wind restrictions — ture of the homes, and also because of MONDAY 21 MARCH 2016 | 05 COVER STORY For example, college students from tenance while saving homeowners shear. Insulation inside and out adds functionality. The trim does not rot. the Stevens Institute of Technology in money on energy bills. strength and resilience to the walls, The vinyl siding will not deteriorate with Hoboken, New Jersey, constructed a Richard Skorpenske, director of ad- while solar shingles reduce depend- sunlight or aging. The double-paned low-energy, solar-powered, storm-re- vocacy and sustainability at Covestro, ence on a power grid. Plastic abounds windows have plastic window frames. silient home for coastal communities, formerly known as Bayer MaterialS- in everything from decorative touches The plastic pipes don’t corrode. A home which won the 2015 US Department cience, was a member of the build- to pipes. is resilient when it doesn’t have to de- of Energy Solar Decathlon. Called the ing and construction team for the “Of course, the one obvious thing pend on a grid for support. A resilient SU+RE House (for “sustainable” and 170-square-foot portable structure. plastics bring is durability and long life home is a home that can heal itself de- “resilient”), it is based on three princi- The building envelope enables the of the product,” Skorpenske said. “It spite the weather, climate change or ples: Use less energy through smart miniature home to withstand wind can survive in elements and maintain economic-stressor events.” design, generate all energy needed In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy through renewable solar electric and in 2012, Robert Weitz, a former home be capable of providing power during builder and founder of RTK Environ- electrical outages. mental Group, an environmental test- Pardee Homes, a member of the ing firm that services the Northeast TRI Pointe Group, is also building from Boston to the Washington area, homes with durability in mind. has been working closely with builders Klif Andrews, Pardee’s Las Vegas to repair homes damaged by mold and division president, pointed out that in construct new homes that are more re- Nevada, this is accomplished with eve- sistant to climate change. rything from sturdy exteriors of con- The certified microbial investiga- crete and stucco to drought-resistant tor outlined key considerations when landscaping using high-efficiency irri- building a resilient home: gation. • Build above ground to avoid water Pardee’s two concept homes, intrusion into the lower level and less- billed as Responsive Homes, debuted en potential radon infiltration. Jan. 18 at the National Association of • Make sure your builder uses a high- Home Builders’ International Builders’ quality housewrap to protect against Show in Las Vegas. damaging wind and rain that can pen- “We don’t have wood details that etrate exterior siding. are going to dry out, crack or age over • Use drywall panels that are spe- time,” Andrews said. cially treated to resist mold, mildew, “These homes use net-zero electric- moisture and fire. ity. They generate 100 percent of their • Incorporate proper building orien- electricity needs through solar panels. tation and daylighting strategies to en- They also have high-efficiency irriga- sure natural light and comfortable inte- tion and drought-resistant landscap- rior temperatures during a power out- ing. A lot of permeable surfaces allow age. rainwater to penetrate through to the The need for resilient design is es- ground rather than run off.” pecially apparent to architects, who Smart sensors on the roofs can de- want their buildings to stand for gen- tect rain and communicate with the erations.

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