Over the Easter weekend I took a walk through a Raleigh neighborhood hit very hard by the April 16th Tornadoes. I’ve been through a handful of hurricanes here in Raleigh, and seen what I thought was some pretty bad storm damage in the past. The level of devastation from the storms last week, however, was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Tornado Damage on King Charles Road, Raleigh
As soon as the storm passed us, just over a week ago now, I knew I had to find a way to get involved in the recovery process. So when a local builder called me last Friday to see if I was interested in helping rebuild, I jumped at the opportunity.
Three Project Sites in Raleigh
The project currently will consist of three to four houses which need to be either completely rebuilt, or have major renovations completed. All four homeowners I spoke with were still in the process of clearing debris and salvaging those personal belongings not completely lost in the storms. The process of dealing with insurance adjusters, contractors, city inspections, and utility companies for a new construction project can be a daunting one on the best of days, let alone after a storm like the one last week.
It is my hope to gather other local designers, suppliers, and companies interested in helping to donate time and effort to the cause. We have an opportunity to not just help people rebuild homes, but rebuild communities. We have an opportunity to not just build back what was there on April 15th, but to build it better. If we pool our resources and talent, we can show regular people what can be done on a modest budget. We can solve real problems and provide sustainable solutions not for industry recognition, but because it’s the right thing to do. Because it matters in the lives of the people around us. Because it’s what we do.
Samuel Mockbee put it this way:
Architecture has to be greater than just architecture. It has to address social values, as well as technical and aesthetic values. On top of that, the one true gift that an architect has is his or her imagination. We take something ordinary and elevate it to something extraordinary.
It’s time to rebuild Raleigh. How are you going to help?