Post-Katrina, FEMA has redefined the 100-year flood plain to include the Federal Triangle in Washington, D.C. Potomac Park Levee represents the stop-gap at a culturally significant site spanning the Washington Monument grounds and the Constitution Gardens. David Rubin, while partner at OLIN, lead a three-day charrette with half a dozen stakeholder agencies – the Commission of Fine Arts, City Planning, the National Park Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Historical Commission, the National Capital Planning Commission & FEMA – and generated six acceptable alternatives for a possible solution. For the first time in 72 years, viable options were approved by all of the agency stakeholders. After careful study and review, one elegant and simple design was selected with which to move forward. The new levee is well integrated into the cultural landscape, fostering connection between the adjacent monuments, while capable of being erected within a 24-hour notification period.
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