AEL was contracted by a private developer to design a plot of land for a proposed midrise to accommodate low-income housing in East Houston along the Buffalo Bayou on Jensen Dr. The project site was immediately adjacent to the bayou and as such was well within the 100Yr floodplain. Mitigation measures had to be taken to allow the building structure to sustain future floodings and not damage the property and cause a loss. The ground floor was redesigned per AEL's recommendations to remove office space and turn completely into open parking to further protect from adverse flooding measures.
Retaining walls were desired to maintain low flow waters out but exhaust valves were introduced to allow flows to exit the structure when the WSEL dropped after the storm. Further measures were introduced by AEL recommendation for Low-Impact Development to reduce the burden of mitigation due to the increased imperviousness of the site and also to improve the aesthetics of the building.