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February 9, 2024
 

Larisa Ovalles

Research Scientist

Larisa brings nearly a decade of experience in disaster recovery and climate resilience, specializing in post-disaster housing strategies and the advancement of local preparedness through community-centered planning and design. Larisa is currently leading multiple applied research initiatives focused on advancing affordable climate resilient housing strategies, alternative models for post-disaster housing delivery, developing tools that integrate resilience into local planning systems and designing community resilience hubs, both across the United States and Latin America. 

Her research and illustrations are featured in the recently published book “Design Before Disaster: Japan’s Culture of Preparedness,” which explores Japan’s long-standing approaches to disaster preparedness and the role of policy, design, cultural memory, and community infrastructure in reducing risk. Larisa’s research and fieldwork on community climate relocation and displacement in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and Irma has been published in the Journal for Landscape Architecture, titled  “Retreat Critique: Deliberations on Design & Ethics on the Flood Zone.” Larisa holds a Bachelors in Architecture from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Architectural Studies in Urbanism from MIT.

 
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Book Launch Announcement! The Urban Risk Lab is proud to present Design Before Disaster by Miho Mazereeuw. Japan’s long history of earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and other natural hazards has fostered a distinctive culture of preparedness kn
The Urban Risk Lab is collaborating with researchers and students in Chile to design tsunami evacuation structures that will be deployed along the Chilean coast. The first of their kind in Latin America, these structures will provide refuge for the t
MIT has announced that Urban Risk Lab director Miho Mazereeuw will lead "Empowering Frontline Communities' one of the six Climate Missions that make up MIT's new Climate Project. Find more details at the link in our bio. Photo courtesy of M. Sc
Back to the field - @prim.ra and @ekp.h from the Urban Risk Lab conducting community interviews in the province of Nakhon Sawan, Thailand to better understand the flood risk faced by local communities. The team is focusing on communities along the Ch
Magazine Beach Park Nature Center: Mass Audubon (@massaudubon)is collaborating with the MIT Urban Risk Lab to design and create a series of modular structures that will house exhibition and educational content for Mass Audubon’s nature programm
While the SEED provides temporary housing, it could also support long-term recovery through expansion into a permanent home, customizable to the needs of each survivor family. 1. Existing disaster housing cycle for survivors from temporary shelterin
The FEMA SEED (Shelter for Emergency and Expansion Design) is a new prototype model of disaster housing for tropical islands outside the continental United States. Unlike FEMA’s current direct housing options, the SEED can be shipped overseas
Students explore the territories along the railway, which have been rehabilitated over the past 7 years. ‘Rebuilding the Edge’ workshop allows students to participate in on-site research that focuses on understanding the challenges faced
For the past two weeks, we've been sharing updates from the region of Abruzzo in Italy, where 18 MIT students across interdisciplinary backgrounds joined the 'Rebuilding the Edge' workshop organized by Liminal Lab @liminal_web in partnership with Urb
The MIT campus sits on reclaimed land, originally tidal flats. Since reclamation, both the city and the campus have grown at a rapid pace during the past 100 years. With sea-level rise, increased precipitation, and the associated risk of increasing s
#blackouttuesday ⚫️✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
“Post-Quake: Faster the Recovery, Bigger the Victory!" Games are shown to be more effective in teaching disaster response, transforming the problem into an approachable, thought-provoking, and fun scenario without trivializing the disaster
"SWEPT! Taking Recovery Housing by Storm" Games are shown to be more effective in teaching disaster response, transforming the problem into an approachable, thought-provoking, and fun scenario without trivializing the disaster experience.
"Where There's Smoke: a cooperative not-just-another-disaster game" Games are shown to be more effective in teaching disaster response, transforming the problem into an approachable, thought-provoking, and fun scenario without trivializing
Repost from @aloha_amor_lily • Who says that work and play can't mix? Yesterday, I got to play test the disaster games that our students designed for 4.270 Innovation for Disaster Relief and Preparedness. There were 3 scenarios, and thus ther
So proud to be a part of the amazing team who worked together the past 2yrs to make the guide happen! The Urban Risk Lab’s contribution was the introductory chapter that lays out Puerto Rico’s past and future hazards, risks and vulnerabil
Sending off our summer intern, Celia Sanchez-Zelaya today! She presented her summer research poster on disaster mitigation strategies yesterday at the 2019 MSRP Poster Session. #mitmsrp
Urban Risk Lab’s David Moses presenting a sampler of lab projects - RiskMap, FluxMap, PrepHub Nepal, FEMA Alternatives to Post-Disaster Housing - at the Boston x Netherlands event last night at the BSA Space
At this weekend's PREPHub design charrette at PSU, Portland residents contributed amazing energy and many ideas on disaster preparedness and public space design. Excited to be working with so many committed residents on this project!

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