Where the Surf Sounds Loudly: The Adamson House and Climate Change

Sea levels are rising ever faster in the face of climate change, and by the year 2100 many historic properties could be underwater.  Recent Heritage Conservation graduate Alex Clark wrote her thesis on the Adamson House in Malibu, built in 1929 and famed for its Malibu Potteries tile. In her thesis, Heritage at the Water's Edge. Adaptive Release at the Adamson House, Alex outlines the site’s layered history and current use as a museum. Alex tells producer Willa Seidenberg how coastal erosion, storms, king tides, and projected sea-level rise could place the house and parts of the coastal highway underwater in a few short decades. She evaluates past and proposed mitigations and advocates for “adaptive release,” or actively managing the inevitable decay or loss of a historic site. See episode page for photos, resources, and transcript.Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn!