Darren Ockert is a British-American with an eclectic award-winning past in the arts, music, and production spanning London and New York City. Based in Miami, Darren focuses on architecture, climate-change resilient strategies for buildings and landscapes, advanced architecture technologies, and sustainable design practices. Darren earned his Master of Architecture degree from Florida International University (FIU). He was awarded the AIA Bronze Medal for his academic achievements and selected for the FIU MBUS LEADS program with Miami-based international architect Chad Oppenheim as his mentor. Darren was also invited into the FIU Graduate Academy of Leaders program. Currently a doctoral candidate at FIU, Darren will focus his doctoral research on the intersection of architecture, artificial intelligence, and sustainability.

Darren was a researcher for the six-country $1.9M FIU CRUNCH Miami research team studying the effects of sea-level rise and climate change on the built environment led by principal investigator Thomas Spiegelhalter. With Spiegelhalter, he was the editor for the publication "Crunch Design Research: Volume 1 - Urban Hybrids."

Darren also combines his curiosities, passions, and talents as the founder of ArchiNEXT - an online platform that strives to inspire, inform, and educate so we can design our way out of the current climate crisis and create a sustainable and resilient home on Earth.

Urban Disassembly: Proactive and Reactive Strategies for Deconstruction and Reuse of the Built Environment Impacted by Sea Level Rise in Miami Beach.

Sea-level rise caused by climate change is a significant challenge for coastal cities worldwide. Miami Beach, Florida, is one of the most vulnerable urban areas in the United States due to its low-lying geography and porous limestone bedrock. Sea level rise projections show the city will be inundated by saltwater in the foreseeable future, rendering its extensive stock of buildings uninhabitable.

This dissertation takes Miami Beach as a case study to propose practical methods for the disassembly, recovery, reuse, and recycling of typical materials used to construct the shell and core of its most common building typologies. It also provides guidance for the strategic timing of the disassembly of Miami Beach's built environment to mitigate any further adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

The recommendations outlined in this research are practical and actionable strategies to promote sustainable, circular, and responsible practices in the built environment affected by sea-level rise.