The moment that sparked a movement
That moment of personal crisis, paired with the Church’s need to replace its seawall, led to something bigger: the creation of the Living Seawall at the Church by the Sea—a bold initiative to turn a required infrastructure upgrade into a model of restoration, resilience, and education.
Based in Fort Lauderdale, this initiative began with two overlapping moments: a child’s illness caused by polluted canal water, and a church’s need to replace its aging seawall. Rather than settle for a standard solution, we chose to lead with innovation—and purpose.
A church called to stewardship
As part of the seawall replacement process, the church could have chosen a flat, traditional structure. But members felt called to something more. By partnering with environmental innovators and marine scientists, the church chose to lead by example—creating a vertical reef that heals the very waters it touches.