Henk Ovink, Delta Alliance International Governing Board Member and Senior Advisor to Shaun Donovan, US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, developed the Rebuild by Design Competition. This international design competition tasked with developing innovative plans to protect the New York region from another Superstorm Sandy, has been awarded the first-ever 'Most Groundbreaking Federal Challenge or Prize Competition' in the USA.

Rebuild was selected by US General Services Administration to receive this award from a group of more than 100 nominations. The Rebuild by Design competition received 148 applications from across the world. Ten teams were selected and in a unique process of collaboration, research and design, worked to develop 10 infrastructure projects that will enable the New York Metropolitan Area to better withstand future storms as well as to enhance day-to-day life of the community.

"Rebuild by Design is a truly innovative, collaborative and inclusive design process aimed to increase resilience for the New York region”, said Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs at Kingdom of the Netherlands and Principal of Rebuild by Design. “I applaud my partners including HUD, The Rockefeller Foundation, communities in the Tri-State area, the design teams and others for their courage to step up and face our future’s uncertainty head on by taking part in this unprecedented approach. The success of our work is the ultimate impact it will have on communities in the region. The acknowledgement and honor bestowed by GSA today will help elevate Rebuild by Design and it’s impact so that it can be better replicated around the country and across the world.”