House raising
House raising (house lifting, house jacking, barn jacking, building jacking) is the process of separating a building from its foundation and temporarily raising it with hydraulic screw jacks. The process is the first step in structure relocation in which the building is moved to a different location. House raising may also be a part of a renovation to build a foundation under an existing house or make a house larger by building a new floor level creating a two story house. Often employed in areas that are prone to flooding and storm damage, this process can be achieved through the use of either timber piles or helical piles. Once a house is raised and supported on cribbing, a new foundation can be constructed beneath it. After Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy large numbers of houses in parts of Louisiana, New York and New Jersey were raised to avoid future flooding.
The Vacations in a Listed Building Foundation
The Vacations in a Listed Building Foundation (, ) established in 2005 by the Swiss Heritage Society (SHS) buys up abandoned buildings, restores them cautiously and afterwards rents them out as holiday homes. "Vacationing in a Listed Building" is a nonprofit organization and disposes the ZEWO-Seal of quality. The foundation is legally independent from the SHS and acts thus operational since 2008, however, "Vacationing in a Listed Building" is strongly committed to its values and is supported in the administrative tasks by SHS. The five- to seven-member Board of Trustees is composed of representatives of relevant areas (homeland security, tourism, fundraising, architecture, etc.). In addition, the Foundation is advised by an advisory board.