Towards an earthquake architecture

This paper explores the scope and potential for an earthquake architecture. It responds to a previous observation that there is little architectural expression of seismic design in earthquake prone regions. An earthquake architecture might be warranted for a number of reasons, including celebrating seismic technology to add to the aesthetic richness of a building. Architectural possibilities for developing such an architecture reside within a wide range of different architectural and structural issues, and spaces and elements that provide opportunity for visual expression. Some international and New Zealand examples illustrate progress to date. While outcomes of an earthquake architecture can be very diverse in their physical manifestations, architectural expression of seismic principles can also take many forms and levels of sophistication. An analysis of the three most common primary seismic load resisting systems, moment resisting frames, structural walls or shear walls, and braced frames, illustrates how each system provides different opportunities to express seismic behaviour including sophisticated seismic design principles. This possibility represents a considerable challenge to designers= innovation and creativity. The paper concludes by expressing the hope that having outlined the potential to express seismic design architecturally, architects in collaboration with engineers might avail themselves of some of these opportunities in future designs