Engineering and Design
Improving quality along the construction value chain
Build Change is home to some of the world’s foremost authorities on disaster- and climate-resilient design and engineering for houses and schools. Our team of engineers, architects and technicians excels at providing technical services and capacity-building excellence in the assessment, design, regulation, construction supervision, and retrofitting of low-rise buildings in challenging post-disaster and vulnerable environments.
We help set the standard for international and national best practices in climate and disaster-resilient housing and schools where we work. We are uniquely experienced in studying and understanding the performance of housing and schools in disasters across the globe. Core to our success is a history of championing women to thrive as leaders of reconstruction and as engineers within our organization.
Our technical capabilities in disaster- and climate-resilient housing and educational facilities:
- Risk and mitigation feasibility studies
- Structural and architectural evaluation of low-rise buildings
- Existing building rehabilitation and retrofit design
- New construction structural and architectural design and design review
- Construction cost estimating and construction quality supervision
- Site hazard assessment and mitigation recommendations
- Reconnaissance reporting, building damage assessment and housing sub-sector market studies
- Systems-level advice on policy, legal and regulatory frameworks
- Quality control and product testing
- Training and accreditation
- Housing reconstruction or mitigation program evaluation and program delivery
- Innovative use of technology
Technical excellence through partnership
Build Change works with local experts, professional organizations, universities, and governments to develop technical resources that are applicable, accessible and critical to the implementation of disaster-resistant construction practices around the world. Build Change believes that permanent change is possible only if key institutions and stakeholders involved in design and construction are part of the process. This is why, since the beginning, we have partnered with national government departments or organizations responsible for the formulation and enforcement of construction codes and standards as well as the capacity building of professionals in the sector to leave a legacy of sustainable reforms.
Featured Resources
AIS 410-23: Evaluación y Reducción de la Vulnerabilidad Sísmica en Viviendas de Mampostería
Colombia
Manual de Evaluación Sísmica y Reforzamiento Simplificado de Viviendas en Mampostería de Block en Guatemala
Guatemala
Nepal NRA: Ready-to-Use Manuals for Repair and Retrofitting of Masonry Structures
Nepal
Leading with curiosity
Build Change retains testing machinery and laboratory partnerships when needed. In Nepal, Build Change has partnered with Tribhuvan University to test stone masonry specimens both with and without plaster finishes. In Colombia we have partnered with several universities to test the seismic performance of existing and retrofit masonry walls.
Refer to Annex E of the Build Change Guide for Resilient Housing for more information and examples of experimental testing performed.
Spotlight on our engineers and designers
Our engineers and architects are professional leaders in the sector. Their expert knowledge and proximate insights result in buildings that are not only more resilient and high quality, but also adapt to the local style, culture, and context, making them accessible to local stakeholders.
Our lead engineers and architects are registered professionals in their locations, with accreditations from international groups such as USGBC, EDGE and others.
Support resilient housing worldwide
Join us in preventing housing loss caused by disasters and climate-induced events.
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