Earthquake Consideration in Architectural Design: Guidelines for Architects

Abstract

Architectural planners must give due consideration to seismic events as they present substantial hazards to both critical infrastructure and human well-being. This research investigates the fundamental concepts and methodologies employed by architects to enhance seismic resilience in buildings and ensure the safety of occupants. It emphasizes the importance of seismic hazard assessment, design standards, structural systems, and cutting-edge technology in reducing earthquake-related dangers. A mixed method has been adopted: surveying the literature, applying inductive reasoning, and conducting a case study. This research highlights the value of interdisciplinary cooperation between structural engineers, geotechnical experts, and architects to design resilient built environments that can survive the pressures unleashed by seismic occurrences. The findings demonstrated that architectural design solutions and approaches might significantly impact earthquake risk reduction techniques in seismic and non-seismic locations. In the cases taken, different techniques—in some cases multiple techniques—had been applied based on the buildings’ geographical locations, sizes, and shapes. Finally, we prepared a checklist for these strategies, including mass distribution, openings, rooftop structures, and other considerations to be applied by architects to make the solutions easier.