Building for the Unsteady Earth
A Design, Cultures, and Creativity (DCC) Capstone
Project Overview
What happens when the ground beneath a building suddenly lurches? Most buildings are designed for “life safety”—meaning people can escape, but the building may be too damaged to re-enter.
This capstone asks a harder question: Can a mid-rise building on San Francisco’s soft clay soil remain immediately occupiable after a major earthquake?
The answer is yes—but it requires a carefully engineered combination of systems. This site documents the research, comparisons, and final design that make it possible.