Board 2B: WIP: What architects should learn according to the industry in seismic countries

Certainly, seismic events take more lives than any other natural phenomenon. Also, earthquakes have financial consequences that can even destroy a country's economy. While earthquakes are part of the natural evolution of our planet and we can neither predict them nor stop them, we can include them into our planning and design. For this reason, construction professionals play a key role in designing our built environment in seismic countries and regions. One of the ways knowledge areas about seismicity grows is from lessons learned from previous events, were both, academia and industry, have their own role. The purpose of this study is to learn what architects should learn during their college years, regarding earthquakes, architecture, and construction, according to academics and the industry. For this, this pilot study uses a survey as the instrument to collect data. The survey was administered to 8 academics and 18 professionals who were part of a professional development program. Particularly, the main areas the survey covered were seismic theory, architecture program structuring, and seismic design and construction. The results provide insight into the curriculum design of architectural programs in countries with high seismicity. Furthermore, we discuss the differences in the responses coming from the academia, industry, and the current curriculum. Lastly, implications for research and practice are provided.