Profile photo for Matthew Bennett

Absolutely a single story wooden frame building.

Proof?

In November 2011, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake ruptured along a couple of hundred kilometres of faults in the north of the South Island of New Zealand.

This is a wooden framed building (clad in some kind of bricks) that was literally on one of the faultlines. The house is munted, yet it is still pretty much in one piece, even though the ground under it moved about 10 metres! I believe there was someone in the house during the earthquake who survived.

Land moves 10 METRES after massive New Zealand earthquake

14 November 2016 Mw=7.8 New Zealand earthquake shows an uncanny resemblance to the 2015 Nepal shock | Temblor.net

This is a brick building that collapsed in the same earthquake, unfortunately killing one person.

Earthquake 'severe' but impact likely to be limited, economists predict

So, without a doubt, wooden structures hold up much better in earthquakes.

View 3 other answers to this question
About · Careers · Privacy · Terms · Contact · Languages · Your Ad Choices · Press ·
© Quora, Inc. 2025