From Paper to Power: Designing Buildings That Can Withstand Earthquakes – Short Hills Week 4

What does it take to design a building that can stand up to the powerful forces of an earthquake? This week, campers in our Civil Engineering class are discovering the answer through hands-on engineering and creative problem-solving.

The challenge began with a simple mission: design and build a structure that could survive an earthquake. Using only paper, students created their first prototypes based on their own ideas about what would make a building strong and stable. After testing their original designs, they quickly learned that even the most creative structures can reveal unexpected weaknesses when put under stress.

Rather than starting over, campers embraced the engineering design process by analyzing what worked, identifying what failed, and brainstorming ways to improve their designs. Each day introduced new concepts used by real civil engineers, including how shape, weight distribution, and structural supports can dramatically increase a building’s ability to withstand seismic forces.

As the week progressed, students expanded their toolkits by incorporating stronger building materials, including popsicle sticks, to reinforce their structures. They also experimented with new design techniques such as cross-bracing, triangular supports, and stronger connections between components. With each improvement, campers saw firsthand how thoughtful engineering decisions could make a dramatic difference in a structure’s performance.

By the end of the week, each structure tells a story—not just of materials and design, but of perseverance, creativity, and growth. What began as a simple paper model has evolved into a thoughtfully engineered structure built to withstand the forces of nature. Through every redesign and every shake-table test, our young engineers are discovering that great engineering isn’t about getting it perfect the first time—it’s about learning, improving, and building something even stronger.