"Not only do we have the world's best technology here, backed by experts such as Professor Stefano Pampanin from the University of Canterbury, but the extra cost of making a building truly dynamic is so small, probably less than 1 per cent of the total build cost.
"Christchurch has the chance to build the best seismically resilient buildings in the world, but already we are starting to miss a few tricks."
Central to the low damage design solutions is the incorporation of anti-seismic devices inside the building, Hogg said.
"It's like having a building full of shock absorbers that have the ability to dampen seismic energy while also allowing the building to move with the quake's force, to be dynamic. Watch a car with good shock absorbers move and sway when on a bumpy road, it's the same principle.
"And the other good thing is that these building shock absorbers only cost a few hundred dollars per unit and can be replaced."
He said the old mantra that "earthquakes don't read design code" is still relevant, saying it is foolhardy to stick rigidly to code.
"The last earthquake was twice code and there is no reason that the next 'big one' might exceed the new code," Hogg said.
"What we need are buildings that are truly resilient, and the place to find that information is right here in Christchurch."
