SPONSORED POST
If your commercial building is on New Zealand’s Earthquake-Prone Buildings Register, you’re not alone. Thousands of building owners are grappling with the implications of low seismic ratings: stalled sales, lost tenants, inflated insurance premiums, and reputational risk.
And the traditional solutions are frequently eye-watering and/or hugely disruptive to your tenants, customers, and employees. With seismic projects numbering in the hundreds, and nearly 50 delivered using our proprietary SAPPHIRE solution, Blue Barn stands at the forefront of resilient design. Our approach has helped many New Zealand building owners exit the earthquake-prone register with minimal or no strengthening.
We have produced a guide that distils everything we’ve learned into actionable advice you can trust.
The guide will show you how to navigate the journey from stuck to solution. Whether you own a standalone heritage property, manage a commercial portfolio, or oversee compliance at a large institution, you have more options than you think. And not all of them involve demolition, displacement of occupants, or millions in structural repairs.
Why the Register Matters
Being listed as an earthquake-prone building is more than just a technical classification; it’s a serious commercial risk that can undermine your asset’s value, restrict financing and leasing opportunities, and potentially damage your reputation.
The impacts are real, and they compound over time:
- Tenants risk
- Reputational damage
- Declining asset value
- Property values drop significantly
- Increased insurance premiums or exclusions
- Financial strain
- Boardroom pressure
- Personal stress
In short, being on the earthquake-prone register isn’t just a regulatory status; it’s a slow-moving crisis that demands decisive, informed action. The good news is that you’re not alone. And you have more options than you’ve been led to believe.
The Limits of the Traditional Path
Most building owners, once notified that they’re on the earthquake-prone register, are advised to engage a structural engineering firm for a Detailed Seismic Assessment (DSA).
A DSA is designed to identify weaknesses in a building’s seismic performance, but the standard static approach routinely used by almost all engineering firms in NZ is (compared to alternatives) highly simplified and can result in:
In short, owners following the traditional path often feel trapped between a rock and a hard place; facing massive bills, unclear benefits, and no guarantee of added property value. It’s no surprise that many delay action, hoping for regulation changes or better solutions to emerge.
But delay is dangerous and unnecessary. There is a better way.
A Smarter Pathway with SAPPHIRE
This is the Blue Barn path – disruptive technology and thinking designed specifically for owners like you.
- Built around outcomes, not obligations: We focus on getting your building off the register efficiently, cost-effectively, and with minimal disruption.
- Smarter modelling, not overengineering: SAPPHIRE combines advanced software, proprietary methodology, and real-world building and earthquake data to understand your building’s true performance in a shake. You get a solution informed by our high-resolution dynamic modelling methodology. A solution that fits; not one that’s built from a static understanding of a moving system.
- Preserves heritage, protects cash flow: In most cases, we keep tenants in place. We minimise waste. We solve the real problem instead of throwing millions at an over-cooked one.
- Clear, staged roadmap: We give you a step-by-step plan, starting from existing documentation and ending with a compliant building. No ambiguity.
- We stay in it with you: We don’t just deliver a report and disappear. We work alongside you to get your building off the register – cost-effectively, strategically, and with no surprises.
Making the right choice now can mean the difference between a burdened asset and a high-performing one. SAPPHIRE exists to unlock the latter.
Why Owners Trust Blue Barn
Blue Barn has delivered seismic projects numbering in the hundreds, including nearly 50 using SAPPHIRE. They are trusted by hospitals, energy companies, government organisations, and private owners across the country.
With ISO certifications, a Net Promoter Score of 80+, and established relationships with councils nationwide, Blue Barn is recognised as New Zealand’s most experienced seismic optimisation team.
Take the Next Step
You don’t need to spend millions to solve this problem. You need the right partner.
The smarter step is to explore alternatives and equip yourself with knowledge. Blue Barn’s free eBook, How to Get Your Building Off the Earthquake-Prone Register, provides the insights you need to start building your roadmap to compliance.
Download the eBook below or simply reach out to the Blue Barn team via their website.
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