Hausler applied for an Echoing Green Fellowship in 2004 and founded '' Build Change '' . '' Build Change '' are a Denver-based initiative that look to build resilient homes for communities effected by disaster . They complete a thorough examination of unsafe housing in a region then improve the original construction plans , empowering the local people to choose their own materials and layout and no destroying the original architecture . Their first project was partnering with Mercy Corps to build homes that could resist disasters after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami . They have built over 50,000 houses , schools and other buildings in the Philippines , China , Haiti , Colombia , Guatemala and Nepal . Through '' Build Change '' Haulser has trained 25,000 local engineers to build sustainable homes for people inn high risk areas . They help the communities in seismically active areas access incentives and subsidies for disaster-resistant development . She also worked with the communities following the Aceh earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Elizabeth Hausler