the friendship centre is located on a low-lying, flood-prone piece of land, which posed a challenge for its construction. usually builders in the area will raise structures 2.4 metres above the ground to avoid flooding, but this can be expensive and the budget was tight. instead, the design called for an earthen embankment surrounding the complex, and a pumping facility for run-off, which helps keep water out at a low initial building cost. stairs on two ends of the complex lead down to the buildings. other challenges to construction in the area include earthquakes and the low bearing capacity of the soil.