This report provides an overview of brick masonry housing construction, which constitutes 62.38% of the total built environment of Pakistan. Brick masonry construction ranges from typical one story houses which are common in rural areas up to three-story buildings (common in urban areas). Buildings of this type are generally constructed without seeking any formal engineering input. Due to inherent weaknesses in the structural load carrying system and also to the usage of poor quality construction materials, this construction type has performed extremely poorly during recent earthquakes in Pakistan. Due to the lack of specific construction guidelines and the applicable building permit laws to regulate such construction techniques, an overwhelming percentage of existing as well as newer building stock is now under an increased seismic threat. Buildings of this type are common in rural, sub-urban and urban areas and together they represent 62.38% of all construction in Pakistan . The construction technique has been in practice for about 100 years and it still remains popular for construction of newer buildings in many areas of Pakistan. The structural system is mainly gravity load-bearing brick masonry walls constructed using either sun-dried or fired bricks with mud or cement mortar. Due to the abundance of good quality clay within the plains of Punjab and interior Sindh, it is convenient to use brick as the primary building material. Local labor is quite skilled in the crafting of individual bricks, with a variety of sizes available (average size 4.5ʺ x 9ʺ x 3ʺ) depending on the scale of construction. Manufacturing and transportation costs for towns within Punjab and interior Sindh, which are closer to the alluvial plains, are much less compared to a more arid urban center like Karachi, where brick is seldom used. This prompt supply of cheap building material means that brick is the material of choice for a range of economic classes within these towns. On the one hand, there are those who choose to pay for prefabricated, molded and fired bricks; on the other, those that cast their own adobe blocks which cost virtually nothing. Brick is also a natural selection for most people as it is a good insulator. In areas where temperatures can often soar above 38-40°C with harsh, dry gusts of air, the interiors of brick homes stay relatively cool and well-ventilated. Bricks trap heat during the daytime, and this heat they slowly dissipate at night as temperatures fall. Similarly, they also protect against extreme cold in areas where temperatures are lower. Figure 1 shows a brick kiln in Punjab. Once erected, brick masonry buildings can be finished off with a number of external treatment options. It is not uncommon in villages or among economically less privileged users to leave the external wall surface unfinished, exposing the brick layers and mortar. This may make the joinery susceptible to natural agents like rainfall and wind. Where treatment does happen, it could be plaster, paint, or ornamental tile work. Brick houses are also found in parts of Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), but with less frequency than in Punjab. KPK contains more stone masonry buildings due to the abundance of stone in the mountainous north and north-west. Figure 2 illustrates the spatial distribution of brick masonry buildings in Pakistan.