diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 7e70f28..c832583 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ This is the build helper. The arguments are the following:
 --cxx-compiler COMPILER specify the CXX compiler to use (default to c++)
 --julia JULIA_BINARY    specify the full path of julia interpreter
 --build-dir DIRECTORY   specify the build directory (default to "build/" )
+--install-dir DIRECTORY specity the prefix of the install directory
+                        Current default is $default_install_dir
 --debug                 build for full debugging
 --no-debug-log          remove all the debug output to increase speed on parallel
                         filesystem.
@@ -155,6 +157,21 @@ check_existence -q "external/cosmotool/CMakeLists.txt" "Submodules were not clon
 
 srcdir=$(pwd)
 build_dir=${srcdir}/build
+install_dir=
+
+if test x"$CONDA_PREFIX" != x; then
+  install_dir=$CONDA_PREFIX
+  echo -e "-- ${C_WHITE}Conda environment detected:${C_DEFAULT} installation default in $CONDA_PREFIX"
+elif test x"$VIRTUAL_ENV" != x; then
+  install_dir=$VIRTUAL_ENV
+  echo -e "-- ${C_WHITE}Python virtual environment detected:${C_DEFAULT} installation default in $VIRTUAL_ENV"
+else
+  install_dir=$(pwd)/install
+  echo -e "-- ${C_WHITE}Using default install directory:${C_DEFAULT} $install_dir"
+fi
+echo
+default_install_dir=$install_dir
+
 
 build_type=Release
 cmake=cmake
@@ -195,6 +212,10 @@ while test $# -gt 0; do
       julia_binary="$2"
       shift
       ;;
+  --install-dir)
+      install_dir="$2"
+      shift
+      ;;
   --build-dir)
       build_dir="$2"
       shift
@@ -390,7 +411,12 @@ fi
 export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH
 #CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$(printf %q "${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH}")
 
-cmake_flags+=(-DARES_PREFIX_PATH=${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${build_type} -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=${c_compiler} -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=${cxx_compiler})
+
+if test "x${install_dir}" != x; then
+  install_dir="-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${install_dir}"
+fi
+
+cmake_flags+=(-DARES_PREFIX_PATH=${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${build_type} -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=${c_compiler} -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=${cxx_compiler} ${install_dir})
 if test x"${julia_binary}" != x""; then
   cmake_flags+=(-DJULIA_EXECUTABLE=${julia_binary})
 fi