buildings

In architecture, construction, and real estate development the word building may refer to one of the following:

1. Any man-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy or
2. An act of construction.

To differentiate buildings and other structures that are not intended for continuous human occupancy, the latter are called nonbuilding structures. Structural height in technical usage is the height to the highest architectural detail on building from street-level. Depending on how they are classified, spires and masts may or may not be included in this height. Spires and masts used as antennas are not generally included.

Concept

Buildings serve several needs of society.

The human body can be sustained and may effectively function only within a limited range of climatic conditions such as temperature, humidity, moisture, sunlight, and amount of oxygen and pollutants in the air. Along with access to food and drinking water, the need to creating places that are protected from the outdoors and where one can comfortably live, work, eat, sleep, procreate or engage in leisurely activities has always been a top priority for humans. A building as a shelter represents a physical division of the human habitat into the inside (a place of comfort and safety) and the outside (a place that at times may be harsh and harmful). Humans have a remarkable drive to reflect on their lives and express themselves through art. Ever since the first cave paintings, the buildings and everything on, inside and near buildings have become objects of artistic expression. In recent years, interest on sustainable planning and building practices has increased in the U.S.

History

The first artificial shelter on Earth is believed to be built 500,000 years ago by an ancient ancestor of humans, Homo erectus.Over centuries, homes were technologically advancing. Some were simply inhabited caves, while others were made of dried mud or stone. In these times, there were little furnishings in these homes, besides perhaps a family altar or a table for eating. ^[1]

Types

Main article: List of building types

Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional

Commercial buildings are for business use, e.g., for offices and sales. Industrial buildings include manufacturing and warehousing functions, for example. Institutional buildings, such as governmental and military hospitals, colleges, and administration buildings are normally built for longer lives.

Crime

Small Police Station Large Police Station City Jail CII buildings are sometimes built more for function than style, due to time and cost pressures, and they may use any type of architectural design to accomplish their purposes.

Residential

Single family and multi-family dwellings are typically built as shelter and living space. These building types may range from one-room wood-framed, masonry, or adobe dwellings to multi-million dollar high-rise buildings able to house thousands of people. The definition of a low-rise vs. a high-rise residential building is being debated, but generally three stories or less is considered low-rise.

Creation

The practice of designing, constructing, and operating buildings is normally a collective effort of different groups of professionals and trades. Depending on the size, complexity, and purpose of a particular building project, the project team may include:

• A real estate developer who secures funding for the project;
• One or more financial institutions or other investors that provide the funding
• Local planning and code authorities
• A Land Surveyor who performs an ALTA/ACSM and construction surveys throughout the project;
• Construction managers who coordinate the effort of different groups of project participants;
• Licensed architects and engineers who provide building design and prepare construction documents;
• Landscape architects;
• Interior designers;
• Other consultants;
• Contractors who provide construction services and install building systems such as climate control, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, security and telecommunications;
• Marketing or leasing agents;
• Facility managers who are responsible for operating the building.

Regardless of their size or intended use, all buildings must comply with zoning ordinances, building codes and other regulations such as fire codes, life safety codes and related standards.

Vehicles—such as trailers, caravans, ships and passenger aircraft—are treated as "buildings" for life safety purposes.

Building ownership and funding

• Real estate developer
• Mortgage

Planning and design

• Urban planning
• Site planning
• Architectural design
• Civil engineering
• Structural engineering
• Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design
• Landscape design
• Urban design
• Quantity surveying
• Project management in the building process chain

Construction

Main article: Building construction

• Construction management
• Site construction

Operation

Main article: Facility management

Building services

Conveying systems

Systems for transport of people within buildings:

• Elevator
• Escalator
• Moving sidewalk (horizontal and inclined)

Systems for transport of people between interconnected buildings:

• Skyway
• Underground city