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54-448: A house is a single-unit residential building . It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood , masonry , concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing , electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Houses use a range of different roofing systems to keep precipitation such as rain from getting into the dwelling space. Houses generally have doors or locks to secure

108-452: A recreation room . In traditional agriculture-oriented societies, domestic animals such as chickens or larger livestock (like cattle) may share part of the house with humans. The social unit that lives in a house is known as a household . Most commonly, a household is a family unit of some kind, although households may also have other social groups , such as roommates or, in a rooming house , unconnected individuals, that typically use

162-607: A big part of the regular maintenance required. Systems for transport of people within buildings: Systems for transport of people between interconnected buildings: Buildings may be damaged during construction or during maintenance. They may be damaged by accidents involving storms, explosions, subsidence caused by mining, water withdrawal or poor foundations and landslides. Buildings may suffer fire damage and flooding. They may become dilapidated through lack of proper maintenance, or alteration work improperly carried out. Birdhouse A nest box , also spelled nestbox ,

216-403: A certain general amount of internal infrastructure to function, which includes such elements like heating / cooling, power and telecommunications, water and wastewater etc. Especially in commercial buildings (such as offices or factories), these can be extremely intricate systems taking up large amounts of space (sometimes located in separate areas or double floors / false ceilings) and constitute

270-478: A common measure of prosperity in economics . Contrast the importance of house-destruction, tent dwelling and house rebuilding in the wake of many natural disasters . Building Functions Types Economics Miscellaneous Institutions Lists Building Buildings serve several societal needs – occupancy , primarily as shelter from weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and work. A building as

324-543: A fence. Sturgis' Dictionary included that "[building] differs from architecture in excluding all idea of artistic treatment; and it differs from construction in the idea of excluding scientific or highly skilful treatment." Structural height in technical usage is the height to the highest architectural detail on the building from street level. Spires and masts may or may not be included in this height, depending on how they are classified. Spires and masts used as antennas are not generally included. The distinction between

378-884: A foundation. The garbage-sand mixture is also used to protect the house from flooding. In the United States, modern house construction techniques include light-frame construction (in areas with access to supplies of wood) and adobe or sometimes rammed-earth construction (in arid regions with scarce wood-resources). Some areas use brick almost exclusively, and quarried stone has long provided foundations and walls. To some extent, aluminum and steel have displaced some traditional building materials . Increasingly popular alternative construction materials include insulating concrete forms (foam forms filled with concrete), structural insulated panels (foam panels faced with oriented strand board or fiber cement), light-gauge steel , and steel framing . More generally, people often build houses out of

432-409: A group of inter-related (and possibly inter-connected) builds are referred to as a complex – for example a housing complex , educational complex, hospital complex, etc. The practice of designing, constructing, and operating buildings is most usually a collective effort of different groups of professionals and trades . Depending on the size, complexity, and purpose of a particular building project,

486-521: A house as their home . Some houses only have a dwelling space for one family or similar-sized group; larger houses called townhouses or row houses may contain numerous family dwellings in the same structure. A house may be accompanied by outbuildings, such as a garage for vehicles or a shed for gardening equipment and tools. A house may have a backyard , a front yard or both, which serve as additional areas where inhabitants can relax, eat, or exercise. The English word house derives directly from

540-494: A large amount of land. According to the National Resources Inventory , approximately 107 million acres (430,000 km ) of land in the United States are developed. The International Energy Agency released a publication that estimated that existing buildings are responsible for more than 40% of the world's total primary energy consumption and for 24% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Any building requires

594-400: A living/eating area, a sleeping area, and (if suitable facilities and services exist) separate or combined washing and lavatory areas. Some larger properties may also feature rooms such as a spa room, indoor pool, indoor basketball court, and other 'non-essential' facilities. In traditional agriculture-oriented societies, domestic animals such as chickens or larger livestock often share part of

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648-658: A low-rise and high-rise building is a matter of debate, but generally three stories or less is considered low-rise. There is clear evidence of homebuilding from around 18,000 BC. Buildings became common during the Neolithic period . Single-family residential buildings are most often called houses or homes . Multi-family residential buildings containing more than one dwelling unit are called duplexes or apartment buildings . Condominiums are apartments that occupants own rather than rent . Houses may be built in pairs ( semi-detached ) or in terraces, where all but two of

702-432: A result, the "private becomes ever more public, [and] the desire for a protective home life increases, fuelled by the very media that undermine it," writes Jonathan Hill . Work has been altered by the increase of communications. The "deluge of information" has expressed the efforts of work conveniently gaining access inside the house. Although commuting is reduced, the desire to separate working and living remains apparent. On

756-497: A shelter represents a physical separation of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) from the outside (a place that may be harsh and harmful at times). Ever since the first cave paintings , buildings have been objects or canvasses of much artistic expression . In recent years, interest in sustainable planning and building practices has become an intentional part of the design process of many new buildings and other structures, usually green buildings. A building

810-399: A shorter incubation period, and more reproductive success, perhaps because the synthetic nests were warmer than their wooden counterparts. Placement of the nest box is also significant. Some birds (including birds of prey ) prefer their nest box to be at a particular height, while others (such as ducks ) may prefer them to be very low or even at ground level. Orientation relative to the sun

864-465: A vast and elaborate house may serve as a sign of conspicuous wealth whereas a low-profile house built of recycled materials may indicate support of energy conservation. Houses of particular historical significance (former residences of the famous, for example, or even just very old houses) may gain a protected status in town planning as examples of built heritage or of streetscape. Commemorative plaques may mark such structures. Home ownership provides

918-406: A way to access the interior for monitoring and cleaning, and have no outside perches which could assist predators. Boxes may either have an entrance hole or be open-fronted. Some nest boxes can be highly decorated and complex, sometimes mimicking human houses or other structures. They may also contain nest box cameras so that use of, and activity within, the box can be monitored. The diameter of

972-421: Is 'a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place'; "there was a three-storey building on the corner"; "it was an imposing edifice". In the broadest interpretation a fence or wall is a building. However, the word structure is used more broadly than building , to include natural and human-made formations and ones that do not have walls; structure is more often used for

1026-478: Is a man-made enclosure provided for animals to nest in. Nest boxes are most frequently utilized for birds , in which case they are also called birdhouses or a birdbox / bird box , but some mammals such as bats may also use them. Placing nestboxes or roosting boxes may also be used to help maintain populations of particular species in an area. Nest boxes were used since Roman times to capture birds for meat. The use of nest boxes for other purposes began in

1080-413: Is also important, with many birds preferring their boxes to be away from direct sun and sheltered from the prevailing rain. Bat boxes differ from bird nest-boxes in typical design, with the larger opening on the underside of the box, and are more often referred to as bat boxes, although in regard to the rearing of young, they serve the same purpose. Some threatened bat species can be locally supported with

1134-489: Is important to ensuring that bat boxes are used; bat boxes that are too shaded will not heat up enough to attract a maternity colony of bats. Australian bat box projects have been running for over 12 years in particular at the Organ Pipes National Park . Currently there are 42 roost boxes using the "Stebbings Design" which have peaked at 280 bats roosting in them. The biggest problem with roosting boxes of any kind

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1188-481: Is one in which at least one business is based and people do not live. Examples include stores , restaurant , and hotels . Industrial buildings are those in which heavy industry is done, such as manufacturing . These edifices include warehouses and factories . Agricultural buildings are the outbuildings , such as barns located on farms . Some buildings incorporate several or multiple different uses, most commonly commercial and residential. Sometimes

1242-511: Is the ongoing maintenance; problems include boxes falling down, wood deteriorating, and pests such as ants, the occasional rat, possums, and spiders. Nest boxes are marketed not only for birds , but also for butterflies and mammals, especially arboreal ones such as squirrels and opossums . Depending on the animal, these boxes may be used for roosting, breeding , or both, or, as in the case with butterflies, hibernation . Wasps , bumble-bees, or other insects may build their nests inside

1296-1297: Is usually a response to high ground prices resulting from the desire of many people to live close to their places of employment or similar attractors. Terms for residential buildings reflect such characteristics as function (e.g., holiday cottage (vacation home) or timeshare if occupied seasonally); size ( cottage or great house ); value ( shack or mansion ); manner of construction ( log home or mobile home ); architectural style ( castle or Victorian ); and proximity to geographical features ( earth shelter , stilt house , houseboat , or floating home). For residents in need of special care, or those society considers dangerous enough to deprive of liberty , there are institutions ( nursing homes , orphanages , psychiatric hospitals , and prisons ) and group housing ( barracks and dormitories ). Historically, many people lived in communal buildings called longhouses , smaller dwellings called pit-houses , and houses combined with barns, sometimes called housebarns . Common building materials include brick, concrete, stone, and combinations thereof. Buildings are defined to be substantial, permanent structures. Such forms as yurts and motorhomes are therefore considered dwellings but not buildings . A commercial building

1350-477: The 17th Century Dutch house was smaller, and was only inhabited by up to four to five members. This was because they embraced "self-reliance" in contrast to the dependence on servants, and a design for a lifestyle centered on the family. It was important for the Dutch to separate work from domesticity, as the home became an escape and a place of comfort . This way of living and the home has been noted as highly similar to

1404-563: The Beaufort House built in Chelsea, London . It was designed by English architect John Thorpe who wrote on his plans, "A Long Entry through all". The separation of the passageway from the room developed the function of the corridor . This new extension was revolutionary at the time, allowing the integration of one door per room, in which all universally connected to the same corridor. English architect Sir Roger Pratt states "the common way in

1458-570: The autonomous buildings , the super insulated houses and houses built to the Passivhaus standard. Buildings with historical importance have legal restrictions. New houses in the UK are not covered by the Sale of Goods Act . When purchasing a new house, the buyer has different legal protection than when buying other products. New houses in the UK are covered by a National House Building Council guarantee. With

1512-537: The contemporary family and their dwellings. By the end of the 17th century, the house layout was transformed to become employment-free, enforcing these ideas for the future. This came in favour for the Industrial Revolution , gaining large-scale factory production and workers. The house layout of the Dutch and its functions are still relevant today. In the American context, some professions, such as doctors, in

1566-569: The 19th and early 20th century typically operated out of the front room or parlor or had a two-room office on their property, which was detached from the house. By the mid 20th century, the increase in high-tech equipment created a marked shift whereby the contemporary doctor typically worked from an office or hospital . Technology and electronic systems has caused privacy issues and issues with segregating personal life from remote work . Technological advances of surveillance and communications allow insight of personal habits and private lives. As

1620-600: The Greek letter, before it was used by the Romans. Beit in Arabic means house, while in Maltese bejt refers to the roof of the house. Ideally, architects of houses design rooms to meet the needs of the people who will live in the house. Feng shui , originally a Chinese method of moving houses according to such factors as rain and micro-climates, has recently expanded its scope to address

1674-468: The Old English word hus, meaning "dwelling, shelter, home, house," which in turn derives from Proto-Germanic husan (reconstructed by etymological analysis) which is of unknown origin. The term house itself gave rise to the letter 'B' through an early Proto-Semitic hieroglyphic symbol depicting a house. The symbol was called "bayt", "bet" or "beth" in various related languages, and became beta ,

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1728-980: The United Nations estimate contributed to 33% of overall worldwide emissions. Including the manufacturing of building materials, the global CO 2 emissions were 39%. If new technologies in construction are not adopted during this time of rapid growth, emissions could double by 2050, according to the United Nations Environment Program . Glass buildings, especially all-glass skyscrapers, contribute significantly to climate change due to their energy inefficiency. While these structures are visually appealing and allow abundant natural light, they also trap heat, necessitating increased use of air conditioning systems, which contribute to higher carbon emissions. Experts advocate for design modifications and potential restrictions on all-glass edifices to mitigate their detrimental environmental impact. Buildings account for

1782-465: The construction process. They include: In the developed world, energy-conservation has grown in importance in house design. Housing produces a major proportion of carbon emissions (studies have shown that it is 30% of the total in the United Kingdom ). Development of a number of low-energy building types and techniques continues. They include the zero-energy house , the passive solar house ,

1836-410: The design of interior spaces, with a view to promoting harmonious effects on the people living inside the house, although no actual effect has ever been demonstrated. Feng shui can also mean the "aura" in or around a dwelling, making it comparable to the real estate sales concept of "indoor-outdoor flow". The square footage of a house in the United States reports the area of "living space", excluding

1890-515: The dwelling space and protect its inhabitants and contents from burglars or other trespassers. Most conventional modern houses in Western cultures will contain one or more bedrooms and bathrooms , a kitchen or cooking area, and a living room . A house may have a separate dining room , or the eating area may be integrated into the kitchen or another room. Some large houses in North America have

1944-448: The fifth millennium BC and with its contents still preserved was for example excavated at Tell Madhur in Iraq . Roman architect Vitruvius ' theories have claimed the first form of architecture as a frame of timber branches finished in mud, also known as the primitive hut . Philip Tabor later states the contribution of 17th century Dutch houses as the foundation of houses today. As far as

1998-763: The garage and other non-living spaces. The "square metres" figure of a house in Europe reports the area of the walls enclosing the home, and thus includes any attached garage and non-living spaces. The number of floors or levels making up the house can affect the square footage of a home. Humans often build houses for domestic or wild animals , often resembling smaller versions of human domiciles. Familiar animal houses built by humans include birdhouses , hen houses and dog houses , while housed agricultural animals more often live in barns and stables . Many houses have several large rooms with specialized functions and several very small rooms for other various reasons. These may include

2052-825: The general public in 1908. Prefab techniques became popular after World War II . First small inside rooms framing, then later, whole walls were prefabricated and carried to the construction site . The original impetus was to use the labor force inside a shelter during inclement weather. More recently, builders have begun to collaborate with structural engineers who use finite element analysis to design prefabricated steel-framed homes with known resistance to high wind loads and seismic forces . These newer products provide labor savings, more consistent quality, and possibly accelerated construction processes. Lesser-used construction methods have gained (or regained) popularity in recent years. Though not in wide use, these methods frequently appeal to homeowners who may become actively involved in

2106-432: The growth of dense settlement, humans designed ways of identifying houses and parcels of land. Individual houses sometimes acquire proper names , and those names may acquire in their turn considerable emotional connotations. A more systematic and general approach to identifying houses may use various methods of house numbering . Houses may express the circumstances or opinions of their builders or their inhabitants. Thus,

2160-438: The house with humans. Most conventional modern houses will at least contain a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen or cooking area, and a living room. The names of parts of a house often echo the names of parts of other buildings, but could typically include: Little is known about the earliest origin of the house and its interior; however, it can be traced back to the simplest form of shelters. An exceptionally well-preserved house dating to

2214-568: The houses accommodated numerous people, including family, relatives, employees, servants and their guests. Their lifestyles were largely communal, as areas such as the Great Hall enforced the custom of dining and meetings and the Solar intended for shared sleeping beds. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Italian Renaissance Palazzo consisted of plentiful rooms of connectivity. Unlike

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2268-585: The houses have others on either side. Apartments may be built round courtyards or as rectangular blocks surrounded by plots of ground. Houses built as single dwellings may later be divided into apartments or bedsitters , or converted to other uses (e.g., offices or shops). Hotels , especially of the extended-stay variety ( apartels ), can be classed as residential. Building types may range from huts to multimillion-dollar high-rise apartment blocks able to house thousands of people. Increasing settlement density in buildings (and smaller distances between buildings)

2322-629: The idea of the home is concerned, the home of the home is the Netherlands . This idea's crystallization might be dated to the first three-quarters of the 17th century, when the Dutch Netherlands amassed the unprecedented and unrivalled accumulation of capital, and emptied their purses into domestic space. In the Middle Ages , the Manor Houses facilitated different activities and events. Furthermore,

2376-453: The mid-18th century, and naturalist August von Berlepsch was the first to produce nest boxes on a commercial scale. Nest boxes are getting more attention because increasing industrialization, urban growth , modern construction methods, deforestation and other human activities since the mid-20th century have caused severe declines in birds' natural habitats, introducing hurdles to breeding. Nest boxes can help prevent bird extinction, as it

2430-489: The middle through the whole length of the house, [avoids] the offices from one molesting the other by continual passing through them." Social hierarchies within the 17th century were highly regarded, as architecture was able to epitomize the servants and the upper class. More privacy is offered to the occupant as Pratt further claims, "the ordinary servants may never publicly appear in passing to and fro for their occasions there." This social divide between rich and poor favored

2484-480: The nearest available material, and often tradition or culture govern construction-materials, so whole towns, areas, counties or even states/countries may be built out of one main type of material. For example, a large portion of American houses use wood, while most British and many European houses use stone, brick, or mud. In the early 20th century, some house designers started using prefabrication . Sears, Roebuck & Co. first marketed their Sears Catalog Homes to

2538-472: The nest box also affects the bird species likely to use the box. Very small boxes attract wrens and treecreepers and very large ones may attract ducks and owls . Seasonally removing old nest material and parasites is important if they are to be successfully re-used. The material used in the construction may also be significant. Sparrows have been shown to prefer woodcrete boxes rather than wooden ones. Birds nesting in woodcrete sites had earlier clutches,

2592-640: The opening in a nest-box has a very strong influence on the species of birds that will use the box. Many small birds select boxes with a hole only just large enough for an adult bird to pass through. This may be an adaptation to prevent other birds from raiding it. In European countries, an opening of 2.5 cm in diameter will attract Poecile palustris , Poecile montanus ; an opening of 2.8 cm in diameter will attract Ficedula hypoleuca , and an opening of 3 cm in diameter will attract Parus major , Passer montanus , an opening of 3.2 cm in diameter will attract Passer domesticus . The size of

2646-428: The other hand, some architects have designed homes in which eating, working and living are brought together. In many parts of the world, houses are constructed using scavenged materials. In Manila 's Payatas neighborhood, slum houses are often made of material sourced from a nearby garbage dump. In Dakar , it is common to see houses made of recycled materials standing atop a mixture of garbage and sand which serves as

2700-513: The physical integration of the corridor into housing by the 19th century. Sociologist Witold Rybczynski wrote, "the subdivision of the house into day and night uses, and into formal and informal areas, had begun." Rooms were changed from public to private as single entryways forced notions of entering a room with a specific purpose. Compared to the large scaled houses in England and the Renaissance,

2754-603: The project team may include: Regardless of their size or intended use, all buildings in the US 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. Buildings represent a large part of energy, electricity, water and materials consumption. As of 2020, they account for 37% of global energy use and energy-related CO 2 emissions, which

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2808-418: The provision of appropriately placed bat-boxes; however, species that roost in foliage or large cavities will not use bat boxes. Bat boxes are typically made out of wood, and there are several designs for boxes with single or multiple chambers. Directions for making the open bottom bat houses for small and large colonies, as well as locations to purchase them are available on the internet. Colour and placement

2862-588: The qualities and uses of the Manor Houses, most rooms of the palazzo contained no purpose, yet were given several doors. These doors adjoined rooms in which Robin Evans describes as a "matrix of discrete but thoroughly interconnected chambers." The layout allowed occupants to freely walk room to room from one door to another, thus breaking the boundaries of privacy . An early example of the segregation of rooms and consequent enhancement of privacy may be found in 1597 at

2916-471: Was shown in the case of scarlet macaws in the Peruvian Amazon. Nest boxes are usually wooden , although the purple martin will nest in metal. Some boxes are made from a mixture of wood and concrete , called woodcrete . Ceramic and plastic nestboxes are not suitable. Nest boxes should be made from untreated wood with an overhanging, sloped roof, a recessed floor, drainage and ventilation holes,

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