building
A structure primarily intended to shelter occupants, usually enclosed but including related open forms.
A building is a general class of structures which consists mostly of constructions which shelter their occupants. Most buildings are enclosed spaces, but a building may also be open to the air. Certain types of buildings may deviate from these guidelines, being classified as buildings because of their general relation to structural forms which are usually buildings.
Sheltering occupants is the usual organizing purpose, although enclosure is not an absolute requirement. Some related structural forms share that building identity while remaining open to the air.
A building's physical form and its current usage describe different aspects of the object. A change in occupants or activity does not by itself alter the built form.
building Photos
More specific definitions
6 sub-definitions-
low building
Any regular enclosed building which is divided into fewer than 10 regular floors. -
monumental building
A building with oversized interior spaces or with very high appendages that do not contain regular floors. -
religious building
A building for religious purposes with a large open interior or other monumental qualities. -
stadium
An arena with raked spectator seating for sporting events, including enclosed, open-air, and retractable-roof forms. -
submerged building
A structure whose usable floor space is entirely underground or underwater. -
tall building
A building with at least 10 levels of regularly divided enclosed floor space.
Related definitions
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land form
An outdoor site which is built as a distinct object, yet is not regarded as a structure. -
module
Any part of a structure which is treated separately in order to assign specific data or object relations to it. -
structure
A constructed object other than a regular building, generally not formed primarily as a sheltering enclosure.