1) What is a building? How is it important in human activities?

 A building is a permanent enclosed structure built on land for habitation. It serves as a

shelter from rain, sun, and wind, workplaces, and settings for fun, commerce, and
government. Roofs and walls, doors and windows are important features of a building, and
architects use good proportions, fine details, and beautiful materials to make it valuable.
(Ching, 2012)
 A building is a structure built with materials such as foundation, plinth, walls, floors, roofs,
chimneys, plumbing, and building services. It serves several purposes such as shelter from
the weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and
work. Examples include houses, factories, shopping malls, hospitals, and outdoor display
structures. (Chowdhury, 2018)

2) Describe and illustrate the following building components:

a) Substructure – the underlying structure forming the foundation of a building or other
construction.
 Foundation – the bottom portion of a structure that may be partially or completely below
ground level and is used to support and anchor the superstructure and transfer loads from it
to the ground.
 Plinth – the area of a building between the ground and the top floor just above the ground
is known as the plinth. A plinth is provided to keep surface water out of the building.

b) Superstructure – the vertical extension of a building or other construction above the

foundation.
 Roof – the external upper covering of a building, including the frame that supports the
roofing.
 Parapet – a low, protective wall that runs along the edge of a terrace, balcony, or roof,
particularly that portion of an exterior wall, firewall, or party wall that rises above the roof.
 Lintel – a weight-bearing beam above a door or window opening.
 Slab – a rectangular structure with a narrow width in comparison to its length and height.
 Beam – a rigid structural member designed to carry and transfer loads to supporting
elements across space.
 Column – A column is a rigid, relatively slender structural member that is intended to
support compressive loads applied at the member ends.
 Wall – any of various upright structures that present a continuous surface and serve to
enclose, divide, or protect an area.
 Floor – the level, base surface of a room or hall where one stands or walks.
 Stair – a flight or series of steps used to move from one level to another, such as in a
building.

c) Enclosure - a part of any building that physically separates the interior environment from the
exterior environment to which it is exposed.
 Support – a part of a structural member that provides the strength and stiffness needed to
resist applied forces and safely transfer them to the ground. It is either located at the end or
along with intermediate points in a structure.
 Envelope - The building envelope is an essential component that separates the building's
exterior from its interior. It has an impact on ventilation, climate, energy consumption, and
 occupant and interior protection. It is responsible for three primary functions: structural
integrity, moisture protection, and air management.
 Interior elements – interior decoration. Interior design elements may include furniture,
fixtures, fittings, finishes, equipment, lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning,
among others.

d) Building Services - the systems installed in buildings to make them comfortable, functional,
efficient and safe. Building services include services like water supply, drainage, lighting,
sanitation, electricity, acoustics, ventilation, heating, air conditioning, fire detection, and control,
etc.

3) What forces affect our buildings? How do the different components counteract these forces for
stability?
 External Forces – a force acting on an object or structure from the outside. External forces on
buildings include wind, earthquakes, live loads, and dead loads.
 Internal Forces – a force acting between different parts of the same structure
 Tension – an internal force pulling the particles of an object apart
 Compression – an internal force that presses or squeezes the particles of an object
together
 Shear – forces acting in an object as a result of pushes and/or pulls in opposite directions;
usually results in rips or tears in an object
 Torsion – internal twisting forces created in an object as a result of a twisting motion being
applied to the object
 The stability of a building is determined by the way it resists external and internal forces. To
resist these forces, a building must have adequate support from its foundation, rebar or steel
reinforcement in concrete and/or masonry walls, and frame members connected tightly
together with lintels or girders at their intersections. Each component within a building plays an
important role in countering external and internal forces, and each type of component has
specific functions to create a stable structure that can withstand external stressors without
failing due to excessive weight loads.

4) What some of the environmental conditions that affect our buildings?

 Wind - Wind can affect a building in many different ways. It can affect the structural strength of
the building, as well as its visibility and soundproofing. Wind can also be a source of noise
pollution, which may be harmful to people who live in close proximity to it.
 Rainfall – rain causes the soil to get wet, which can lead to water seeping into the structure and
damaging the foundations and piping systems. This can lead to wear and tear on building
components, particularly where there are joints between materials such as brick or concrete. It
can also have an impact on indoor air quality (IAQ) and the type of insulation used.
 Temperature - Temperature has an impact on the building in several ways, including heat
dissipation, cooling, humidity, pressure changes, and leaks. Heat dissipation can be done by
distributing air in different areas and using fans or other methods. Cooling can be done with air
conditioning or other systems designed to cool buildings down when they are hot. Humidity can
influence the amount of moisture available in a room at any given time, which can cause rust or
corrosion over time. Pressure changes in pipes and other structures within buildings' walls or
ceilings can cause cracks.
  Sunlight - Sunlight can have a profound effect on the structure of a building. It can damage the
building by causing it to expand and contract with the seasons (when it gets hot, it expands;
when it gets cold, it contracts). This can be seen in the expansion and contraction of timber or
masonry buildings, as well as brick-built ones.
 Humidity - The humidity in a building is affected by its temperature and how efficiently the air is
being heated or cooled. The humidity level in a building depends on the humidity in the air
outside, so if it's cold outside, the inside will feel dry, while if it's warm, it means that there are
lots of plants and trees around your home and therefore more moisture-laden air moving into
the house.

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