Creating buildings

In principle, the elements of buildings are the same as the elements of any product; materials, processes, forms and appearance, selected and arranged to meet the demands and needs of manufacture and use. Although a building could be regarded as one product, it is in fact an assembly of many individual products, some of which are purpose designed to suit special requirements but many of which are obtained from suppliers, chosen from ranges of pre-designed alternatives. Many of the raw materials and components already exist, and it is the way that they are put together that creates the new building, influenced by all the issues previously identified for product design, based on an understanding of the purpose of the building and the needs of its users.

Buildings serve a practical function as enclosed shelters, capable of maintaining a reasonable level of environmental comfort and safety in order to sustain human activity. The selection and use of materials in a local context can be seen throughout the world; African mud-huts, Eskimo igloos and North American Indian tepees, and throughout the UK; Welsh slate roofs, Suffolk thatch and Norfolk flint are all examples of local design solutions based on readily available materials, and understanding the skills developed through lengthy experience.

As well as creating buildings to suit their physical needs, different cultures and successive generations created and continue to develop forms, styles and decorations reflecting additional values and concerns. For example, the Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations built elaborate and sophisticated shelters, influenced amongst other things by their perceptions of art, religion and power. Vitruvius, a Roman author in his ‘Ten Books on Architecture’ offered a definition of the constituents of buildings which is still useful today:

- Commodity: function and practicality.

- Firmness: construction and durability of materials.

- Delight: appearance and attractiveness.