The categories of all the elements of a new building

All the elements of a new building can be found in these categories, and some will be affected by all of them. It is not possible to decide whether any particular element of the building should be by looking at only one area. For example, consider the front wall of a shop in the high street:

Significant elements in creating new buildings

Historically, architectural or building styles survived for long periods of time, gradually evolving over hundreds, or even thousands of years as empires expanded and then contracted. In the UK, design and construction of buildings periodically incorporated the ideas of dominant European civilizations such as the Romans, Vikings and Normans, and later the more peaceful discovery and absorption of the sophistication and beauty of continental architecture, notably at the time of the Italian Renaissance. Many splendid Victorian structures were built by the entrepreneurs of the Industrial Revolution to demonstrate their new wealth and self-importance in society. The use of materials and structures typical of time and place, described as vernacular architecture was familiar to designers, builders and users, unifying the built environment and creating a certainty in the way in which it was understood.

Buildings' characteristics.

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.