Building construction is an essential human activity. It developed with the wholly practical requirement for a controlled environment to withstand the effects of climate. Shelters were one means by which people were able to adjust themselves to the large variety of weather conditions and become a global species.
Human homes were initially very simple and perhaps lasted only a few days or months. Over time, however, even temporary buildings evolved into such highly refined forms as the igloo. Gradually more stable structures began to arise, particularly after the beginning of farming, when people began to remain in one place for long periods. The first dwellings, but later other functions, such as food storage and ceremony, were housed in different buildings. Some structures began to have symbolic as well as functional value, denoting the start of the characteristics between architecture and building.
The history of building is marked by several trends. One is the increasing durability of the materials used. Early construction materials were flimsy, such as leaves, branches, and animal hides. Later, more hardy natural materials—such as clay, stone, and timber—and, finally, modern materials—such as brick, concrete, metals, and plastics—were used. Another is the desire for buildings of ever greater height and span; this was made possible by the development of stronger materials and by knowledge of how materials behave and how to use them to greater advantage. Another major trend is the degree of control placed over the interior environment of buildings: increasingly precise regulation of air temperature, light and sound levels, humidity, odours, air speed, and other factors which affect human comfort has been made possible. Yet another trend is the change in energy available to the construction process, starting with human physical strength and developing toward the powerful machinery used today.
The present state of home construction is intricate. There is a wide range of building products and systems which are aimed primarily at classes of building types or markets. The design process for buildings is very well organised and calls upon research establishments which study material properties and performance, code officials who develop and enforce safety standards, and design professionals who determine user needs and design buildings to meet those needs. The construction process is also highly organised; it includes the manufacturers of building products and systems, the craftsmen who assemble them on the building site, the contractors who hire and coordinate the work of the builders, and consultants who have expertise in such aspects as building management, quality control, and insurance.
Building construction today is an important part of industrial culture, a product of its range and complexity and a measure of its mastery of natural forces, which can produce a widely varied built environment to provide for the diverse needs of people. This article first shows the history of building construction, then looks at its development at the present time.
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