Components of Buildings

Roofs

• The roof is the most important component of any building. Renovators of old buildings know that as long as the roof is sound, the rest of the building will be preserved. Roofing materials can include slate, terra-cotta tile, steel, asphalt shingles, cedar shingles and even straw in the form of thatch. Roofs in rainy and wet climates are usually peaked so that they shed rainwater and decrease the risk of leaks. Many commercial buildings have flat roofs, due to the impracticality of peaked roofs on large buildings, but these flat roofs require high-tech and expensive rubber or tar coatings to prevent leakage.

Walls

• The possibilities for construction, materials and aesthetics of a building's walls are limited only by the imagination of the architect. Traditionally, wooden buildings were built with large timbers fitted together with pegged joints. Following the advent of motorized saws that allowed for the easier creation of lumber, the stick-built wall appeared, constructed out of two by fours. In much of the world, walls for buildings are constructed out of simple mixtures of mud, soil and straw. In combination with an overhanging roof, these walls can last for many years. The thickness and permeability of a wall is largely dependent on the climate in which it is built.

Floors

• A floor can be as simple as rammed earth in a hut, or as complicated as an interlocking system of steel beams allowing dozens of floors to be stacked on top of one another in a skyscraper. The simple purpose of a floor is to provide a flat surface on which residents of a building can function. In the more innovative realms of architecture, such as the visionary creations of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, floors don't even need to be flat, but can reflect the living environment of humans by undulating up and down.

Openings

• Without openings, a building is of little use. Strategic inclusion of doors and windows to maximize the beauty and functionality of a building while minimizing the ingress of unwanted elements such as cold, insects and intruders is the goal of a talented building designer. Doors and windows are an opportunity for architectural expression and the creation of unique effects. In colder climates, openings are of major concern because they are the primary locations for heat loss.