Buildings are needed to create artificial environments suited for human life and activities, as humans evolved to live in warm, protected environments similar to the Garden of Eden. There are five essential aspects of building technology: 1) enclosure to separate the interior from exterior and control the weather and climate, 2) structure to support the building and prevent collapse, 3) durable materials used for construction, 4) environmental control of temperature, lighting and ventilation, and 5) utility services like water, drainage and electricity. Buildings allow humans to control their environment rather than being at the mercy of nature.

1. Why do we need buildings?
It’s all to do with the Book of
Genesis

2. The human animal
• What is a human being?

3. The human animal
• What is a human being?
• A hairless, bipedal sub-tropical ground
dwelling ape

4. What type of environment suits us?
• Warm, 25-30 degrees C, not too wet,
not too dry
• Plenty of food to hand
• No physical threats (lions and tigers,
enemy tribes etc.)
• In other words…

5. The garden of Eden: where we really want to be

6. What environments do we actually live in?

7. How do we create the environment we need?
Buildings

8. The basic reason why we create buildings?
• To create artificial environments which
are suited to human life and activities
– All other functions (aesthetics,
power/control, cultural identity) are
subservient to this
– Even a prison must satisfy this basic
function or the prisoners will die

9. Essentials of a building technology 1: enclosure
• Enclosure:
– Separation of interior from exterior
– Control of heat flow
– Control of weather penetration
– Security
– Privacy
• Walls
• Floors
• Roofs

10. Essentials of a building technology 2: structure
• What goes up must come down…
• Buildings must resist:
– Force of gravity
– Wind load
– Snow load
– Impact load
– Live loads
• Basically it must not fall down

11. Essentials of building technology 3: materials
• What we actually use to build with
– Strength
– Durability
– Ease of use
– Cost
– Availability
– Aesthetics
• Bricks
• Concrete
• Timber
• Paint
• …

12. Essentials of building technology 4: environmental control
• The enclosure creates an internal
environment, which we want to return to
the Garden of Eden
– Heating
– Cooling
– Lighting
– Ventilation
• Windows
• Lights
• Boilers…

13. Essentials of building technology 5: utility services
• In the Garden of Eden we could drink
from a stream, eat from a fruit tree (with
caution) and nip behind a bush
occasionally
– Drainage
– Water supply
– Electricity supply
– Telecommunication systems

14. “Building Technology”
• We are not going to build the Garden of
Eden
• We are going to build a house
– How you build a house
• Building enclosures
• Building structure
• Using materials
• Providing services
• Coping with legislation
• And just a look ahead at bigger things…

15. More than just houses…

16. More than just building Technology…
• Creating buildings consumes resources
• Using buildings consumes resources
• Demolishing buildings consumes
resources
• We must become more sustainable
• But what does that mean?
• Over to you…