English presentation Richard-Alexander-López-Hernández | Page 20

Theme: Buildings
A building, or edifice, is a structure with a roof and walls standing more or
less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. [1] Buildings come in
a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout
history for a wide number of factors, from building materials available, to
weather conditions, land prices, ground conditions, specific uses, and
aesthetic reasons. To better understand the term building compare the list
of nonbuilding structures.
Buildings serve several societal needs – primarily as shelter from weather,
security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and
work. A building as a shelter represents a physical division of the human
habitat (a place of comfort and safety) and the outside (a place that at times
may be harsh and harmful).
Ever since the first cave paintings, buildings have also become objects or
canvasses of much artistic expression. In recent years, interest
in sustainable planning and building practices has also become an intentional
part of the design process of many new buildings.