This kind of art and architecture, like architecture, originated a long time ago. You can see the result of how people of antiquity designed and erected buildings even today, since building objects have been preserved, which in our time have historical and cultural value. These include the great Egyptian pyramids, ancient temples and amphitheaters, masterpieces of civilizations that disappeared thousands of years ago.
In our time, architecture is not only science and art combined in one creation, but also a wide variety of forms and types of buildings for different purposes. For the most part, modern cities can hardly be called masterpieces of architecture, as they are rows of high-rise buildings made of glass and concrete. This article provides information about the different types of architectural structures that are used in construction today.
Types of architectural structures
All buildings that have ever been built or are being built today can be divided according to their purpose. Among them, the following types of architectural structures stand out:
- Dwellings, which include all types of buildings adapted for human habitation. It can be both private buildings andapartment buildings, yurts or barracks that temporarily replace housing.
- Public and administrative buildings, including, for example, hospitals, schools, higher education institutions, city hall buildings, village councils, even stadiums and many others.
- Architectural structures related to places of worship: churches, churches, temples, chapels, etc.
- Military installations, which include both modern shelters for weapons (an arsenal, for example), and previously erected fortifications that have lost their strategic purpose. The latter include old military bastions and fortresses, which in our time had historical, not military, significance.
- Architectural and building structures for industrial use are factories, plants, agricultural buildings (elevator, cowsheds, etc.).
- Buildings for transport purposes, which include ports, stations, depots, repair shops and more.
- Architectural structures for engineering purposes are bridges, dams and dams, television towers and radio towers and other similar structures.
These are the main types of buildings that exist in the world today. In addition to division by type, all architectural structures of buildings can be divided into classes, number of storeys, schemes, durability and shape. So, the first ones are:
- Buildings are large in scale, regardless of whether they are public, residential or serving the population, belong to class I.
- All residential buildings belong to class IIhouses and properties reaching or above 6 floors.
- Houses, both multi-apartment and public buildings up to 5 floors, belong to class III.
- Architectural structures belong to the IV class, buildings up to 2 floors in height, usually assembled type.
Also, all objects differ in their height. Based on the number of floors, buildings are divided:
- For low buildings with no more than 4 floors.
- On the architectural structures of multi-storey buildings. These include houses with a height of 5-6 to 8 floors.
- High-rise structures with 9 to 24 spans.
- High-rise houses are those with more than 24 floors.
If we consider building schemes, we can distinguish the following differences in them:
- Architectural structures of buildings and structures with external and internal bearing walls made of natural stone, reinforced concrete slabs, bricks, monolithic blocks and other materials.
- Buildings based on a load-bearing internal frame constructed from precast or cast-in-situ reinforced concrete slabs or metal elements.
- Architectural structures consisting of prefabricated blocks made in a factory. They can be based on load-bearing walls or their combination with frame load-bearing elements.
- Mobile architectural and building structures are easily disassembled, assembled or transported in finished form.
According to the service life, all types of structures are divided into:
- Designs designed to last 20 years.
- Termoperation up to 50 years.
- Buildings that will last 100 years or more.
All structures in the world are distributed to these types and classes of structures.
Main elements of structures
Of course, there are many buildings in the world that can be classified as "typical" structures. They are well known to residents of large cities, in which houses in microdistricts are so similar that you can take them one after another (as happened with the heroes of the film "The Irony of Fate").
But not only outwardly buildings can be similar. Elements of architectural structures in most of them are also the same. So, the structures consist of the following components:
- The foundation is the basis of any structure. It is this part of the building that takes the main load, so it is important that it is not only strong and reliable, but also very durable. Even at the design stage of an architectural structure, one should consider what type of foundation to use and what materials to use. It must withstand frost and groundwater, but it is also important how much pressure it experiences with a sawn-off shotgun (the upper part on which the entire structure rests) and how strong and stable its sole (the lower part of the foundation) is.
- Walls are the next elements of any structure. Those of them that bear the load of other parts of the building are called load-bearing, and they, in turn, exert pressure on the foundation. The rest are enclosing and are considered non-bearing.
- Floorings can also be under load or be a fence, for example,separate the floor from the basement. In this case, they are called basement. If they separate one level from another in the architectural structure of a multi-storey building, they are called interfloor. In the latter version, it is also possible to have attic floors. Floors are also included in this category.
- Partitions are called building elements, the function of which is to divide the internal space into separate sections or rooms. There are building codes that must be taken into account when erecting a structure so that the floors have the necessary soundproofing and comply with sanitary standards.
- Stairs, as an element of the building, are present only in storey structures.
- The roof is both the load-bearing and enclosing part of the structure. It consists of two elements: the roof is its outer area, which performs the function of protecting the structure from the weather, and the rafters and ceilings are the bearing.
- Another important element of architectural design is doors and windows, although the latter may not be in the building.
The majority of buildings consist of these parts, and it does not matter if they are similar from each other, or differ both in their purpose and class.
Classification of structures by purpose
Regardless of how they look and what forms architectural structures have, they are divided into only two types:
1. Civil objects, which include all residential, cultural and consumer, religious and public buildings. A distinctive feature of the architectural structures of civil buildings is the presence of a large number of premises, usually small in area. If we consider this type of structure in terms of height, it is easier to divide them into single-story and multi-story structures. This is a simplified concept that is used in non-professional circles. In architecture, objects are usually divided into:
- low-rise (up to three floors);
- mid-rise (no higher than five);
- multi-storey (from six to 1ten);
- high-rise (from 11 to 24);
- high-rise (from 25 floors).
In common parlance, very tall buildings are usually called "skyscrapers", but they usually refer only to civilian objects.
2. Industrial (production) facilities protect equipment and provide normal conditions for the labor process. According to their purpose, these types of structures can be both basic (production shops, for example) and auxiliary. A distinctive feature of industrial facilities are large areas of premises and low height. The last sign of these types of structures in architecture is determined not by the number of storeys, but by the number of meters and is divided into:
- high altitude - buildings up to 30 m;
- I category - from 30 m to 50 m;
- II category - up to 75 m;
- III category - up to 100 m;
- high-rise buildings - from 100 m and above.
There are many more additional elements and nuances thatdistinguish one type of building from another. This includes the heating of the premises, the presence of ventilation and other nuances.
High rise buildings
Architectural structures of high-rise residential buildings and industrial facilities are largely different from their low-rise counterparts.
- First, they need a very strong foundation that can withstand heavy loads.
- Secondly, the structure itself must be fire resistant and durable. According to the standards adopted in construction, it must correspond to a category not lower than class II. This means that the best material for high-rise objects will be stone (brick), concrete or reinforced concrete blocks.
- Thirdly, to increase the service life, such structures are subjected to additional processing (or sheathing) with materials that protect it from external influences of an aggressive environment.
As a rule, high-rise buildings are built in cities and urban-type settlements. The projects of modern residential microdistricts are fundamentally different from the standards adopted, for example, in the 50s of the last century in the USSR. If earlier the height of buildings in cities was almost the same (standard five-story buildings), today buildings from 2-5 floors to 12-16 can be combined in one residential complex.
Low-rise buildings
This type of building is found in rural areas and work settlements, and its distinguishing feature is the presence of a height of no more than three floors.
Most of the architectural designslow-rise buildings are private houses, which can have one, one and a half (with an attic) or two floors. Such buildings were popular in the past and were included in the category of "estate" type. Modern developers, in order to increase the comfort of customers, are increasingly designing houses with a basement, where all utility rooms are taken out: a garage, a pantry, a boiler room, and others.
The main elements of a low-rise building are:
- A foundation that does not require increased strength, as happens in the construction of high-rise buildings. It is enough to check the condition of groundwater, the level of soil freezing and calculate the weight of the structure.
- Protective outer walls in low-rise buildings can be either load-bearing or self-supporting, but internal walls are only load-bearing.
- The roof and attic space perform protective functions, but at the same time create an additional load on the walls and foundation, which should be taken into account at the design stage of the building. It is possible to facilitate the construction by using modern lightweight but durable materials during construction (for example, foam concrete blocks for walls and ondulin for roofing).
All elements of low-rise buildings are combined into a single whole, forming together the supporting frame of the structure.
What does MAF mean
Designs of small architectural forms (SAF) are designed to create recreational areas (arbors, for example), landscape decoration (fountains, decorative grilles), household needs (wells) and other purposes. According to their purpose, MAFs are dividedinto the following categories:
- Decorative objects.
- Utility buildings.
The concept of LFA is much broader than just small architectural structures, as it includes not only decorative buildings, but also such elements of landscape design as ponds, alpine slides, sculptures and many other types of decorations.
Utility objects are MAFs that are part of the landscape, but must meet its requirements and be made of durable materials that are not afraid of the external environment.
Utility objects are divided into the following categories:
- Small architectural forms that perform the functions of organizing the relief or combining several structures into a single landscape complex. These include stairs and ramps.
- Designs that house plant arrangements, such as flower girls or slopes decorated with shrubs and flowers.
- Artificial reservoirs, which include waterfalls, cascades, drinking fountains, water carousels and other objects.
- MAFs also include building envelopes, such as parapets, decorative grilles and walls.
- Recreational facilities that include park benches, beach cabanas and pavilions.
- Trade and utility facilities, which include kiosks, stalls, tents, utility or playgrounds and much more.
As a rule, all types of MAFs are made either according to an individual project, when it comes to landscape design in the private sector, or according to standardschemes. The latter, as a rule, have the same elements, recognizable in designs, wherever they are located.
Types of MAFs
Today, entire production facilities for the manufacture of MAFs have been established, projects for which are being prepared by design bureaus. They can be either prefabricated architectural structures that are assembled directly in the workshop and sent to the client in finished form, or they can be separate elements that are assembled at the installation site.
Small architectural forms are divided into the following types:
Fences. These include all types of fences, which differ both in the material from which they are made and in height. According to the last sign, they are divided into:
- High, reaching a height of 5-7 m. Such fences serve to restrict access to public and administrative facilities, such as consulates and embassies, botanical gardens and zoos, stadiums, parks and exhibitions.
- Average in height, as a rule, rarely exceed 1.5 meters. They are used as street fencing in pedestrian areas, play areas in parks, and cultural sites such as monuments.
- Low fences are used to protect decorative ponds, flower beds and other objects and rarely reach 1 meter in height.
Pavilions are architectural structures intended for recreation or performing purely decorative functions to decorate the landscape. The former are used in landscape gardening areas and consist of the following elements:
- foundation;
- gender;
- walls (can be bothopen and closed type);
- ceiling;
- roofs;
- fasteners.
Kiosks and pavilions are another type of architectural structures related to MAFs. The former, as a rule, are used as retail outlets or for the provision of personal services (for example, a shoe shop). They must have an equipped household. site, connected to the power grid and, if necessary, to the water supply system. The pavilions are intended for customer service, for example, as a cafe, bar or game library
All types of MAFs are made from durable, safe and environmentally friendly materials.
Building design
Architectural structures should be designed in compliance with all building and sanitary standards that ensure their strength, durability and environmental safety.
Before starting construction, the following nuances should be taken into account on the building diagram:
- The location of the future object and its placement according to the cardinal points.
- Soil condition. This includes the presence of groundwater and its depth, the level of soil freezing, its composition.
- External operating conditions, that is, aggressive environmental influences, such as temperature changes, high humidity, storm winds and others.
- The purpose of the object, which determines the choice of building materials that will be used in its construction.
Important: all building materials mustcomply with the requirements of environmental protection, fire resistance, frost resistance or corrosion resistance.
The design of modern buildings is a whole science, where any information is not superfluous, which will provide the object with the necessary reliability and durability. So, the project may indicate data on the possible elimination of negative factors that will ensure the safety of the structure (for example, groundwater drainage).
Also, when designing architectural structures, it is important to make all calculations, from the size, type and strength of the foundation, to the volume and weight of roofing materials.
Reinforced concrete structures
Modern technologies have significantly expanded the list of materials used in the construction of architectural structures. One of the building materials is reinforced concrete.
He "came" to replace brickwork, which for a long time occupied a leading position in construction. It's all about the solidity of its blocks, which are not only durable, but also environmentally friendly, since they are based on concrete, and are much cheaper than bricks, and are installed much faster, saving human resources and time during the construction of the facility.
Which architectural direction is dominated by reinforced concrete structures, taking into account their quality? The fact is that they are able to withstand very high bending loads, which makes them an ideal material for the construction of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers.
The only drawback of this materialis its high thermal conductivity. In this regard, the building constructed from it will have to be additionally insulated, which in no way reduces the cost of the finished object.
Conclusion
Summing up, we can say that modern architectural structures are a variety of forms and types of structures, an abundance of materials and methods of their construction. All the nuances of the future structure should be taken into account at the design stage, which will allow us to hope for its strength and durability.
Perhaps the construction objects that are being built in our time are not destined to last as long as the Egyptian pyramids, but they are quite reliable and do an excellent job with the functions assigned to them.
