Types of building

The word ‘building’ is commonly considered to refer to an enclosed structure within which people can perform activities. See our introductory article: Building.

There are many ways of classifying types of building, including:

• Construction type.
• Cost.
• Use.
• Size.
• Style.
• Period.
• Design (form, structure, etc).
• Performance (energy consumption, accessibility, etc).
• Nature of occupancy/ownership.

This article presents a list of common types of building alphabetically with links to articles providing further information. To add to the list, click ‘Edit this article’ above.

• A frame house.
• Abbey.
• Accessory structure.
• Air-supported structure.
• Affordable housing.
• Airport.
• Apartment.
• Assembly and recreation building.
• Assembly building.
• Bandstand.
• Bank.
• Barn.
• Bungalow.
• Bus shelter.
• Bus station.
• Cafe.
• Canteen.
• Casino.
• Castle.
• Cathedral.
• Cave.
• Chapel.
• Church.
• Cinema.
• Cluster accommodation.
• Commercial building.
• Commonhold.
• Complex buildings.
• Condominium.
• Conservatory.
• Cottage.
• Convenience store.
• Council housing.
• Covered area.
• Custom build home.
• Data centre.
• Department store.
• Detached.
• Double fronted building.
• Duplex.
• Dwelling.
• Earth building (see also Earthen construction).
• Entertainment building.
• Extension.
• Fabric structure.
• Factory.
• Farm buildings.
• Ferry terminal.
• Fire engineered buildings.
• Fire station.
• Flat.
• Freehold.
• Gallery.
• Garage.
• Geodesic dome.
• Greenhouse.
• Groundscraper.
• High-rise building.
• Hospital.
• Hostel.
• Hotel.
• Household.
• Houses in multiple occupation.
• Housing association.
• Hut.
• Industrial building.
• Inflatable building.
• Institution.
• Intermediate housing.
• Kiosk
• Kit house.
• Large format retail premises.
• Lean to.
• Leasehold.
• Leisure centre.
• Library.
• Lighthouse.
• Live/work unit.
• Low-rise.
• Mall.
• Manse.
• Maisonette.
• Meanwhile use.
• Medium-rise.
• Megastructure.
• Megatall.
• Minor development.
• Mixed use development.
• Modern building.
• Modular building.
• Mosque.
• Multi-storey building.
• Museum.
• Non-residential institution.
• Office.
• Outbuilding.
• Pavilion
• Penthouse.
• Permanent building.
• Petrol station.
• Police station.
• Portable building.
• Portaloo.
• Portakabin®.
• Post office.
• Power station.
• Pub.
• Pumping station.
• Prefab bungalow.
• Public building.
• Railway station.
• Refinery.
• Residential building.
• Residential institution.
• Retail building.
• Retail warehousing.
• School.
• Secure residential institution.
• Self build home.
• Semi-detached / Semi.
• Shack.
• Shed.
• Shelter.
• Sheltered housing.
• Shop.
• Shopping centre.
• Single-storey building.
• Simple premises.
• Skyscraper.
• Smoking shelters.
• Social housing.
• Specialist accommodation for older people.
• Specialist premises.
• Speculative development.
• Stable
• Stadium.
• Stand-alone building.
• Star building.
• Stately home.
• Storage building.
• Student accommodation.
• Sui generis.
• Supermarket.
• Super-slender.
• Supertall.
• Supported housing.
• Surgery.
• Swimming pool.
• Synagogue
• Telephone Box
• Temporary building.
• Temporary demountable structure.
• Terminal / terminus.
• Terraced house.
• Theatre.
• Toilet.
• Tower.
• Town hall.
• Traditional building.
• Train station.
• Twisting building.
• Venue.
• Visitor Centre
• Warehouse.
• Windmill.
• Workplace.
• Yurt
• Zero carbon building.
• Ziggurat.

See also: Architectural styles and Use class.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Air-supported structure.
• Ancillary uses of buildings.
• Architectural styles.
• Building.
• Nineteenth century building types.
• Non-domestic building.
• Premises.
• Types of construction.
• Types of development.
• Types of dwelling.
• Types of room.
• Types of structure.
• Use class.