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.
• Use.
• Size.
• Style.
• Period.
• Design (for example, form, structure, etc).
• Performance (for example, energy consumption, accessibility, etc).
• Legal definition.
• Nature of occupancy/ownership.

This article presents a list of common types of building alphabetically (rather than by any one type of classification) with links to articles providing further information. To add to the list, click ‘Edit this article’ above.

• A frame house.
• Air-supported structure.
• Affordable housing.
• Airport.
• Apartment.
• Assembly and recreation building.
• Barn.
• Bungalow.
• Bus station.
• Cathedral.
• Church.
• Cinema.
• Cluster accommodation.
• Commercial building.
• Commonhold.
• Condominium.
• Council housing.
• Custom build home.
• Double fronted building.
• Duplex.
• Dwelling.
• Earth building (see also Earthen construction).
• Fabric structure.
• Factory.
• Flat.
• Freehold.
• Garage.
• Geodesic dome.
• Groundscraper.
• High-rise building.
• Hospital.
• Hostel.
• Hotel.
• Household.
• Houses in multiple occupation.
• Housing association.
• Industrial building.
• Inflatable building.
• Institution.
• Intermediate housing.
• Kit house.
• Leasehold.
• Leisure centre.
• Library.
• Live/work unit.
• Manse.
• Maisonette.
• Meanwhile use.
• Megastructure.
• Megatall.
• Mixed use development.
• Modern building.
• Modular buildings.
• Mosque.
• Multi-storey building.
• Nineteenth century building types.
• Non-residential institution.
• Office.
• Outbuildings.
• Penthouse.
• Permanent building.
• Petrol station.
• Post office.
• Pub.
• Prefab bungalow.
• Public building.
• Residential building.
• Residential institution.
• Retail buildings.
• Retail warehousing.
• School.
• Secure residential institution.
• Self build home.
• Shed.
• Sheltered housing.
• Shop.
• Shopping centre.
• Single-storey building.
• Skyscraper.
• Social housing.
• Speculative development.
• Stadium.
• Storage building.
• Student accommodation.
• Sui generis.
• Super-slender.
• Supertall.
• Temporary building.
• Terraced house.
• Theatre.
• Tower.
• Town hall.
• Traditional building.
• Train station.
• Twisting buildings.
• Types of dwelling.
• Warehouse.
• Workplace.
• Yurt
• Zero carbon building.
• Ziggurat.

See also: Architectural styles and Use class.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Ancillary uses of buildings.
• Architectural styles.
• Building.
• Building activities definition.
• Building complex.
• Building component.
• Building element.
• Building entities.
• Building spaces definition.
• Building system.
• Construction works.
• Non-domestic building.
• Premises.
• Types of room.
• Types of structure.
• Types of wall.
• Use class.