Types of building

The word ‘building’ is commonly considered to refer to an enclosed structure within which people can perform activities. The Building Regulations suggest that the word 'building' refers to: ‘...any permanent or temporary building but not any other kind of structure or erection’. For more information see: Construction works.

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.
• Affordable housing.
• Airport.
• Apartment.
• Assembly and recreation building.
• Bungalow.
• Bus station.
• Cluster accommodation.
• Commercial building.
• Commonhold.
• Condominium.
• Council housing.
• Custom build home.
• Double fronted building.
• Duplex.
• Dwelling.
• Earth building (see also Earthen construction).
• Fabric structures.
• Factory.
• Flat.
• Freehold.
• Geodesic dome.
• Groundscraper.
• High-rise building.
• Hospital.
• Hostel.
• Hotel.
• Household.
• Houses in multiple occupation.
• Housing association.
• Industrial buildings.
• Institution.
• Intermediate housing.
• Kit house.
• Leasehold.
• Library.
• Manse.
• Maisonette.
• Meanwhile use.
• Megastructure.
• Megatall.
• Mixed use development.
• Modular buildings.
• Multi-storey building.
• Nineteenth century building types.
• Non-residential institution.
• Office.
• Outbuildings.
• Penthouse.
• Post office.
• Pub.
• Public building.
• Residential building.
• Residential institution.
• Retail buildings.
• Retail warehousing.
• School.
• Secure residential institution.
• Self build home.
• Sheltered housing.
• Shop.
• Single-storey building.
• Skyscraper.
• Social housing.
• Speculative development.
• Storage building.
• Student accommodation.
• Sui generis.
• Super-slender.
• Supertall.
• Temporary and interim building types.
• Terraced house.
• Town hall.
• Train station.
• Twisting buildings.
• Types of dwelling.
• Workplace.
• Zero carbon building.
• Ziggurat.

See Also: Architectural styles and Use class.

[edit] Find out more

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

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