Form and construction

The shape and type of building, and the materials that make up the building components, have direct impacts on the way the building behaves and performs. The roof structure is an important feature when considering exposure to the elements. The different shapes and forms of the building can considerably change the building’s behaviour and resilience to the elements. The construction of walls has become quite complex, and many different forms of wall can be found. Recently, the most notable change to walls is the level of thermal insulation that is now found within the wall. For zero-energy buildings, there is a need to ensure that the energy required in the heating and cooling of a building is negligible. It is now common to provide a highly insulted enclosure, limiting heat loss and gain. Thermally insulated foundations are becoming more common with insulation products that have structural properties used to transfer building loads.