Commercial buildings are buildings where people lease spaces to carry out various income-generating activities (businesses). For example, a building with retail stores, offices, restaurants, beauty parlors, a supermarket, etc., is a commercial building. So, can commercial buildings be used as…
Articles
How Many Elevators Does a Building Need?
Many of us have had the experience of walking through an office building, mall, or other indoor public place and have taken an elevator. These elevators serve as an important way to increase accessibility, especially for people with disabilities. A…
Why Do Many Buildings Have Two Sets of Doors?
When you walk into grocery stores, hospitals, hotels, shopping malls, and most other buildings, you’ll first approach one set of doors before encountering another prior to entering the building. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, have you ever…
5 Ways That Climate Affects Building Design
Different climate regions come with unique hazards for building design. Building designs must compensate for varying degrees and frequencies of wind, rain, snow, heat, and drought. In general, builders already know creative ways to cope with these challenges and can…
Are Metal Studs Required for Commercial Buildings?
Although metal studs today are synonymous with commercial buildings, it wasn’t until the 1950s and 1960s that it caught on as a framing material for commercial buildings. What’s more, metal studs had to be obtained from specialty building supply outlets…
How Do Buildings Keep Cool in Hot Climates?
Controlling the temperature of a building is essential, mainly when the building is in a hot climate. Care must be taken when designing to ensure the building will be cooled effectively and adequately. Buildings keep cool in hot climates with…
Are Buildings Designed To Fall Straight Down?
You may have seen buildings collapsing on their own base, whether it was intentional or a disastrous accident. This straight-line collapse seems independent from where the failure started, from the ground or the top. So, you may wonder if buildings…
Why Do Skyscrapers Sway in the Wind? The Facts Explained
When you see a concrete building or a statue made of stone, the first thing that will most likely come to your mind is the sturdy and firm nature of it all. In addition to the aesthetics and the general…
Is Building Design a Good Career? 10 Things To Know
If you have a knack for creativity but are looking for a job that appears more financially stable, Building Design might be the right path for you. It combines math and business with a side of artistic flair. Building Design…
Guide to Designing Accessible Buildings for the Disabled
With the establishment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, governments and industries worldwide realize that no one must be left behind. Societies all over the world have become less unaware of the needs of people with disabilities.…
Why Do Skyscrapers Have So Many Windows?
Towering skyscrapers with glass facades almost define bustling metropolitan cities like New York, London, or Hong Kong. When visitors look up, they see row after row of windows, but why do skyscrapers have so many windows anyway? Skyscrapers have so…
Why Are Some Buildings Built on Floodplains?
It can be concerning to watch new construction begin in a floodplain, especially after seeing other seasons of high rains. That’s counter-intuitive even to the layman. So, why do professionals construct some buildings on floodplains? Building on a floodplain has…