Noun

building (plural buildings)

1. (uncountable) The act or process of building.

   The building of the bridge will be completed in a couple of weeks.

2. A closed structure with walls and a roof.

   My sister lives in that apartment building.

Synonyms

• (act or process of building): construction
• (closed structure with walls and a roof): edifice
• See also Wikisaurus:building

Derived terms

• apartment building
• bldg.
• building blocks
• building permit
• building society
• building trade
• office building
• outbuilding
• shipbuilding
• bodybuilding
• main building

In this article, the first usage is generally intended unless otherwise specified.

Buildings come in a wide amount of shapes and functions, and have been adapted throughout history for a wide number of factors, from building materials available, to weather conditions, to land prices, ground conditions, specific uses and aesthetic reasons.

Buildings serve several needs of society – primarily as shelter from weather and as general living space, to provide privacy, to store belongings and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a physical division of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) and the outside (a place that at times may be harsh and harmful).

Ever since the first cave paintings, buildings have also become objects or canvasess of artistic expression. In recent years, interest in sustainable planning and building practices has also become part of the design process of many new buildings.