Advantages
As an architect or engineer becomes more concerned with the disadvantages of transportation networks, and dependence on distant resources, their designs tend to include more autonomous elements. The historic path to autonomy was a concern for secure sources of heat, power, water and food. A nearly parallel path toward autonomy has been to start with a concern for environmental impacts, which cause disadvantages. (more…)
In the 1930s through the 1950s, Buckminster Fuller’s three prototype Dymaxion houses adopted many techniques to reduce resource use, such as a “fogger” shower head to reduce water use, a packaging toilet, and a vacuum turbine for electric power. While not designed as autonomous per se, Fuller’s concern with sustainable and efficient design is congruent with the goal of autonomy, and showed that it was theoretically possible. One of the three prototype Dymaxion houses that Fuller produced was made part of the conventional Graham family residence in Wichita, Kansas, and has now been reconstructed at the Henry Ford Museum. (more…)
An autonomous building is a building designed to be operated independently from infrastructural support services such as the electric power grid, gas grid, municipal water systems, sewage treatment systems, storm drains, communication services, and in some cases, public roads. (more…)
Residential
Residential buildings are called houses/homes, though buildings containing large numbers of separate dwelling units are often called apartment buildings or apartment blocks to differentiate them from the more ‘individual’ house. (more…)
In technology, architecture, construction, engineering and real estate development the word building may refer to one of the following:
1. Any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy, or
2. An act of construction (i.e. the activity of building, see also builder)
In this article, the first usage is generally intended unless otherwise specified. (more…)