A Structural Diagram

Building Materials

Bricks, wood, glass, concrete, steel, and iron are among the materials utilized. Bricks were utilized for the building’s walls, while wood was used for the floor and glass for the balcony’s covering. Concrete was used to cover the building (Deplazes, 2013). The iron used underneath the balcony was employed to maintain its stability and strength, while steel was used to create the balustrades.

Reasons for Material Selection

The fact that bricks and concrete were the primary building materials for the walls and roof of 90% of the structures in that area is one of the reasons I picked the materials I did. It may be related to the type of soil present in the environment. On the External facade section, the material I used was mainly red bricks. Reason being that the red colour is a warm and happy colour that gives positive energy to the area residents and as well as the homeless people (Karaman et al., 2006). The use of bricks was as a result of various factors among them including; bricks have insulation properties and are able to store energy hence reducing energy consumption in the building. Similarly, bricks are durable and their lifespan is more than 100 years. Additionally, bricks are aesthetic and versatile thus giving a choice on the type of finish to be used on the exterior. Bricks are also economic and can be constructed quickly and flexible hence saving time and money (Onouye & Kane, 2012).

Floors

I chose to use wood flooring due to the following factors for example, they are long lasting, they are easy to clean, they are more hygienic compared to the carpets, and it is energy efficient and also provides a great medium for under floor heating where needed.

Roof

For the structure’s roof, I used concrete roofing because; it is durable and has the property of becoming stronger and stronger over time, the concrete roofing can be finished in all ways either painting or coating, concrete is easier and safer to lay compared to other forms of roofing, concrete roofs are fireproof, they work well in compression and conform well with steel to handle tension and can be formed to many shapes (Karaman et al., 2006). As for the balconies, I used glass roofing that provides aesthetics to the structure, glass has high light transmission hence provides enough lighting to the balcony thus making it more suitable for its use which is relaxing or other resting, glass has a low thermal transmission hence provides low temperatures in the balcony, hence making it suitable for resting (Houtman, 2015).

Balcony Rails

I used steel for the railings since it’s easy to paint steel, steel is durable, and it is strong in tension and compression.

Bibliography

Deplazes, A. (2013). Constructing architecture: materials, processes, structures: a handbook. Basel: Birkhäuser.

Houtman, R. (2015). Materials used for architectural fabric structures. Fabric Structures in Architecture, 101–121. http://doi.org/10.1016/b978-1-78242-233-4.00003-6

Karaman, S., Gunal, H., & Ersahin, S. (2006). Assessment of clay bricks compressive strength using quantitative values of colour components. Construction and Building Materials, 20(5), 348–354. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2004.11.003

Onouye, B., & Kane, K. (2012). Statics and Strength of Materials for Architecture and Building Construction. Boston: Prentice Hall.