How are houses built?
FROM PLOT-PICKING PROTOCOLS TO FINALISING UNIQUE DESIGNS, FOLLOW THE PROCESSES THAT BUILD OUR HOMES
From laying the foundations to tiling the roof, here’s how our homes are put together
The oldest known civilisations first cropped up over 5,000 years ago. As these communities began settling in one area, they gathered the materials around them to create long-lasting shelters. Millennia have passed, and today we use a growing abundance of materials, including bricks and cement, to build the best possible homes that stand the test of time. But what processes are used today to place a roof over our heads?
You can no longer gather the materials and build a house wherever you please. Before you can start any work that includes building new houses, making significant changes to your home or changing the primary use of a building, planning permission needs to be obtained. This prevents houses appearing without notice where they could invade the privacy of other home owners, drastically increase traffic or reduce habitats in protected areas. Requests are sent to local councils, often with the help of architects and planning consultants.
When building eventually commences, workers on construction sites analyse small details carefully. From the area of a plot to the measurements of a house’s frame, greater accuracy improves building times and makes the environment safer for construction and living. Each person on site has been trained in specific roles, and as a team their specialised skills combine to produce the highest quality buildings. Each successful build is not merely another structure added to the landscape, but a personal space for someone to call home. Around 90 per cent of our time is now spent inside, and 70 per cent of this takes place within the walls of our own homes. Being used as areas to both work and wind down, we need houses to be built to the highest standards to keep us safe and comfortable every day.
“Each person on site has been trained in specific roles”