House 13590 226031635 2008-07-16T14:57:33Z Tanthalas39 1080237 Reverted 2 edits by [[Special:Contributions/66.158.77.250|66.158.77.250]] identified as [[WP:VAND|vandalism]] to last revision by [[User:ClueBot|ClueBot]]. ([[WP:TW|TW]]) {{dablink|For the television series, see [[House (TV series)]]. For other uses, see [[House (disambiguation)]].}} {{Refimprove|date=March 2008}} [[Image:Ranch style home in Salinas, California.JPG|thumb|250px|A ranch style house in [[Salinas, California]]]] [[Image:DSC06601.JPG|thumb|251px|A suburban style house in [[Sacramento, California]]]] '''House''' generally refers to a shelter or building that is a dwelling or place for habitation by human beings. The term includes many kinds of dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to high-rise apartment buildings.<ref name=schoenauer>Schoenauer, Norbert (2000). ''6,000 Years of Housing'' (rev. ed.) (New York: W.W. Norton & Company).</ref> However, the word can also be used as a verb ("to house"), and can have adjectival formations as well. In some contexts, "house" may mean the same as [[dwelling]], [[residence]], [[home]], [[abode]], [[accommodation]], [[housing]], [[lodging]], among other meanings. The social unit that lives in a house is known as a [[household]]. Most commonly, a [[household]] is a [[family]] unit of some kind, though households can be other social groups, such as single persons, or groups of unrelated individuals. Settled agrarian and industrial societies are composed of household units living permanently in housing of various types, according to a variety of forms of [[Land tenure]]. English-speaking people generally call any [[building]] they routinely occupy "[[home]]". Many people leave their houses during the day for [[employment|work]] and [[recreation]] but typically return to them to [[sleep]] or for other activities. ==History== The oldest house in the world is approximately from 10,000 B.C. and was made of mammoth bones, found at [[Mezhirich]] near [[Kiev]] in [[Ukraine]]. It was probably covered with mammoth hides. The house was discovered in 1965 by a farmer digging a new basement six feet below the ground.<ref>{{Citation | last=Gregorovich | first=Andrew | year=1994 | title="Ancient Inventions of Ukraine" | url=http://www.infoukes.com/history/inventions/}}</ref> Architect [[Norbert Schoenauer]], in his book ''6,000 Years of Housing'', identifies three major categories of types of housing: the "Pre-Urban" house, the "Oriental Urban" house, and the "Occidental Urban" house. Types of Pre-Urban houses include temporary dwellings such as the Inuit [[igloo]], semi-permanent dwellings such as the [[pueblo]], and permanent dwellings such as the [[New England]] homestead. "Oriental Urban" houses include houses of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and traditional urban houses in China, India, and [[Islamic]] cities. "Occidental Urban" houses include medieval urban houses, the Renaissance town house, and the houses, tenements and apartments of the 19th and 20th centuries.<ref name=schoenauer/> ==Types== {{Seealso|List of house types}} === Structure === [[Image:South San Jose (crop).jpg|thumb|A suburban neighborhood in [[San Jose, California]].]] [[Image:Wood Cottages Verbier Valais 074.JPG|thumb|Wood houses in the [[Swiss Alps]].]] The [[developed world]] in general features three basic types of house that have their own ground-level entry and private open space, and usually on a separately titled [[parcel]] of land: * [[Single-family home|Single-family detached]] houses - free-standing on all sides. * [[Semi-detached]] houses (duplexes) - houses that are attached, usually to only one other house via a [[party wall]]. * [[Terraced house]] (UK) also known as a ''row house'' or ''townhouse'' - attached to other houses, possibly in a row, each separated by a [[party wall]]. In addition, there are various forms of attached housing where a number of dwelling units are co-located within the same structure, which share a ground-level entry and may or may not have any private open space, such as [[apartment]]s (a.k.a. flats) of various scales. Another type of housing is movable, such as [[houseboats]], [[caravans]], and [[trailer homes]]. In the [[United Kingdom]], 27% of the population live in terraced houses and 32% in semi-detached houses, [[as of 2002]]. In the United States [[as of 2000]], 61.4% of people live in detached houses and 5.6% in semi-detached houses, 26% in row houses or [[apartment]]s, and 7% in [[mobile home]]s. === Shape === [[Archaeology|Archaeologists]] have a particular interest in house shape: they see the transition over time from round [[hut]]s to rectangular houses as a significant advance in optimizing the use of space, and associate it with the growth of the idea of a personal area (see [[personal space]]).{{Fact|date=May 2007}} === Function === [[Image:Taravadu.jpg|thumbnail|A [[Nalukettu]] traditional [[Kerala]] house in [[India]]]] Some houses transcend the basic functionality of providing "a roof over one's head" or of serving as a family "[[hearth]] and home". When a house becomes a display-case for [[wealth]] and/or [[fashion]] and/or [[conspicuous consumption]], we may speak of a "[[great house]]". The residence of a feudal lord or of a ruler may require defensive structures and thus turn into a fort or a [[castle]]. The house of a [[monarch]] may come to house [[courtier]]s and [[Great Officer of State|officers]] as well as the royal family: this sort of house may become a [[palace]]. Moreover, in time the lord or monarch may wish to retreat to a more personal or simple space such as a [[villa]], a [[hunting lodge]] or a [[dacha]]. Compare the popularity of the [[holiday house]] or [[cottage]], also known as a crib. In contrast to a relatively upper class or modern trend to ownership of multiple houses, much of human history shows the importance of multi-purpose houses. Thus the house long served as the traditional place of work (the original [[cottage industry]] site or "in-house" small-scale [[manufacturing]] [[workshop]]) or of [[commerce]] (featuring, for example, a ground floor "shop-front" [[Retailing#Shops and stores|shop]] or [[counter]] or [[office]], with living space above). During the [[Industrial Revolution]] there was a separation of manufacturing and banking from the house, though to this day some [[shopkeeper]]s continue (or have returned) to live "over the shop". == Inside the house == === Parts === [[Image:HouseFlrPlan.JPG|thumb|left|[[Floor plan]] of a "[[American Foursquare|foursquare]]" house]] Many houses have several rooms with specialized functions. These may include a living/eating area, a sleeping area, and (if suitable facilities and services exist) washing and [[lavatory]] areas. In traditional agriculture-oriented societies, domestic animals such as chickens or larger livestock (like cattle) often share part of the house with human beings. Most conventional modern houses will at least contain a [[bedroom]], [[bathroom]], [[kitchen]] (or kitchen area), and a [[living room]]. A typical "[[American Foursquare|foursquare]] house" (as pictured) occurred commonly in the early history of the [[United States of America]], with a [[staircase]] in the center of the house, surrounded by four rooms, and connected to other sections of the house (including in more recent eras a [[Garage (house)|garage]]). <br clear="left" /> The names of parts of a house often echo the names of parts of other buildings, but could typically include: {{col-begin}} {{col-break}} * [[Atrium (architecture)|atrium]] * [[attic]] * [[alcove]] * [[basement]] / [[cellar]] * [[bathroom]] (in various senses of the word) :* [[bathtub|bath]] / [[shower]] :* [[toilet]] * [[bedroom]] (or [[Nursery (room)|nursery]], for infants or small children) * [[Conservatory (greenhouse)|conservatory]] * [[dining room]] * [[family room]] :*[[Fireplace]] (for warmth during winter; generally not found in warmer climates) * [[foyer]] * [[front room]] (in various senses of the phrase) * [[Garage (house)|garage]] * [[hallway]]/[[passage]] * [[hearth]] - often an important symbolic focus of family togetherness {{col-break}} * [[kitchen]] * [[larder]] * [[laundry room]] * [[library]] * [[living room]] or [[den]] * [[lounge]] * [[wikt:nook|nook]] * [[office]] or [[study (room)|study]] * [[pantry]] * [[parlour]] * [[recreation room]] / [[rumpus room]] / [[television]] room * [[shrine]]s to serve the religious functions associated with a family * [[stairwell]] * [[sunroom]] * [[storage room]] / box room * [[workshop]] {{col-end}} {{see also|Room (architecture)}} === Layout === [[Image:Pomerodee.jpg|thumb|150px|House in [[Brazil]].]] Ideally, [[architect]]s of houses design rooms to meet the needs of the people who will live in the house. Such designing, known as "[[interior design]]", has become a popular subject in universities. [[Feng shui]], originally a Chinese method of situating houses according to such factors as sunlight and micro-climates, has recently expanded its scope to address the design of interior spaces with a view to promoting harmonious effects on the people living inside the house. Feng shui can also mean the 'aura' in or around a dwelling. Compare the [[real estate|real-estate]] sales concept of "indoor-outdoor flow". The [[square footage]] of a house in the United States reports the area of "living space", excluding the garage and other non-living spaces. The "square meters" figure of a house in Europe <!-- including Malta ? --> reports the area of the walls enclosing the home, and thus includes any attached garage and non-living spaces.{{Facts|date=February 2007}} == Construction == [[Image:HouseStructure.JPG|250px|thumb|The structure of the house (under demolition). This house is constructed from bricks and wood and was later covered by insulating panels. The roof construction is also seen.]] In the [[United States]], modern house-construction techniques include [[light-frame construction]] (in areas with access to supplies of wood) and [[adobe]] or sometimes [[rammed-earth construction]] (in arid regions with scarce wood-resources). Some areas use [[brick]] almost exclusively, and quarried [[Rock (geology)|stone]] has long provided walling. To some extent, aluminum and steel have displaced some traditional building materials. Increasingly popular alternative construction materials include [[insulating concrete forms]] (foam forms filled with [[concrete]]), structural insulated panels (foam panels faced with oriented strand board or fiber cement), and light-gauge steel framing and heavy-gauge steel framing. More generally, people often build houses out of the nearest available material, and often tradition and/or culture govern construction-materials, so whole towns, areas, counties or even states/countries may be built out of one main type of material. For example, a large fraction of American houses use wood, while most British and many European houses utilize stone or brick. In the 1900s, some house designers started using [[prefabrication]]. Sears, Roebuck & Co. first marketed their Houses by Mail to the general public in 1908. Prefab techniques became popular after World War II. First small inside rooms framing, then later, whole walls were prefabricated and carried to the construction site. The original impetus was to use the labor force inside a shelter during inclement weather. More recently builders have begun to collaborate with structural engineers who use computers and [[finite element analysis]] to design prefabricated steel-framed homes with known resistance to high wind-loads and [[earthquake|seismic]] forces. These newer products provide labor savings, more consistent quality, and possibly accelerated construction processes. Lesser-used construction methods have gained (or regained) popularity in recent years. Though not in wide use, these methods frequently appeal to homeowners who may become actively involved in the construction process. They include: * [[Cannabrick construction]] * [[cordwood construction]] * [[straw bale construction|straw-bale construction]] * [[geodesic dome]]s * [[wattle and daub]] * [[moladi]] [[Image:Passivhaus thermogram gedaemmt ungedaemmt.png|thumb|Thermographic comparison of traditional (left) and '[[passivhaus]]' (right) buildings]] === Energy-efficiency === In the developed world, [[energy conservation|energy-conservation]] has grown in importance in house-design. Housing produces a major proportion of [[carbon emissions]] ([[Energy efficiency in British housing|30% of the total in the UK]], for example).{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Development of a number of [[:category:low-energy building|low-energy building]] types and techniques continues. They include the [[zero-energy house]], the [[passive solar house]], [[Superinsulation|superinsulated]] and houses built to the ''[[Passive house|Passivhaus]]'' standard. == Legal issues == Buildings with historical importance have restrictions. ===United Kingdom=== New houses in the UK are not covered by the [[Sale of Goods Act]]. When purchasing a new house the buyer has less legal protection than when buying a new car. New houses in the UK may be covered by a [[NHBC]] guarantee but some people feel that it would be more useful to put new houses on the same legal footing as other products. ===United States and Canada=== In the US and Canada, many new houses are built in [[housing tracts]], which provide homeowners a sense of "belonging" and the feeling they have "made the best use" of their money. However, these houses are often built as cheaply and quickly as possible by large builders seeking to maximize profits. Many environmental health issues are ignored or minimized in the construction of these structures. In one case in [[Benicia]], [[California]], a housing tract was built over an old landfill. Home buyers were never told, and only found out when some began having reactions to high levels of [[lead]] and [[chromium]]. == Identifying houses == With the growth of dense settlement, humans designed ways of identifying houses and/or [[parcel]]s of land. Individual houses sometimes acquire [[proper name]]s; and those names may acquire in their turn considerable emotional connotations: see for example the house of ''[[Howards End]]'' or the castle of ''[[Brideshead Revisited]]''. A more systematic and general approach to identifying houses may use various methods of [[house numbering]]. == Animal houses == Humans often build "houses" for domestic or wild animals, often resembling smaller versions of human domiciles. Familiar animal houses built by humans include [[bird house|bird-houses]], [[hen house|hen-house]]s/chicken-coops and [[doghouse]]s ([[kennel]]s); while housed agricultural animals more often live in [[Barn (building)|barns]] and [[stables]]. However, human interest in building houses for animals does not stop at the domestic [[pet]]. People build bat-houses, nesting-sites for wild ducks and other birds, bee houses, giraffe houses, kangaroo houses, worm houses, hermit crab houses, as well as shelters for many other animals. == Shelter == Forms of (relatively) simple shelter may include: <div style="-moz-column-count:4; column-count:4;"> * [[Bus stop]] * [[Camper]] * [[Chalet]] * [[Cottage]] * [[Dugout (shelter)|dugout]] * [[Gazebo]] * [[Hangar]] * [[Houseboat]] * [[Hut (dwelling)|hut]] * [[Lean-to]] * [[Log Cabin]] * [[Shack]] * [[Tent]] (see also [[Campsite|camp]]) * ''[[yaodong]]'' * [[Travel trailer|Caravan]] * [[Umbrella]] </div> == Houses and symbolism == Houses may express the circumstances or opinions of their builders or their inhabitants. Thus a vast and elaborate house may serve as a sign of conspicuous wealth, whereas a low-profile house built of recycled materials may indicate support of energy conservation. Houses of particular historical significance (former residences of the famous, for example, or even just very old houses) may gain a protected status in [[town planning]] as examples of built [[Cultural heritage|heritage]] and/or of streetscape values. [[Commemorative plaque|Plaques]] may mark such structures. House-ownership ([[home ownership|home-ownership]]) provides a common measure of [[prosperity]] in [[economics]]. Contrast the importance of house-destruction, tent dwelling and house rebuilding in the wake of many [[natural disaster]]s. Peter Olshavsky’s [http://www.mcgill.ca/files/architecture-theory/olshavsky.pdf House for the Dance of Death] provides a [['pataphysics|'pataphysical]] variation on the house. === Heraldry === The house occurs as a rare [[Charge (heraldry)|charge]] in [[heraldry]]. == See also == <div style="-moz-column-count:4; column-count:4;"> ===Articles=== * [[Affordable housing]] * [[Architectural structure]] * [[Building material]] * [[Domotics]], [[home automation]] and [[domestic robot]]s. * [[Earth-sheltered home]] * [[United States housing bubble|Housing bubble]] * [[Housing estate]] * [[HUD USER]] * [[Housing in Japan]] * [[Housewarming party]] * [[Hurricane proof house]] * [[Lustron]] * [[Lodging]] * [[Mixed-use]] * [[Mobile home]] * [[Modular home]] * [[Moladi]] * [[Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse]] * [[Prefabrication]] * [[Squatting|Squat]] * [[Mobile home|Trailer]] * [[Vernacular architecture]] * [[Visitability]] - Social Integration Beyond Independent Living === Lists === * [[List of house types]] * [[List of house styles]] * [[List of types of lodging]] * [[List of real estate topics]] * [[List of famous American Houses]] </div> ==References== <references /> ==External links== {{wiktionary}} * [http://www.huduser.org/ United States Department of Housing and Urban Development site] *[http://www.amhousing.com/ American Home Builders] <!-- [[Image:Blue house.jpg|left|framed|House painted [[blue]]]] --> <!-- Categories --> [[Category:Houses]] [[Category:Structural system]] <!-- Other languages --> [[als:Haus]] [[ar:منزل]] [[arc:ܒܝܬܐ]] [[gn:Óga]] [[ay:Uta]] [[bn:ঘর]] [[br:Ti]] [[bg:Къща]] [[ca:Casa]] [[cs:Dům]] [[cy:Tŷ]] [[da:Hus]] [[de:Haus]] [[el:Κατοικία]] [[es:Casa]] [[eo:Domo]] [[eu:Etxe]] [[fr:Maison]] [[fur:Cjase]] [[gl:Casa]] [[ko:집]] [[id:Rumah]] [[is:Hús]] [[it:Casa]] [[he:בית מגורים]] [[ka:სახლი]] [[rw:Inzu]] [[sw:Nyumba]] [[la:Domus]] [[lt:Namas]] [[lmo:Cà]] [[hu:Ház]] [[ms:Rumah]] [[nah:Chāntli]] [[nl:Woning]] [[nds-nl:Huus]] [[ja:家屋]] [[no:Hus]] [[nn:Hus]] [[nrm:Maisoun]] [[oc:Ostal]] [[pl:Dom]] [[pt:Casa]] [[ksh:Huß]] [[rmy:Kher]] [[qu:Wasi]] [[ru:Жилище]] [[simple:House]] [[sl:Hiša]] [[su:Imah]] [[sv:Hus]] [[tl:Tahanan]] [[ta:வீடு]] [[kab:Axxam]] [[te:ఇల్లు]] [[th:บ้าน]] [[vi:Nhà]] [[tr:Ev]] [[uk:Житло]] [[yi:הויז]] [[bat-smg:Noms]] [[zh:住宅]]