US20200040594A1

US20200040594A1 - Building

Info

Publication number: US20200040594A1
Application number: US16/433,490
Authority: US
Inventors: Mikael Hedberg
Original assignee: Admares Group Oy
Current assignee: Admares Group Oy
Priority date: 2018-08-03
Filing date: 2019-06-06
Publication date: 2020-02-06
Also published as: WO2020025857A1; FI20185670A1

Abstract

A building including a vertical part; a horizontal part; and a connecting part arranged to connect the vertical part with the horizontal part. The vertical part comprises at least one vertical module, the at least one vertical module being one of an elevator module, an escalator module, a stairs module, a heat-ventilation-air conditioning module, a water system module, an illumination module.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to real estate and construction; and more specifically, to a building. Furthermore, the present disclosure also relates to a method of constructing aforesaid building.

BACKGROUND

In the past few decades, there has been a rapid increase in population of the world. In order to sustain such an increasing population there is a significant demand of amenities such as food, clothing and buildings. Notably, buildings are considered to be one of the most expensive and elusive amenities since substantial time, money and effort is required to construct or acquire them. As an example, construction of a building requires many time intensive works and high precision works (such as plumbing, electrical wiring, laying of ventilation ducts, fitting of air conditioning and so forth) to be implemented. Notably, a given building could be a residential building (such as an individual villa, a residential apartment and the like), a commercial building (such as a hotel, a school, an office, a shopping mall and the like), an industrial building (such as a factory, a warehouse and the like) and so forth.
Generally, buildings are integrated buildings and are constructed entirely on-site. However, construction of such integrated buildings is time intensive, effort intensive, requires presence of different specialists and vendors on-site, is impacted by on-site weather and generates a lot of waste. Therefore, nowadays, modular buildings are increasingly being constructed throughout the world. Such modular buildings are made up of multiple portions (or multiple modular blocks) which are manufactured at a specialized manufacturing facility, transported to a construction site, and assembled at the construction site to form the modular buildings. Examples of such portions are rooms, stairways, air conditioning units, corridors, parking facilities, and the like. Although the modular buildings overcome or at least reduce some of the aforesaid problems associated with the integrated buildings, there continues to exist a number of limitations associated with the modular buildings and construction methods thereof. Firstly, the modular buildings still require substantial manual work to be performed at the construction site. As an example, the high precision works are either required to be performed or their corresponding equipment is required to be installed at the construction site of the modular buildings. Therefore, a substantial workforce is still required to be present at the construction site for performing such tasks. Secondly, due to manufacturing constraints, sizes of different portions of the modular buildings are generally not customizable. As a result, such portions may not perfectly fit with each other.
Therefore, in light of the foregoing discussion, there exists a need to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with buildings and construction techniques thereof.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure seeks to provide a building. The present disclosure also seeks to provide a method of constructing a building. The present disclosure particularly seeks to provide a solution to the existing problems such as requirement of substantial workforce at construction site and manufacturing constraints associated with modular units of conventional buildings and construction methods thereof. An aim of the present disclosure is to provide a solution that overcomes at least partially the problems encountered in prior art, and provides a modular building that can be constructed in a time-efficient manner by assembling its constituent modular units, whilst using minimal workforce at the construction site.
In one aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a building comprising

- a vertical part;
- a horizontal part; and
- a connecting part arranged to connect the vertical part with the horizontal part;

wherein the vertical part comprises at least one vertical module, the at least one vertical module being one of: an elevator module, an escalator module, a stairs module, a heat-ventilation-air conditioning module, a water system module, an illumination module,
wherein the horizontal part comprises at least one room module,
wherein a first room module is arranged on top of a second room module and waste water from the first room module is arranged to be led via a sewer system through the second room module.
In another aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method of constructing a building, the method comprising

- assembling a vertical part on a foundation, the vertical part comprising at least one vertical module, wherein the at least one vertical module is one of: an elevator module, an escalator module, a stairs module, a heat-ventilation-air conditioning module, a water system module, an illumination module;
- assembling a horizontal part on the foundation; and
- assembling a connecting part to connect the vertical part and the horizontal part, wherein the horizontal part comprises at least one room module,

wherein a first room module is arranged on top of a second room module and waste water from the first room module is arranged to be led via a sewer system through the second room module.
Embodiments of the present disclosure substantially eliminate or at least partially address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, and provides a modular building that can be constructed time-efficiently by assembling its constituent units.
Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the present disclosure would be made apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments construed in conjunction with the appended claims that follow.
It will be appreciated that features of the present disclosure are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those skilled in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a building, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate perspective views of different stages during construction of a building, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a hallway module, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate steps of a method of constructing a building, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate different views of a building upon construction, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In the accompanying drawings, an underlined number is employed to represent an item over which the underlined number is positioned or an item to which the underlined number is adjacent. A non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure and ways in which they can be implemented. Although some modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed, those skilled in the art would recognize that other embodiments for carrying out or practising the present disclosure are also possible.
In one aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a building comprising

- assembling a vertical part on a foundation, the vertical part comprising at least one vertical module, wherein the at least one vertical module is one of: an elevator module, an escalator module, a stairs module, a heat-ventilation-air conditioning module, a water system module, an illumination module;
- assembling a horizontal part on the foundation; and
- assembling a connecting part to connect the vertical part and the horizontal part,

wherein the horizontal part comprises at least one room module,
wherein a first room module is arranged on top of a second room module and waste water from the first room module is arranged to be led via a sewer system through the second room module.
The present disclosure provides the aforementioned building and the aforementioned method of constructing the building. Notably, such a building is made up of modular units that can be manufactured away from a construction site of the building and can be simply assembled at the construction site to form the building. Notably, the modular units can be efficiently manufactured at a facility having a controlled environment, thereby minimising adverse effects of weather that are generally associated with buildings which are entirely constructed on-site. Furthermore, at such a facility, the modular units can be easily inspected and checked for quality. As a result, the resultant building can be assembled in a time-efficient manner by using minimal workforce (of specialists and vendors) at the construction site. Furthermore, the modular units of the building can be customized as per requirement, in a manner that when assembled, such units can fit perfectly with each other. Notably, the method can be efficiently performed in much shorter time as compared to conventional on-site construction methods. Beneficially, implementation of the described method utilises the minimal workforce and conventional construction equipment.
Throughout the present disclosure, the term “building” refers to a temporary or a permanent structure having a floor, a roof and walls. Notably, the building can be intended for purposes such as shelter, security, storage, commercial activity, recreation, and the like. Therefore, the building can have a specific shape, size and features, based upon its intended purpose. Moreover, the building could be a single storey building (namely, a single-level building or a single-floor building) or a multi-storey building (namely, a multi-level building or a multi-floor building). Examples of the building include, but are not limited to, a house (for example, such as a bungalow, a villa and the like), a housing complex (for example, a multi-storey structure having multiple apartments), an animal shelter, a fort, a tower, a hotel, a place of worship (for example, such as a temple, a church and the like), a place of recreation (for example, such as a gymnasium, a community hall, a clubhouse and the like), a hospital, a commercial establishment (for example, such as a shop, a shopping mall, an office premises and the like) and an industrial establishment (for example, such as a factory, a warehouse and the like).
Throughout the present disclosure, the term “vertical part” refers to at least one structural element of the building that extends vertically through the building. In simpler terms, the vertical part can be understood to rise vertically through the building. Generally, the vertical part substantially corresponds to vertical dimensions (namely, height) of the building.
The vertical part comprises the at least one vertical module. Throughout the present disclosure, the term “vertical module” refers to a structural element which primarily extends vertically to constitute the vertical part of the building. It will be appreciated that the at least one vertical module is a three-dimensional structure and has a definite height, length and width, the height being the primary dimension of interest. Notably, the term “at least one vertical module” relates to “one vertical module” in one example, and “a plurality of vertical modules” in another example. Furthermore, when the vertical part comprises the plurality of vertical modules, such vertical modules could be equal-sized or unequal-sized. In such a case, at least one of: height, length and width of the plurality of vertical modules may be unequal.
Optionally, a given vertical module comprises at least one vertical sub-module. In such a case, the term “vertical sub-module” refers to a sub-unit of the given vertical module. Notably, the term “at least one vertical sub-module” relates to “one vertical sub-module” in one example, and “a plurality of vertical sub-modules” in another example. Furthermore, when the given vertical module comprises the plurality of vertical sub-modules, such sub-modules are arranged in a vertically stacked manner (namely, one on top of the other) to form the given vertical module. It will be appreciated that a number of vertical sub-modules of the given vertical module is generally equal to a number of floors of the building, one vertical sub-module corresponding to one floor of the building. However, the number of vertical sub-modules of the given vertical module could be less than or greater than the number of floors of the building.
Furthermore, optionally, when the given vertical module comprises the plurality of vertical sub-modules, the plurality of vertical sub-modules could be equal-sized or unequal-sized. Optionally, in this regard, a height of the plurality of vertical sub-modules is unequal.
The at least one vertical module is one of the elevator module, the escalator module, the stairs module, the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module, the water system module, the illumination module. In such a case, the aforesaid module(s) is/are arranged to extend vertically along the building.
The elevator module (also commonly known as a lift module), the escalator module and the stairs module are units that allow traversing vertical distances within the building. Moreover, the stairs module may be an indoor stairs module or an outdoor stairs module. Beneficially, the stairs module acts as a fire escape module by providing a passage that can be utilized to evacuate persons and property from the building in an event of fire.
In an example, when the building has three floors, the vertical part of the building may comprise two vertical modules, namely, a first vertical module and a second vertical module. Notably, the first vertical module may be an escalator module that runs along all the three floors of the building and the second vertical module may be an outdoor stairs module that also runs along all the three floors of the building. Furthermore, in such an example, both the first and the second vertical modules may comprise three vertical sub-modules, one vertical sub-module corresponding to one floor of the building. Therefore, in such an example, both the first and the second vertical module may be easily assembled for operation by vertically stacking their corresponding sub-modules one on top of the other.
Throughout the present disclosure, the term “heat-ventilation-air conditioning module” refers to a unit comprising specialized equipment (for example, such as air handling units) for providing requisite thermal comfort and air quality within the building. Notably, the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module regulates temperature within the building by way of heating water, steam or air within a specialized chamber, and circulating such water, steam or air throughout the building as per requirement. Furthermore, the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module is arranged to circulate air within the building and exchange air within the building with air outside the building for providing an acceptable quality of air within the building. Moreover, the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module typically also provides cooling, air filtration and humidity control within the building.
For sake of simplicity and clarity, the “heat-ventilation-air conditioning module” is hereinafter referred to as a “HVAC module” throughout the description.
Optionally, the HVAC module is implemented by way of at least one air handling unit and a duct system fluidically coupled to the at least one air handling unit, wherein the at least one air handling unit, in operation, performs heating, ventilating and air conditioning operations and the duct system directs air from/to the HVAC module to/from an external environment outside the building and directs air from/to the HVAC module to/from the horizontal part.
Optionally, the at least one air handling unit comprises at least one of a blower, an air filter, an air heating element, an air cooling element, a humidifier, a dehumidifier, a heat exchanger, a sound attenuator, a vibration stabilization mechanism.
Optionally, when the at least one vertical module comprises plurality of vertical sub-modules, the HVAC module is implemented by way of a plurality of air handling units and a duct system fluidically coupled to the plurality of air handling units, wherein one air handling unit is arranged in one vertical sub-module. Such an implementation of the HVAC module allows for providing a dedicated air handling unit per floor of the building, thereby simplifying a structure of the duct system.
Optionally, the HVAC module is arranged within the building in a centralized manner. As an example, the HVAC module may be entirely arranged within the vertical part of the building. Alternatively, optionally, the HVAC module is arranged within the building in a decentralized manner. In such a case, various components of the HVAC module are arranged in a distributed manner within different parts of the building. As an example, the at least one air handling unit of the HVAC module may be arranged within the vertical part of the building whereas the duct system of the HVAC module may be arranged within the vertical part, the connecting part, and optionally, even the horizontal part of the building. In such an example, a vertical portion of the duct system that runs vertically across all floors of the building may be arranged within the vertical part whereas a horizontal portion of the duct system that runs horizontally across each floor of the building may be arranged within the connecting part and the horizontal part of the building.
Throughout the present disclosure, the term “water system module” refers to a unit comprising equipment for provision of usable water within the building and removal of waste water from the building. Optionally, the water system module comprises a water storage arrangement and a piping system for water. The water storage arrangement comprises at least one water tank for storing the usable water. The piping system for the water can be understood to be a network of a first type of water pipes to provide the usable water from the water storage arrangement to different parts of the building, and a second type of water pipes to remove waste water from the different parts of the building. As an example, the piping system for the water may provide usable water to the HVAC module and the horizontal part of the building and may also remove waste water from the HVAC module and the horizontal part of the building.
Furthermore, optionally, the piping system for the water provides water to a sprinkler system, for purposes of preventing and/or extinguishing fire within the building.
Optionally, the water system module further comprises a water pumping arrangement, the water pumping arrangement comprising at least one water pump that pumps water to/from the water storage arrangement and at least one electric motor to drive the at least one water pump.
Optionally, the water system module is arranged within the building in a centralized manner. As an example, the water system module may be entirely arranged within the vertical part of the building. Alternatively, optionally, the water system module is arranged within the building in a decentralized manner. In such a case, various components of the water system module are arranged in a distributed manner within different parts of the building. As an example, the water storage arrangement of the water system module may be arranged within the vertical part of the building whereas the piping system for the water may be arranged within the vertical part, the connecting part, and optionally, even the horizontal part of the building. In such an example, a vertical portion of the piping system for the water that runs vertically across all floors of the building may be arranged within the vertical part whereas a horizontal portion of the piping system for the water that runs horizontally across each floor of the building may be arranged within the connecting part and the horizontal part of the building.
Throughout the present disclosure, the term “illumination module” refers to a unit that allows for provision of illumination (namely, lighting) within the building. Optionally, the illumination module comprises at least one light source for providing light within the building. Examples of the at least one light source include, but are not limited to, a light emitting diode-based light source, an organic light emitting diode-based light source, a fluorescent light source, a phosphorescent light source, a high-intensity discharge-based light source and an incandescent light source. As an example, the illumination module may comprise four light emitting diode-based lamps. Optionally, the illumination module comprises a light fenestration arrangement for passing natural light of the external environment outside the building into the building. Optionally, in this regard, the light fenestration arrangement is implemented by way of at least one of: a window, a skylight, a wall panel, a vent, a louvre, a transparent wall, a translucent wall.
In an example, when the building is a five-floor museum, a given vertical module of the vertical part of the building may comprise a given illumination module. The given illumination module may comprise the light fenestration arrangement that is implemented by way of a rooftop skylight. Such an illumination module may be arranged at an entrance of the building for providing natural lighting within the building, thereby enhancing a visual appearance of interiors of the building.
Throughout the present disclosure, the term “horizontal part” refers to at least one structural element of the building that extends horizontally across the building. In simpler terms, the horizontal part can be understood to spread horizontally across the building. Generally, the horizontal part substantially corresponds to horizontal dimensions (namely, length and width) of the building.
The horizontal part comprises at least one room module. Throughout the present disclosure, the term “room module” refers to a structural element which primarily extends horizontally to constitute the horizontal part of the building. It will be appreciated that the at least one room module is a three-dimensional structure and has a definite height, length and width, the length and the width being the primary dimensions of interest. Notably, the term “at least one room module” relates to “one room module” in one example, and “a plurality of room modules” in another example. Furthermore, when the horizontal part comprises the plurality of room modules, such room modules may be equal-sized or unequal-sized. In such a case, at least one of height, length and width of the plurality of room modules may be unequal. In an example, the building may be a dog shelter, and the horizontal part of the building may comprise 40 equal-sized room modules, wherein one room module is to be used to house one dog. In another example, the building may be a house, and the horizontal part of the building may comprise three unequal-sized room modules. In such an example, a ratio of heights of the three-room modules may be 1:1.5:2 whilst lengths and widths of the three room modules may be equal.
Optionally, a set of room modules constitutes a single floor of the building. In such a case, the set of room modules could include a single room module, as well as a plurality of room modules. In other words, each floor of the building comprises at least one room module. It will be appreciated that for a building having multiple floors, the horizontal part of the building may also comprise all room modules of all floors of the building. Furthermore, for the building having multiple floors, separate floors of the building may have equal or unequal number of room modules. Moreover, for the building having multiple floors, at least one room module of a second floor is vertically stacked on top of at least one room module of a first floor, the second floor being on top of the first floor.
As an example, the building may be a shopping mall having four floors F1, F2, F3 and F4 of equal height, and a total of 30 room modules. The 30 room modules of such a building may correspond to shops within the shopping mall. The floor F4 may be the topmost floor, the floor F3 may be second from top, the floor F2 may be third from top, and the floor F1 may be fourth from the top (or the lowermost floor). In such an example, each of the floors F1 and F2 of the building may comprise ten equal-sized room modules whereas each of the floors F3 and F4 of the building may comprise five equal-sized room modules. It will be appreciated that in such an example, the room modules of the floor F4 may be vertically stacked on top of the room modules of the floor F3, which may be further vertically stacked on top of the room modules of the floor F2, which may be further vertically stacked on top of the room modules of the floor F1. Furthermore, in such an example, a given room module belonging to any of the floors F3 and F4 may have length and width that is twice that of a given room module belonging to any of the two floors F1 and F2. Therefore, a given room module of the floor F3 may be vertically stacked on top of 2 room modules of the floor F2.
Optionally, a given room module has at least one of a door, a window, an air inlet, an air outlet, a usable water input, a waste water output, a sprinkler system input, an electricity input, a communication line.
Furthermore, optionally, a given room module includes at least one object installed therein. Examples of such at least one object include, but are not limited to, light fixtures, sanitary fixtures, electrical appliances and furniture.
Optionally, a given room module has at least one wall. Alternatively, optionally, a given room module has no walls. Such a room module may be employed for providing hollow or open spaces within the building. As an example, a dedicated room module with no walls may be employed for providing a swimming pool within the building. As another example, multiple room modules having no walls, but having a supporting edge framework may be employed for providing a parking space within the building.
A first room module is arranged on top of a second room module and waste water from the first room module is arranged to be led via a sewer system through the second room module. In other words, the waste water from the first room module is led downwards (for example, by gravity) through the second room module, using the sewer system. Therefore, the sewer system can be understood to be arranged along a vertical dimension (namely, height) of a stacked arrangement of the at least one room module in a manner that the waste water from a given room module is led downwards from the given room module. Furthermore, the sewer system is arranged to extend further downwards from the lowermost room module of the stacked arrangement, to ensure that the waste water from all room modules of the stacked arrangement is effectively removed.
Throughout the present disclosure, the term “sewer system” refers to sewerage infrastructure that allows for removing waste water from within the building. Optionally, the sewer system is implemented by way of an arrangement of sewage pipes that direct waste water from the at least one room module towards a sewage treatment plant or a sewage disposal facility. Notably, the sewer system is fluidically coupled to at least one waste water output of the at least one room module for performing the aforesaid waste water removal operation. Such an arrangement of sewage pipes can be understood to correspond to the second type of water pipes within the piping system for the water (of the water system module) that remove waste water from different parts of the building. Therefore, the sewer system can be understood to be a part of the water system module, such a part being arranged within the horizontal part of the building.
Throughout the present disclosure, the term “connecting parr” refers to at least one structural element of the building that extends from the vertical part to the horizontal part, thereby connecting the vertical part and the horizontal part. In simpler terms, the connecting part can be understood to extend horizontally or diagonally between the vertical part and the horizontal part. Notably, the connecting part connects the horizontal part and the vertical part in each floor of the building.
Optionally, the connecting part is arranged to connect at least two room modules of the horizontal part with one another. The connecting part can be arranged in such a manner when a given room module is arranged at a location which cannot be directly connected to the vertical part of the building. Therefore, a first room module (of the horizontal part) can be directly connected to the vertical part via a first portion of the connecting part that is arranged between the first room module and the vertical part, and a second room module (of the horizontal part) can be indirectly connected to the vertical part via a second portion of the connecting part that is arranged between the second room module and the first room module.
Optionally, the connecting part comprises at least one hallway module, the at least one hallway module being arranged in connection with an upper edge of at least one room module and the vertical part. In such a case, the at least one hallway module forms an overhead structural link between the upper edge of the at least one room module and the at least one vertical module (or the at least one vertical sub-module) of the vertical part. Specifically, the at least one hallway module connects upper limits of the at least one room module and the at least one vertical sub-module to form a ceiling of a given floor of the building, when the given floor comprises such interconnected at least one room module, at least one hallway module and at least one vertical sub-module. In simpler terms, when an upper edge of a given room module is structurally linked with an upper edge of a given vertical sub-module by way of the connecting part, the connecting part acts as a ceiling structure of a region lying between the given room module and the given vertical sub-module.
Throughout the present disclosure, the term “hallway module” refers to a structural element (of the connecting part) which primarily extends between the vertical part and the horizontal part of the building. Notably, a given hallway module of a given floor of the building extends between at least one vertical sub-unit of the vertical part and at least one room module of the horizontal part. Furthermore, the at least one hallway module also acts as a channel by way of which water, electricity, light and the like are exchanged between the vertical part and the horizontal part. Notably, there exists at least one hallway module in each floor of the building. It will be appreciated that the term “hallway module” may also be referred to as “corridor module”.
Optionally, the at least one hallway module comprises a floor part, a roof part and a piping system for air, the piping system for the air being arranged to provide air from/to the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module to/from the at least one room module. Notably, an underside (namely, a bottom side) of a given hallway module that connects an upper edge of a given room module with an upper edge of a given vertical sub-module acts as the “roof part” of a given floor comprising the given room module, the given hallway module and the given vertical sub-module. Furthermore, an overside (namely, a top side) of the given hallway module acts as the “floor part” of another floor that lies above (namely, on top of) the given floor. The “piping system for the air” can be understood to be a network of pipes that circulate air within the building. The piping system for the air can be understood to be a part of the duct system of the HVAC module, the piping system for the air being arranged within the connecting part of the building. The piping system for the air is arranged to be coupled to at least one air inlet of the at least one room module to provide air from the HVAC module to the at least one room module. Such air that is provided to the at least one room module has an acceptable quality and temperature. Furthermore, the piping system for the air is arranged to be coupled to at least one air outlet of the at least one room module to provide air to the HVAC module from the at least one room module. Such air that is provided from the at least one room module may have an unacceptable quality and temperature.
Optionally, within the at least one hallway module, the piping system for air is arranged within a space between the floor part and the roof part. Such a space may commonly be referred to as “plenum space”.
Optionally, a floor part of a given hallway module acts as a primary ceiling of a given floor comprising the given hallway module whereas a roof part of the given hallway module acts as a suspended ceiling (namely, a dropped ceiling or a false ceiling) of the given floor, the roof part being suspended from the floor part. Furthermore, in such a case, the floor part of the given hallway module also acts as a floor surface of another floor that lies immediately above the given floor.
Optionally, the at least one air inlet of the at least one room module comprises at least one of an inlet for hot air, an inlet for cool air, an inlet for air from an external environment.
Optionally, the at least one air outlet of the at least one room module comprises at least one outlet for directing air away from the at least one room module.
Optionally, the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module comprises a separate heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule for each floor of the building and the heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule of a floor is arranged to provide air via the at least one hallway module to the at least one room module associated with the floor. Such heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule(s) allow for controlling air within the building on a floor by floor basis. Notably, such a floor-wise arrangement of the heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule(s) substantially reduces an overall length of the piping system for the air since the piping system for the air can now be implemented on a floor by floor basis between the heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule and the at least one room module of the floor, thereby spanning a very limited distance along each floor. Beneficially, in such an instance, complex routing of air across vertical sub-modules of the building is not required owing to the simplified arrangement of the piping system for air. As a result, there is substantial reduction in construction cost and substantial simplification of interiors of the building. It will be appreciated that a given heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule of a given floor of the building substantially corresponds to a given air handling unit of the given floor.
Optionally, the at least one hallway module comprises a sprinkler system arranged to operate in an event of fire to spray water within the building to provide fire protection. Optionally, in the at least one hallway module, the sprinkler system is arranged substantially within the space between the floor part and the roof part of the at least one hallway module. Throughout the present disclosure, the term “sprinkler system” refers to an arrangement of at least one fire sprinkling unit disposed within the building, a water source to provide water and a water distribution system fluidically coupled to the water source, wherein the water distribution system directs the water from the water source to the at least one fire sprinkling unit, and the at least one fire sprinkling unit is configured to sprinkle the water within the building for fire protection purposes. The system may also use other extinguishing material than water. The sprinkler system can be understood to be a part of the water supply system since the water storage arrangement can serve as the water source and a portion of the piping system for the water can serve as the water distribution system of the sprinkler system.
Optionally, the sprinkler system comprises at least one fire sprinkling unit per hallway module. As an example, a given hallway module may connect four room modules to a given vertical sub-module. In such an example, the given hallway module may comprise four fire sprinkling units, one fire sprinkling unit arranged per room module connected to the given hallway module.
It will be appreciated that the term “fire protection” encompasses “fire prevention” as well as “fire extinguishing”. For purposes of fire prevention, the sprinkler system can operate to spray water for cooling at least the connecting part and optionally, even the horizontal part of the building, thereby reducing a possibility of occurrence of fire within the building. In this case, the system is typically equipped with a temperature and/or smoke detector, and sprays water in case the temperature raises too high and/or smoke is detected. Moreover, for purposes of fire extinguishing in the event of fire, one or more fire sprinkling units of the sprinkler system can operate to spray water for extinguishing (namely, dousing) fire within the connecting part and optionally, even the horizontal part, thereby allowing for reduction in loss of life and property. As mentioned, also other material than water can be used for the fire protection system.
Optionally, the at least one hallway module comprises an electrical transmission system arranged to supply electricity to the at least one room module. The term “electrical transmission system” refers to a system comprising at least one electrical cable that is configured to transmit electrical power from an electrical power source to the at least one room module. Such electrical power can be utilized to operate electrical components (for example, such as fans, lights, computing equipment and so forth) that may be arranged within the at least one room module. Furthermore, optionally, the electrical transmission system comprises the electrical power source.
Typically, an arrangement of the electrical transmission system within the at least one hallway module is compliant with electrical safety requirements of a location where the building is to be constructed.
Optionally, the usable water is provided to the at least one room module via a water supply system. Throughout the present disclosure, the term “water supply system” refers to an arrangement of a source of usable water and a network of water pipes that direct the usable water from such a source towards the at least one room module. Specifically, the usable water is directed from the network of water pipes to the at least one room module, via at least one usable water input of the room module. Notably, the water supply system can be understood to be a part of the water system module, wherein the water storage arrangement acts as the source of the usable water and the first type of water pipes act as the network of water pipes that direct the usable water from such a source towards the at least one room module. Furthermore, the water supply system is arranged in at least one of the vertical part, the horizontal part, the connecting part of the building.
In an example, in the water supply system, the source of usable water may be arranged on a floor by floor basis within vertical sub-modules of a given water system module (which is a vertical module of the vertical part of the building). In other words, at least one source of usable water is arranged per floor of the building. Furthermore, the network of water pipes may be arranged within the building in a manner that a first portion of the network of water pipes extends vertically along the given water system module, thereby interconnecting all sources of usable water within the building. Moreover, a second portion of the network of water pipes may extend horizontally across each floor of the building for directing usable water from the at least one source of usable water of a given floor to at least one room module of the given floor. Therefore, such a second portion of the network of water pipes may be arranged within at least one hallway module of the given floor and the at least one room module of the given floor.
In another example, in the water supply system, the source of usable water may be arranged as a topmost vertical sub-module of a given water system module (which is a vertical module of the vertical part of the building). Furthermore, the network of water pipes may be arranged within the building in a manner that the network of water pipes extend vertically along the remaining vertical sub-modules of the given water system module and may also extend horizontally across the at least one room module and the at least one hallway module of each floor of the building for directing usable water from the source of usable water to all room modules within the building. Therefore, the network of water pipes may be arranged within each of the vertical part, the horizontal part, and the connecting part of the building. The water supply system may naturally also be connected to a communal water supply.
As mentioned previously, the present disclosure also provides the method of constructing the building. Such a method is described in greater detail hereinbelow. The embodiments and details disclosed above apply mutatis mutandis to the method.
Throughout the present disclosure, the term “foundation” refers to a base structure that supports the building thereupon. Notably, the foundation allows for transferring a load of the building to a surface (such as ground, bed rock and the like) that has sufficient load bearing capacity. In an example, when the building is to be constructed on land, the foundation may be at ground level or at a certain distance (for example, several feet) below the ground level. In another example, when the building is to be constructed on water, the foundation may be at a certain distance above the level of water. In such an example, the foundation may be implemented as an arrangement of stilts. Alternatively, the foundation may be a floating arrangement.
Optionally, the method of constructing the building further comprises preparing the foundation upon which the building is to be constructed. The foundation is prepared by using suitable construction material (for example, such as concrete, steel, wood and the like) and suitable construction equipment.
It will be appreciated that the aforesaid method of constructing the building can be easily and time-efficiently performed by employing conventional construction equipment (for example, such as cranes, access work platforms, block and tackle systems, windlasses and the like).
In the method, the vertical part is assembled on the foundation. In other words, the at least one vertical module of the vertical part is installed (namely, placed) on the foundation. Notably, the at least one vertical module is lifted by way of suitable construction equipment (for example a crane), and is lowered at a desired position on the foundation for assembling the vertical part.
Optionally, the method further comprises assembling the at least one vertical module prior to the assembling of the vertical part. Optionally, in such a case, the at least one vertical sub-module is assembled to form a vertically stacked arrangement for assembling the at least one vertical module.
Furthermore, in the method, the horizontal part is assembled on the foundation. In such a case, the horizontal part of the building is lifted by way of suitable construction equipment and is lowered at a desired position on the foundation.
Optionally, in the method, the horizontal part comprises the at least one room module. In such a case, the at least one room module of the horizontal part is installed on the foundation. Notably, the at least one room module is lifted by way of suitable construction equipment, and is lowered at the desired position on the foundation for assembling the horizontal part.
Optionally, the horizontal part is assembled on a floor by floor basis. Optionally, in this regard, for each floor of the building, at least one room module of a given floor is assembled before proceeding to assemble at least one room module of another floor.
Moreover, in the method, the connecting part is assembled to connect the vertical part and the horizontal part. In such a case, the connecting part of the building is lifted by way of suitable construction equipment and is lowered at a desired position on the foundation, such a desired position being in between the assembled vertical part and the assembled horizontal part. As a result, upon being assembled, the connecting part physically connects the vertical part and the horizontal part.
It will be appreciated that when the vertical part, the horizontal part and the connecting part are assembled in the aforesaid manner, the vertical part is physically surrounded by the connecting part on at least one side thereof.
Optionally, in the method, the connecting part comprises the at least one hallway module, and the method comprises arranging the at least one hallway module in connection with the upper edge of at least one room module and the vertical part. In such a case, the at least one hallway module is arranged to form the overhead structural link between the upper edge of the at least one room module and the at least one vertical module (or specifically, the at least one vertical sub-module) of the vertical part.
Optionally, the connecting part is assembled on a floor by floor basis. Optionally, in this regard, for each floor of the building, at least one hallway module of a given floor is assembled before proceeding to assemble at least one hallway module of another floor.
Optionally, in the method, all vertical module(s) of the vertical part are assembled prior to assembling the horizontal part and the connecting part of the building. Optionally, in such a case, at least one of the horizontal part and the connecting part are assembled on a floor by floor basis. As a result, construction of the building is implemented on a floor by floor basis.
In an example, a building having four floors may comprise the vertical part, the horizontal part and the connecting part, wherein the vertical part comprises six vertical modules. Each of the six vertical modules may comprise four vertical sub-modules, one vertical sub-module corresponding to one floor of the building. Furthermore, in such an example, the horizontal part may comprise 32 room modules, eight room modules corresponding to each floor of the building. Moreover, the connecting part may comprise 16 hallway modules, four hallway modules corresponding to each floor of the building. When constructing the building, the vertical modules may be placed together as a 3*2 grid to assemble the vertical part of the building. In such an example, all the vertical modules may be assembled prior to assembling the horizontal part and the connecting part of the building. Upon assembly of the vertical part, both the horizontal part and the connecting part of the building may be assembled on a floor by floor basis. In other words, eight given room modules and four given hallway modules of each floor may be assembled floor-wise, from the lowermost floor up to the topmost floor. Specifically, for each floor of the building, three room modules may be arranged towards a first side of the vertical part, three room modules may be arranged towards a second side of the vertical part, one room module may be arranged towards a third side of the vertical part, and one room module may be arranged towards a fourth side of the vertical part, wherein the second side is opposite to the first side, the fourth side is opposite to the third side, and the first and second sides are adjacent to both the fourth and third sides. Notably, all the 32 room modules and all the 16 hallway modules may be arranged in the aforesaid manner to assemble the horizontal part and the connecting part of the building, respectively. Notably, for each floor of the building, the four hallway modules may be arranged to substantially surround the vertical part for connecting the vertical part with the horizontal part. Specifically, for each floor of the building, the four hallway modules may connect upper edges of vertical sub-modules of the first, second, third and fourth sides of the vertical part with upper edge(s) of room module(s) that are arranged towards the first, second, third and fourth sides of the vertical part, respectively.
Optionally, the at least one hallway module comprises the floor part, the roof part and the piping system for the air, and the method comprises assembling the piping system for air to provide air from/to a heat-ventilation-air conditioning module to/from the at least one room module. It will be appreciated that such a hallway module provides modular flooring, modular roofing and modular piping within the building which can be easily assembled on-site (namely, a construction site where the building is to be constructed). Therefore, flooring, roofing and piping need not be entirely developed from scratch at the construction site, and can be assembled on-site by utilizing minimal workforce and construction equipment. As a result, a time duration and workforce (of specialists and vendors) that is required to construct the building is substantially reduced.
Optionally, the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module comprises a separate heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule for each floor of the building, and the method comprises arranging for the heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule of a floor to provide air via the at least one hallway module to the at least one room module associated with the floor. As a result, when the building is constructed, each floor of the building has a dedicated heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule that is arranged in its corresponding vertical sub-module.
Optionally, the at least one hallway module comprises the sprinkler system, wherein the method comprises arranging for the sprinkler system to operate in the event of fire to spray water within the building to provide fire protection.
Optionally, the at least one hallway module comprises the electrical transmission system, wherein the method comprises arranging for the electrical transmission system to supply electricity to the at least one room module.
Optionally, the method comprises arranging the first room module on top of the second room module in a manner that waste water from the first room module is led via the sewer system through the second room module.
Optionally, the method comprises arranging for the usable water to be provided to the at least one room module via the water supply system.
It will be appreciated that the vertical part, the horizontal part and the connecting part of the building are all modular in nature. This allows for ease of manufacturing individual components of the vertical part, the horizontal part and the connecting part within a manufacturing facility. The manufacturing facility provides a controlled environment for manufacturing such individual components, thereby reducing overall time duration of the construction of the building. Furthermore, implementing testing, quality checking and follow-up operations for such individual components is time efficient. Upon being transported to a desired site for constructing the building, such modular components can be assembled in an efficient manner, thereby substantially reducing time and costs associated with construction of the building.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a building 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the building 100 comprises a vertical part 102, a horizontal part 104, and a connecting part 106 arranged to connect the vertical part 102 with the horizontal part 104. The vertical part 102 comprises at least one vertical module (depicted as a single vertical module 102A).
It may be understood by a person skilled in the art that the FIG. 1 is merely an example, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims herein. The person skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of embodiments of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, illustrated are perspective views of different stages during construction of a building 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. It may be understood by a person skilled in the art that the FIGS. 2A and 2B include simplified views of the building 200 for sake of clarity only, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims herein. The person skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of embodiments of the present disclosure.
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the building 200 is a six-floor building comprising a vertical part 202, a horizontal part 204, and a connecting part 206 arranged to connect the vertical part 202 with the horizontal part 204. The vertical part 202 comprises at least one vertical module, the at least one vertical module being one of: an elevator module, an escalator module, a stairs module, a heat-ventilation-air conditioning module, a water system module, an illumination module. The horizontal part 204 comprises at least one room module. As shown, the at least one room module is depicted as a plurality of room modules, and two exemplary room modules among the plurality of room modules are depicted as a room module 204A and a room module 204B. In the building 200, the room module 204A is arranged at a lowermost floor of the building 200 and the room module 204B is arranged at a floor of the building 200 that lies above the lowermost floor. The connecting part 206 comprises at least one hallway module. As shown, the at least one hallway module is depicted as a plurality of hallway modules, and two exemplary hallway modules among the plurality of hallway modules are depicted as a hallway module 206A and a hallway module 206B. The at least one hallway module is arranged in connection with an upper edge of the at least one room module and the vertical part 202. Notably, the at least one hallway module is arranged in connection with an upper edge of the at least one room module and the at least one vertical module of the vertical part 202.
In FIG. 2A, there is shown an intermediate stage during construction of the building 200. As shown, the at least one vertical module of the vertical part 202 comprises a plurality of vertical-sub modules (depicted, for example, as a vertical sub-module 208, a vertical sub-module 210, a vertical sub-module 212 and a vertical sub-module 214) that are arranged in a vertically stacked manner to form the at least one vertical module. For example, the vertical sub-modules 208 and 212 are a part of one vertical module whereas the vertical sub-modules 210 and 214 are a part of another vertical module.
In FIG. 2B, there is shown a final stage of completion of the construction of the building 200. As shown, the completed building 200 has six floors including multiple vertical sub-modules, room modules and hallway modules.
Referring to FIG. 3, illustrated is a schematic illustration of a hallway module 300, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the hallway module 300 comprises a floor part 302, a roof part (not shown) and a piping system 304 for air. The piping system 304 for the air is arranged to provide air from/to a heat-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC) module to/from at least one room module. As shown, a portion 304A of the piping system 304 for the air is arranged to provide air from/to the HVAC module to/from a first room module, whereas another portion 304B of the piping system 304 for the air is arranged to provide air from/to the HVAC module to/from a second room module, yet another portion 304C of the piping system 304 for the air is arranged to provide air from/to the HVAC module to/from a third room module and still another portion 304D of the piping system 304 for the air is arranged to provide air from/to the HVAC module to/from a fourth room module. Furthermore, the piping system 304 for the air is arranged to be coupled to at least one air inlet of the at least one room module to provide air from the HVAC module to the at least one room module. As an example, in the portion 304A of the piping system 304 for the air, pipes are connected to an inlet 306 for hot air, an inlet 308 for cool air, an inlet 310 for air from an external environment. Moreover, the piping system 304 for the air is arranged to be coupled to at least one air outlet of the at least one room module to provide air to the HVAC module from the at least one room module. As an example, in the portion 304A of the piping system 304 for the air, pipes are connected to an outlet 312 for hot air, an outlet 314 for cool air, an outlet 316 for air to an external environment. Furthermore, the hallway module 300 comprises a sprinkler system 318 arranged to operate in an event of fire to spray water within the building to provide fire protection.
Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, illustrated are steps of a method of constructing a building, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. It may be understood by a person skilled in the art that the FIGS. 4A and 4B are merely examples, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims herein. The person skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of embodiments of the present disclosure.
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a construction equipment 402 (for example, such as a crane) is placed on a foundation 404 for constructing the building. Notably, the building is a four-floor building.
In FIG. 4A, illustrated is a first step of the method of constructing a building. In such a step, the method comprises assembling a vertical part 406 on the foundation 404. The vertical part 406 comprises at least one vertical module (depicted as a vertical module 406A, a vertical module 406B and a vertical module 406C), wherein the at least one vertical module is one of: an elevator module, an escalator module, a stairs module, a heat-ventilation-air conditioning module, a water system module, an illumination module. As shown, the vertical modules 406A-B are already installed upon the foundation 404 whereas the vertical module 406C is being lowered onto the foundation 404 by the construction equipment 402. Notably, each vertical module 406A-C comprises a plurality of vertical-sub modules, one vertical-sub module corresponding to one floor of the building. As an example, vertical sub-modules of the vertical module 406A are depicted as vertical- sub modules 408, 410, 412 and 414), one vertical-sub module corresponding to one floor of the building.
In FIG. 4B, illustrated is are subsequent steps of the method of constructing a building. In such steps, the method comprises assembling a horizontal part 416 on the foundation 404 and assembling a connecting part 418 to connect the vertical part 406 and the horizontal part 416. The horizontal part 416 is shown to comprise at least one room module (depicted as a room module 416A and a room module 416B of a lowermost floor of the building). As shown, the room modules 416A is already installed upon the foundation 404 whereas the room module 416B is being lowered onto the foundation 404 by the construction equipment 402.
Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, illustrated are different views of a building 500 upon construction, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. It may be understood by a person skilled in the art that the FIGS. 5A and 5B include simplified views of the building 500 for sake of clarity only, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims herein. The person skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of embodiments of the present disclosure.
As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the building 500 is a four-floor building, wherein the building 500 comprises a vertical part 502, a horizontal part 504, and a connecting part 506 arranged to connect the vertical part 502 with the horizontal part 504.
In FIGS. 5A, illustrated is a top view of the building 500 upon construction. The vertical part 502 comprises at least one vertical module (depicted as vertical modules 502A, 502B, 502C, 502D, 502D and 502F). As an example, the vertical module 502A may be a stairs module, the vertical module 502B may be an escalator module, the vertical module 502C may be an elevator module, the vertical module 502D may be a heat-ventilation-air conditioning module, the vertical module 502E may be a water system module and the vertical module 502F may be an illumination module. The horizontal part 504 comprises at least one room module (depicted as room modules 504A, 504B, 504C, 504D, 504E, 504F, 504G and 504H constituting a top floor of the building). The connecting part 506 comprises at least one hallway module (depicted as hallway modules 506A, 506B, 506C and 506D), the hallway modules 506A-D being arranged in connection with an upper edge of the room modules 504A-H and the vertical part 502.
As shown in FIGS. 5B, illustrated is a cross-sectional view of the building 500 along an axis X-X′. In the cross-sectional view, the vertical modules 502D-F of the vertical part 502 are shown. Furthermore, individual vertical sub-modules of each of the vertical modules 502D-F are also shown, one vertical sub-module corresponding to one floor of the building. The horizontal part 504 is shown to comprise the room modules 504B and 504F of the top floor of the building, corresponding room modules 508B and 508F of a first floor below the top floor, corresponding room modules 510B and 510F of a second floor below the first floor and corresponding room modules 512B and 512F of a third floor below the second floor, the third floor being the lowermost floor of the building. Moreover, the cross-sectional view also shows the connecting part 506 is shown to comprise the hallway modules 506A and 506C of the top floor of the building, corresponding hallway modules of the first floor, corresponding hallway modules of the second floor and corresponding hallway modules of the third floor.
Modifications to embodiments of the present disclosure described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “have”, “is” used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural.

Claims

1. A building comprising

a vertical part;

a horizontal part; and

a connecting part arranged to connect the vertical part with the horizontal part;

wherein the vertical part comprises at least one vertical module, the at least one vertical module being one of: an elevator module, an escalator module, a stairs module, a heat-ventilation-air conditioning module, a water system module, an illumination module,

wherein the horizontal part comprises at least one room module ,

wherein a first room module (204A-B, 416A-B, 504A-H) is arranged on top of a second room module and waste water from the first room module is arranged to be led via a sewer system through the second room module.

2. A building according to claim 1, wherein the connecting part comprises at least one hallway module, the at least one hallway module being arranged in connection with an upper edge of at least one room module and the vertical part.

3. A building according to claim 2, wherein the at least one hallway module comprises a floor part, a roof part and a piping system for air, the piping system for the air being arranged to provide air from/to the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module to/from the at least one room module.

4. A building according to claim 3, wherein the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module comprises a separate heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule for each floor of the building and the heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule of a floor is arranged to provide air via the at least one hallway module to the at least one room module associated with the floor.

5. A building according to claim 2, wherein the at least one hallway module comprises a sprinkler system arranged to operate in an event of fire to spray water within the building to provide fire protection.

6. A building according to claim 2, wherein the at least one hallway module comprises an electrical transmission system arranged to supply electricity to the at least one room module .

7. A building according to claim 1, wherein usable water is provided to the at least one room module via a water supply system.

8. A method of constructing a building, the method comprising

assembling a vertical part on a foundation, the vertical part comprising at least one vertical module, wherein the at least one vertical module is one of: an elevator module, an escalator module, a stairs module, a heat-ventilation-air conditioning module, a water system module, an illumination module;

assembling a horizontal part on the foundation; and

assembling a connecting part to connect the vertical part and the horizontal part

wherein the horizontal part comprises at least one room module ,

wherein a first room module is arranged on top of a second room module and waste water from the first room module is arranged to be led via a sewer system through the second room module.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the connecting part comprises at least one hallway module, and wherein the method comprises arranging the at least one hallway module in connection with an upper edge of at least one room module and the vertical part.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one hallway module comprises a floor part, a roof part and a piping system for air, and wherein the method comprises assembling the piping system for the air to provide air from/to the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module to/from the at least one room module.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the heat-ventilation-air conditioning module comprises a separate heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule for each floor of the building, and wherein the method comprises arranging for the heat-ventilation-air conditioning submodule of a floor to provide air via the at least one hallway module to the at least one room module associated with the floor.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one hallway module comprises a sprinkler system, and wherein the method comprises arranging for the sprinkler system to operate in an event of fire to spray water within the building to provide fire protection.