WO1996034165A1

WO1996034165A1 - Building

Info

Publication number: WO1996034165A1
Application number: PCT/GB1995/000987
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ljubomir Jankovic
Original assignee: Ljubomir Jankovic
Priority date: 1995-04-28
Filing date: 1995-04-28
Publication date: 1996-10-31
Also published as: AU2316395A

Abstract

A building, constructed of prefabricated parts, which can be adapted to have more or fewer rooms depending on circumstances.

Description

BUILDING

The invention relates to a building and in particular to a building which can readily be adapted to have more or fewer rooms according to circumstances.

It is an object of this invention to provide a building for a multiplicity of uses, e.g. residential, retail, food chain, military barracks, and the like, owned by a private residential owner, a commercial enterprise, a local authority or the government. In a building of the invention more rooms may be added where there is a need for more accommodation and rooms may be subtracted in the case of reduced need. Such a building will be of value to owners who have a need for maintaining a building in its area while varying the number of rooms according to the number of occupants.

According to the invention in one aspect there is provided a building comprising a core area of polygonal shape as seen in plan, the core being defined by wall portions, each wall portion including an aperture defining a door frame and or a window frame; the wall portion being one wall of a room which is substantially rectangular as seen in plan and extends beyond the core.

Preferably the polygon has at least six sides or a multiple thereof. Preferably some wall portions comprise side flanges bridged by a body portion set at an angle to the flanges. Such wall portions can form the corner wall portions of the polygon.

Preferably each wall portion has a blocked off aperture defining a door frame or window frame so that a door or window may be provided by the removal of the blocking material. Preferably, each wall or roof portion incorporates materials or panels suitable for controlled utilisation of solar energy for heating, cooling, and/or for electricity generation.

in order that the invention may be well understood it will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the ground floor of a building incorporating a core of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of a wall portion of the core of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the multistorey building having the ground floor of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the first floor of the building of Figure 3.

The core comprises wall portions joined together in the shape of an irregular octagon as seen in plan view. The polygon has two shorter ends and two longer sides joined by comer wall portions. The walls are of the same height and thickness. The wall portions may be made of bricks and mortar, blocks, precast concrete, or the like. The core contains a staircase S within its boundaries. The polygon comprises four comer wall portions W1 each of which comprises two side flanges 1 bridged by the wall body 2, which is set at an angle to the flanges, as shown clearly in Figure 2. A short end wall portion W2 is present between each pair of comer wall portions W1. Each wall portion W2 comprises a main body 3 and two side flanges 4 set at right angles to the main body. As shown, flanges 3 of a wall portion W2 are abutted against side flanges 1 of the wall portions W1. A number of wall portions W3 is placed along the longer side walls between the comer wall portions 1 ; as shown three such portions W3 are present on each longer side. Neighbouring wall portions are joined together, e.g. by cement, bolting or the like. Each wall portion contains an outline or precursor of an access structure such as a door frame (for human passage) and/or window frame (for access to fresh air and/or light). The wall portions are supplied with the access portions blocked off but these may be made available by simple removal of partitions or infills. The wall portions form a wall of a room (or a major part of such a wall) . The wall portions W2 can include service risers C1 and C2 (or such elements may be placed between adjacent wall portions). These contain services such as electricity, gas, water, sewerage, telephone etc. and can be removed when no longer required. It will be noted that so far as possible the building is of modular construction.

The core is erected at a predetermined locations, say the centre of a building plot having a frontage of a defined width and a known depth. Where a room is required, frame members are extended from the respective wall portion to provide the skeleton for other wails of the substantially rectangular room, (usually three). In the structure shown in Figure 1, there are six rooms, R1 to R6, each associated respectively with wall portions. The rooms may be provided with fittings appropriate to their use. The rooms are generally rectangular but not of the same floor area.

As the need arises, more rooms and an extra storey (or storeys) can be added to form a building as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4. The frame members defining the upper level of one storey define those of the floor of the overlying storey. The core is simply extended upwards to provide a core area for the upper levels. Openings for access, ventilation, and light are provided in each upper wall portion in a likewise manner as in the ground floor wall portions.

When the accommodation needs reduce e.g. when adult children have left to set up their own homes, or the number users of a commercial building has reduced for any reason, there is less need for rooms. Storeys and/or individual rooms may then be removed, reducing the living area to the size approximate to fewer residents users and cutting down on heating and maintenance costs etc. Where rooms are removed, the door areas are blocked off in weathertight and burglarproof manner.

By virtue of the invention in the case of a private family the costs and disruption of house removal is avoided, and established local contacts are maintained. In the case of a building belonging to a local authority, or to a retail or catering chain or similar, it can keep up use of a building it owns.

The invention offers specific advantages. The polygonal core will have a reinforcing effect which will be of value where the building is in a location where there are unstable conditions, e.g. an earthquake. Because of the modular construction of a house of the invention individual subassemblies can be replaced either as preventative maintenance or to replace failed units, so increasing the useful life of the building. Subassemblies can be replaced with materials which are more energy efficient as these arise. Despite the extra features in a house of the invention the overall appearance is conventional and therefore acceptable to occupants and the public. It is not necessary to change the frontage of a house plot when increasing the total area available for occupation. A house of the invention has reduced costs over its prolonged life compared to a conventional building. As the needs of a population change over time a housing estate predominantly of 3 bedroom houses may be changed to 2 bedroom or 4 bedroom houses so maintaining the overall investment in the estate.

Claims

1. A building comprising a core area of polygonal shape as seen in plan, the core being defined by wall portions, at least one wall portion including an aperture defining a door frame and/or a window frame; the wall portion being one wall of a room which is substantially rectangular as seen in plan and extends beyond the core.

2. A building according to Claim 1 , wherein each wall portion includes an aperture defining a door frame and/or a window frame.

3. A building according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the polygon has at least six sides or a multiple thereof.

4. A building according to any preceding Claim, wherein wall portions each comprise a body portion having side flanges, the body portion being at an angle to the flanges and arranged to form the comer wall portions of the polygon.

5. A building according to any preceding Claim, wherein each wall portion has a blocked off aperture defining a frame for a door or window so that a door or window frame may be provided by the removal of the blocking material.

6. A building according to any preceding Claim, wherein each wall portion incorporates materials or panels suitable for controlled utilisation of solar energy for heating, cooling, and/or for electricity generation.