BUILDING. 



either for devotion, magnificence, orcon- 

 veniency. 



BUILDING is also used for constructing 

 and raising an edifice; in which sense 

 it comprehends as well the expenses, as 

 the invention and execution of the design. 

 There are three things chiefly to be con- 

 sidered in the art of building, viz. con- 

 venience, firmness, and delight. To ac- 

 complish which ends, Sir H. Wotton con- 

 siders the subject under these two heads, 

 tin situation, and the work. A to the si- 

 tuation, either thai of ihe whole is to be 

 considered, or that of its parts. In the 

 first, regard must be had to the quality, 

 temperature, and salubrity of the air , to 

 the quality of the soil ; to the conveniency 

 of water, fuel, carriage, Sec. and to the 

 agreeableness of the prospect. As to the 

 situation of the parts, the chief rooms, 

 studies, and libraries, should lie towards 

 the east ; those offices which require heat, 

 as kitchens, brew-houses, bake-houses, 

 and distillatories, to wards the south; those 

 which require a cool fresh air, as cellars, 

 pantries, granaries, to the north ; as also 

 galleries for paintings, museums, &c. 

 which require a steady light. The ancient 

 Greeks and Romans generally situated the 

 fronts of their houses towards the south ; 

 but the modern Italians vary much from 

 this rule. And indeed, as to this matter, 

 regard must still be had to the country, 

 each being obliged to provide against its 

 own inconveniences. 



The situation being fixed on, the next 

 thing to be considered is the work itself, 

 under which come first the principal parts, 

 and next the accessaries or ornaments. 

 To the principals belong the materials, 

 and the form or disposition. 



Modern buildings are, in general, much 

 more commodious and beautiful than 

 those of former times. Compactness and 

 uniformity are now so much attended to, 

 that a house built after the new way will 

 afford, on the same ground, double the 

 conveniences which could be had in an 

 old one. 



In this article we shall give an account 

 of the principal parts of a building, be- 

 ginning with the foundation. 



Foundation, is the trench or trenches 

 excavated out of the ground, in order to 

 rest the edifice firmly on its base. The 

 trenches should be sunk till they come to 

 an uniform firm texture of ground, or to 

 the solid rock ; but when there is no pros- 

 pect of a firm and uniform bed of gravel, 

 clay, or rock, then recourse must be had 

 to an artificial foundation. 



If the ground is tolerably firm, lay 



transverse pieces of oak, called sleepers, 

 about two feet ci&fan*: from eacii other, 

 firmly on the ground ; having their upper 

 surface level with the bottom of the 

 trench, and their length equal to its 

 breadth, or about two feet longer than the 

 width of the intended masonry at the 

 bottom of the wall : over these lay pianks 

 in the length of the foundation to the 

 breadth of the masonry, where it is to be 

 in contact with the ground, and pin or 

 spike them down. 



But if the ground be very bad, provide 

 piles of wood, of such length that they 

 may be able to reach the sound ground, 

 and of such thickness as to be about a 

 twelfth part of their length,and drive these 

 either close to each other, or with inter- 

 stices, such as the soil may require, and 

 fix Blanks to their heads or upper ends. 



If the ground be generally sound, turn 

 arches over the loose places. When nar- 

 row piers are to stand upon the founda- 

 tion, inverted arches might be turned be- 

 low the. apertures, in order to present a 

 greater surface of resistance to the 

 ground. When the outer walls of a build- 

 ing are piled, the inner ones must b<* so 

 likewise, that the whole may stand uni- 

 formly firm, without the possibility of one 

 wail sinking from another. 



If narrow piers are to support a great 

 structure, planks should be placed below, 

 in order to prevent the piers from pene- 

 trating the ground. If a building is 

 founded upon an inclined plane, the 

 trenches should be made like steps, hav- 

 ing their upper surfaces level, and the 

 risings perpendicular. 



Forced earth is unfit for a foundation 

 for a considerable time. 



Foundation is also the substructure or 

 bottom of a wall, consisting of one or 

 more regular steps on each side of the 

 wall, below the level of the under side of 

 the floor of the lowest story of a house, 

 in order to prevent it from sinking into the 

 ground, by opposing a greater surface of 

 resistance to it, and for preventing the 

 wall from being overturned by a tempest 

 or storm : each course of steps is called a 

 footing. 



The breadth of the substructure should 

 be proportioned to the weight of the su- 

 perstructure, and to the softness of the 

 ground on which it rests ; if the texture 

 of the ground is supposed to be constant, 

 and the materials of the same specific 

 gravity, the breadth of the foundation 

 will be as the area of the vertical section 

 passing through the line on which the 

 breadth is measured ; thus, for example. 



