Building components and the buildings constructed therewith

Abstract

Building components that interconnect with one another to form a building are disclosed. The building components can be arranged in an almost limitless number of combinations to construct differently-shaped buildings. Embodiments include foundation blocks with vertically extending floor supports that form an open space beneath the floor when the floor tiles are placed on the floor supports. Alternate embodiments include side foundation blocks with recesses that form connecting passageways between the floor chase and open chases formed in the walls. Still other embodiments include side foundation blocks with abutment portions that inhibit the floor tiles from moving horizontally outside the foundation.

1 . A building system, comprising:
 a plurality of central foundation members adapted for placement adjacent one another, each central foundation member including a base portion and an integral floor support extending upward from the base portion;   a plurality of exterior foundation members, each adapted for placement adjacent to one or more of said central foundation members, each exterior foundation member including a base portion, an integral floor support extending upward from the base portion, and a recessed portion;   a plurality of flooring members adapted to mount to the integral floor supports of the central and exterior foundation members;   wherein said central foundation members, said exterior foundation members and said flooring members are adapted to form a floor and a floor chase when said central foundation members are positioned adjacent one another, said exterior foundation members are positioned adjacent to and surrounding the perimeter of said central foundation members, and said flooring members are mounted to the integral floor supports of the central and exterior foundation members, the floor chase being beneath the flooring members and above the base portions of said central and exterior foundation members; and   a plurality of wall columns, each wall column including a wall chase extending along the height of said wall column;   wherein the recessed portion of at least one exterior foundation member is adapted to form a passageway for routing utility components between the floor chase and the wall chase of a wall column connected to said at least one exterior foundation member.   
     
     
         2 . The building system of  claim 1 , wherein the wall chase of the wall column connected to the at least one exterior foundation member is enclosed along the height of the wall column with openings at both ends of said height. 
     
     
         3 . The building system of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of central foundation members, plurality of exterior foundation members and plurality of wall columns comprise concrete and rebar. 
     
     
         4 . The building system of  claim 1 , wherein each central foundation member includes five (5) floor supports separated from one another and extending upward from the base portion. 
     
     
         5 . The building system of  claim 1 , wherein each exterior foundation member further includes a vertically extending abutment surface, and wherein said vertically extending abutment surfaces on said plurality of exterior foundation members abut the flooring members mounted to the integral floor supports of the exterior foundation members and inhibit the flooring members from moving horizontally past the vertically extending abutment surfaces. 
     
     
         6 . The building system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of substantially planar footers, each with at least one connector, wherein the plurality of central foundation members and the plurality of exterior foundation members are connected with said plurality of footers, and wherein each of said footers connects to at least two foundation members.   
     
     
         7 . The building system of  claim 1 , wherein said floor and said floor chase are formed when said central foundation members abut one another, when said exterior foundation members surround and abut the perimeter of said central foundation members, and said flooring members are mounted to the floor supports of the central and exterior foundation members 
     
     
         8 . The building system of  claim 1 , wherein said floor and said floor chase are formed when said central foundation members are positioned adjacent one another with gaps therebetween and said exterior foundation members are positioned adjacent to and surrounding the perimeter of said central foundation members with gaps therebetween. 
     
     
         9 . The building system of  claim 1 , wherein said flooring members are adapted for mounting in a staggered relation to said foundation members to form the floor with each flooring member being mounted to at least one (1) floor support of two (2) separate foundation members. 
     
     
         10 . The building system of  claim 1 , wherein each said flooring member includes a substantially planar upper surface. 
     
     
         11 . The building system of  claim 1 , wherein each of said exterior foundation members includes at least three integral floor supports extending upward from the base portion. 
     
     
         12 . The building system of  claim 1 , wherein each exterior foundation member includes a mortise and each of said wall columns includes a tenon adapted to register with a mortise to hold each wall column in a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         13 . A method for erecting a building, comprising:
 placing a plurality of footer members adjacent one another on a support surface, each footer member being substantially planar and including a connector, the connector being selected from a group consisting of a protrusion and a cavity;   mounting a plurality of foundation members adjacent one another and in staggered relation to the plurality of footer members with each foundation member contacting at least two footer members, the plurality of foundation members including central and side foundation members, the plurality of adjacent central members defining an outside periphery and the side foundation members being adjacent the outside periphery of the central foundation members, each of the central and side foundation members including a connector and an upwardly extending floor support, the connector being complimentary to and engaging the connectors of the footer members, each of the side foundation members further including an upwardly extending abutment surface;   mounting a plurality of flooring members to the floor supports of the foundation members and in staggered relation to the foundation members with one flooring member contacting at least two foundation members, wherein said mounting forms a chase between the flooring members and the foundation members; and   positioning the flooring members mounted to the floor supports of the side foundation members in abutting relation to the upwardly extending abutment surface to inhibit the flooring members from moving horizontally past the vertically extending abutment surface.   
     
     
         14 . The method for erecting a building of  claim 13 , wherein said placing includes placing a plurality of footer members abutting one another on a support surface;
 wherein said mounting a plurality of foundation members includes mounting the plurality of foundation members abutting one another;   and wherein said mounting a plurality of flooring members includes mounting the plurality of flooring members abutting one another.   
     
     
         15 . The method for erecting a building of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 mounting a plurality of wall columns to the side foundation members, the wall columns being held in a vertical orientation by said mounting.   
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for constructing a building, comprising:
 a central foundation member including
 a flat base portion with a square periphery and a center portion, and 
 a central floor support extending upward from the center of said central foundation base portion; 
   a side foundation member including
 a flat base portion with a square periphery and a center portion, 
 a central floor support extending upward from the center of the side foundation base portion, and 
 a vertically oriented abutment surface adjacent said central floor support; and a square, planar flooring member; 
   wherein the central foundation member, the side foundation member, and the flooring member form a chase between said central foundation member, said side foundation member and said flooring member when
 said side foundation member is abuttingly engaged with said central foundation member, and when 
 said flooring member is engaged with
 said central floor support of said central foundation member, 
 said central floor support of said side foundation member, and 
 said vertically oriented abutment surface of said side foundation member. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus for constructing a building of  claim 16 , wherein said central foundation member further includes four peripheral floor supports, each extending upward from a corner of said central foundation base portion; and
 wherein said side foundation member further includes two peripheral floor supports, each extending upward from a corner of the side foundation base portion, wherein said corners of said side foundation member are adjacent one another.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus for constructing a building of  claim 17 , wherein said side foundation member includes three central floor supports separated from one another and extending upward adjacent the center of the side foundation base portion. 
     
     
         19 . A method for erecting a building, comprising:
 placing a plurality of central foundation members adjacent one another on a support surface, each central foundation member including a base portion and an integral floor support extending upward from the base portion;   placing a plurality of exterior foundation members adjacent one another and surrounding the periphery of the plurality of central foundation members, each exterior foundation member including a base portion, an integral floor support extending upward from the base portion, a connector for attaching a wall column, and a recessed portion;   mounting a plurality of wall columns to the exterior foundation members, each wall column including an open channel extending along the length of the wall column and a connector with a shape complementary to the shape of the exterior foundation member connectors, said wall column connector registering with an exterior foundation member connector and supporting the wall columns in a vertical orientation;   mounting a plurality of flooring members to the integral floor supports of the central and exterior foundation members;   forming a floor with an open floor chase beneath the flooring members and above the base portions of the central and exterior foundation members by mounting a plurality of flooring members to the integral floor supports of the central and exterior foundation members; and   forming connecting passageways between the open floor chase and the wall column channels by registering the wall column connectors with the connectors of the exterior foundation members and mounting a plurality of flooring members to the integral floor supports of the exterior foundation members.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 placing a plurality of footer members adjacent one another on a support surface, each footer member being substantially planar and including a connector; and   mounting the plurality of central foundation members and the plurality of exterior foundation members to the plurality of footer member, wherein each central foundation member and each exterior foundation members are mounted to at least two footer members.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said placing a plurality of central foundation members includes placing the plurality of central foundation members in abutting contact with one another, and
 wherein said placing a plurality of exterior foundation members includes placing the plurality of exterior foundation members in abutting contact with one another and said plurality of central foundation members.