ABSTRACT
Every society has its own culture, its own way of life comprising the ideas, values, beliefs and knowledge it has about itself, that are passed on from one generation to another. Culture, in all its various forms, is a major determinant of built form. Institutions within cultures - that is, formal and regular ways of doing things, established procedures and structures - are important in that respect (for example, the family, the economy, the law, political systems, education, religion and social stratification). Many building types are generated by these institutions - varying again in form from culture to culture - but are common within all cultures.
