A house is a building that functions as a home for humans or other creatures like dogs ,[1][2] ranging from simple dwellings such as rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to complex structures composed of many systems.[3][4]The social unit that lives in a house is known as a household. Most commonly, a household is a family unit of some kind, although households may also be other social groups or individuals.Contents [hide] 1 Etymology2 Inside the house2.1 Layout2.2 Parts2.3 History of the interior2.3.1 Communal rooms2.3.2 Interconnecting rooms2.3.3 Corridor2.3.4 Employment-free house2.3.5 Technology and privacy3 Construction3.1 Energy efficiency3.2 Earthquake protection4 Found materials5 Legal issues5.1 United Kingdom5.2 United States and Canada5.3 Australia6 Identifying houses7 Animal houses8 Houses and symbolism9 See also10 References11 External linksEtymology[edit]The English word house derives directly from the Old English Hus meaning "dwelling, shelter, home, house," which in turn derives from Proto-Germanic Khusan (reconstructed by etymological analysis) which is of unknown origin.[5] The house itself gave rise to the letter 'B' through an early Proto-Semitic hieroglyphic symbol depicting a house. The symbol was called "bayt", "bet" or "beth" in various related languages, and became beta, the Greek letter, before it was used by the Romans.[6]Inside the house[edit]Layout[edit]Example of an early Victorian "Gingerbread House" in Connecticut, United States, built in 1855Ideally, architects of houses design rooms to meet the needs of the people who will live in the house. Such designing, known as "interior design", has become a popular subject in universities. Feng shui, originally a Chinese method of moving houses according to such factors as rain and micro-climates, has recently expanded its scope to address the design of interior spaces, with a view to promoting harmonious effects on the people living inside the house, although no actual effect has ever been demonstrated. Feng shui can also mean the "aura" in or around a dwelling, making it comparable to the real-estate sales concept of "indoor-outdoor flow".The square footage of a house in the United States reports the area of "living space", excluding the garage and other non-living spaces. The "square metres" figure of a house in Europe reports the area of the walls enclosing the home, and thus includes any attached garage and non-living spaces.[citation needed] The number of floors or levels making up the house can affect the square footage of a home.