Abstract:
A fabricated building includes a plurality of vertically extending guide members and a plurality of building blocks arranged with the aid of said guide members to define a wall structure. Each block has a first end provided with a vertically extending guide hole having one of the guide members extending therethrough, and a second end coupled to a first end of a horizontally adjacent block. The fabricated building also includes a first threshold defining a first guide hole having one of the guide members extending therethrough and a second guide hole having one of the guide members extending therethrough. The fabricated building also includes a second threshold defining a first guide hole having one of the guide members extending therethrough and a second guide hole having one of the guide members extending therethrough. The first threshold and the second threshold define a frame space therebetween.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/106,895, filed Jan. 23, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This application claims the benefit of Application No. WO 2012 012455, filed Jul. 19, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to a kit fabricated housing structure. More specifically, this invention relates to improvements to a kit fabricated building. 
         [0003]    There are situations in which it is desirable to construct temporary or permanent housing, but conventional building materials are not readily available. Events such as natural disasters can displace a population and destroy existing housing, while some locations may be isolated from normal sources of construction materials, increasing the expense of housing. In some situations, it may be expected that housing structures constructed in a particular location will only be temporarily used. This may be because the people are expected to move to a new location in a relatively short period of time, or because the housing is constructed in a location where it is highly susceptible to damage or destruction. In these cases it is typically desirable to reduce the cost invested in the housing, in particular because those costs may have to be reinvested when the housing is moved or rebuilt. 
         [0004]    In situations where temporary housing or housing made from non-conventional building materials are constructed, it is typical to use structures such as tents. These are light-weight, relatively inexpensive, and easy to erect and disassemble. However, these structures typically lack the insulation and privacy provided by structures made of conventional building materials. It is desirable to be able to construct housing that provides privacy at a reduced cost compared to traditional building materials. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This invention relates to a fabricated building. The fabricated building includes a plurality of vertically extending guide members arranged in a horizontally spaced apart relationship corresponding to a desired wall structure. A plurality of building blocks are arranged in an interconnected and stacked relationship with the aid of said guide members to define the wall structure. Each block has a first end provided with a vertically extending guide hole having one of the guide members extending therethrough, and a second end coupled to a first end of a horizontally adjacent block. The fabricated building also includes a first threshold defining a first guide hole having one of the guide members extending therethrough and a second guide hole having one of the guide members extending therethrough. The fabricated building also includes a second threshold defining a first guide hole having one of the guide members extending therethrough and a second guide hole having one of the guide members extending therethrough. The first threshold and the second threshold define a frame space therebetween. 
         [0006]    This invention also relates to a fabricated building having a roof and a soffit member extending from the wall structure. The soffit member includes a retainer end that is engaged with an inner end of the roof. 
         [0007]    This invention also relates to a fabricated building including a wall structure defining an interior side and an exterior side and a roof frame supported on the wall structure. A roof skirt is supported by the wall structure and includes a skirt tongue that is located on the exterior side of the wall structure. A roll up roof is supported by the roof frame and includes a roof tongue that is located on the exterior side of the wall structure. A roof lock is formed from the skirt tongue folded with the roof tongue. 
         [0008]    Various aspects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fabricated building. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a mounting plate used in the assembly of the fabricated building of  FIG. 1  to anchor the fabricated building to a ground surface. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an alternative mounting plate that is comprised of two separate pieces. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the alternative mounting plate of  FIG. 3 , showing the two pieces assembled together. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second alternative mounting plate that is comprised of two pieces with a key and lock connector. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of two mounting plates attached to the ground surface. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a partially-constructed wall of the fabricated building. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a window frame and thresholds for the fabricated building. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the wall of the fabricated building with the window frame installed therein. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a partially-assembled roof frame. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the partially-assembled roof frame. 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of a different portion of the partially-assembled roof frame. 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view similar to that of  FIG. 12 , with a roof connected to the roof frame. 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the assembled roof frame. 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  is a partially cut-away perspective view of a truss for the roof frame when placed on the fabricated building. 
           [0024]      FIG. 16  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 15 , showing a plate and upper fastener used to anchor the truss to a guide pole. 
           [0025]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of an optional window guard. 
           [0026]      FIG. 18  is a perspective view of a portion of an alternative fabricated building, with the window guard installed. 
           [0027]      FIG. 19  is an overhead, plan view of an optional roof skirt. 
           [0028]      FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the partially-assembled fabricated building shown in  FIG. 1 , with a plurality of roof skirts installed. 
           [0029]      FIG. 21  is a perspective view similar to that shown in  FIG. 20 , with the roof frame installed over the plurality of roof skirts. 
           [0030]      FIG. 22  is a perspective view similar to that shown in  FIG. 21 , with a roll up roof shown partially installed. 
           [0031]      FIG. 23  is a perspective view similar to that shown in  FIG. 22 , showing the roll up roof fully installed. 
           [0032]      FIG. 24  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the fabricated building that includes the roll up roof installed thereon. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0033]    Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in  FIG. 1  a fabricated building, indicated generally at  10 . The illustrated fabricated building  10  is similar to the prefabricated building described in PCT Patent Application WO 2012 012455, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
         [0034]    The illustrated fabricated building  10  includes a plurality of structural members  12 . The illustrated structural members  12  are made from sheets of corrugated polypropylene sheet material that are folded into the illustrated shape. However, the structural members  12  may be made of other desired materials. The structural members  12  are arranged on a plurality of hollow guide poles  14  (shown in  FIG. 6 ) to create walls  16 . The fabricated building  10  is assembled in a manner similar to the prefabricated building described in PCT Patent Application WO 2012 012455. However, it should be appreciated that the fabricated building  10  may be assembled in a different manner, if desired. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view of a mount plate, indicated at  18 , is shown. The illustrated mount plate  18  is made of plastic, but may be made of any desired material. The mount plate  18  serves to anchor the guide poles  14  relative to a ground surface  20 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . The mount plate  18  includes a base  22  and an extension  24 . The illustrated base  22  is flat and during assembly of the fabricated building  10  is placed on the ground surface  20 . The base  22  defines a plurality of base holes  26  and ground anchors  28  are driven through the base holes  26  in order to stabilize the mount plate  18  relative to the ground surface  20 . It should be appreciated that the illustrated fabricated building  10  includes a mount plate similar to the illustrated mount plate  18  for each guide pole  14 . For example, a second mount plate  18   a  is shown in  FIG. 6 . The illustrated extension  24  is made of the same plastic as the base  22  and extends perpendicularly from the base  22 . However, the extension  24  may be made of a different material from the base  22 , if desired. The extension  24  has a width  32  that allows the hollow guide pole  14  to be placed over the extension  24 . The illustrated width  32  is sized to correspond to the internal diagonal width of the guide pole  14 . However, the extension  24  and the guide pole  14  may have any desired relative sizes. 
         [0036]    Depending on the location where the fabricated building  10  is being constructed, the ground surface  20  may not be level and the mount plates  18  and  18   a  may be at different elevations. It may be desirable for the walls  16  of the fabricated building  10  to be level and an optional base platform  34  may be installed to help adjust the position of the guide pole  14 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the base platform  34  defines a platform slot  36  that allows the base platform  34  to be placed over the extension  24  and be moved along the extension  24  relative to the ground surface  20 . One or more shims  38  may be inserted between the base  22  and the base platform  34  in order to support the base platform  34  at a desired distance from the ground surface  20 . The illustrated shims  38  are made of 5 millimeter thick corrugated polypropylene, but the shims  38  may be made of any desired material. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the mount plate  18  and the mount plate  18   a  may have a different number of shims  38  installed in order to keep the respective base platforms  34  and  34   a  at the desired heights relative to the ground surface  20 . 
         [0037]    The extension  24  defines a plurality of extension holes  40  and the guide pole  14  defines a lower pole hole  42  that extends through two sides of the guide pole  14 . A lower fastener  44  is inserted through the lower pole hole  42  and one of the extension holes  40  in order to anchor the guide pole  14  relative to the mount plate  18 . The illustrated lower fastener  44  is a steel split pin, but any desired fastener may be used. 
         [0038]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , an alternative mount plate  218  is shown. The alternative mount plate  218  includes a base  222  and a separate extension  224 . The illustrated base  222  and extension  224  are made of corrugated polypropylene, but may be made of any desired materials. The base  222  defines a base slot  227 , which is sized so that the extension  224  may be inserted longitudinally into the base slot  227 . The extension  224  includes a protrusion  230  that is larger than the base slot  227  and is adapted to engage the base  222 . The illustrated protrusion  230  is a pair of metal tacks extending through the extension  224 , but the protrusion  230  may be any desired material. To use the alternative mount plate  218 , the extension  224  is inserted into the base slot  227  and the extension  224  is moved relative to the base  222  until the protrusion  230  engages the base  222 . The alternative mount plate  218  is then in the configuration shown in  FIG. 4 , and ground anchors  228  are driven through base holes  226 . The extension  224  defines a plurality of extension holes  240  that are used to anchor the guide pole  14  similarly to as previously described in reference to mount plate  18 . 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a second alternative mount plate  318  is shown. The second alternative mount plate includes a base  322  and a separate extension  324 . The illustrated base  322  and extension  324  are made of HDPE plastic, but may be made of any desired materials. The base  322  defines a lock, indicated generally at  327 , while the extension  324  includes a key, indicated generally at  330 . To use the second alternative mount plate  318 , the key  330  is inserted into the lock  327 , and the extension  324  is rotated relative to the base  322  about a lock axis  327   a.  The extension  324  is then retained relative to the base  322  and the assembled second alternative mount plate  318  may be used similar to the mount plate  18 . The illustrated lock  327  includes an insertion opening  327   b  and a retaining surface  327   c,  while the illustrated key  330  includes a narrow  330   a  and an engagement end  330   b.  The insertion opening  327   b  is large enough to allow the engagement end  330  to pass therethrough while the retaining surface  327   c  is sized to engage the narrow  330   a  of the key  330 . It should be appreciated that the base  322  may be anchored to the ground surface  18  prior to connecting the extension  324  to the base  322 , if desired. 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , there is shown a cross-sectional view of a partially-assembled wall  16 . Optional fill material  45  is shown placed over the ground surface  20  to adjust or level the surface. An optional sub-floor  47  is shown placed over the ground surface  20  or fill material  45 . The sub-floor  47  serves to provide a relatively stable base for the interior of the fabricated building  10 . The illustrated sub-floor  47  comprises multiple panels of corrugated polypropylene and define sub-floor guide holes  49  which are positioned over the guide poles  14 . However, any desired material may be used. 
         [0041]    A lowest layer, indicated at  46 , of structural members  12  is shown installed on the guide poles  14 . An optional floor  48  is installed over the sub-floor  47  and is draped over the lowest layer  46 . The floor  48  serves to provide a barrier against water, insects, and contaminants. The illustrated floor  48  is made of a nylon mesh laminated with Teflon, although it may be made of other desired materials. It should be appreciated that the fill material  45  may be used to adjust the elevation and contours of the floor  48 , if desired. Additionally, an optional wall cover  50  is also draped over the lowest layer  46 . The wall cover  50  also serves to provide a barrier against water, insects, and contaminants, as well as to provide increased privacy for an occupant of the fabricated building  10 , as will be described below. The illustrated wall cover  50  is made of a nylon mesh laminated with Teflon, although it may be made of other desired materials. 
         [0042]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , a perspective view of a window frame  52  is shown. The illustrated window frame  52  is configured to be installed in one of the walls  16  by an illustrated first threshold  54  and second threshold  54   a.  The illustrated first threshold  54  and second threshold  54   a  are made of steel, although they may be made of any desired material. 
         [0043]    The first threshold  54  defines a plurality of threshold guide holes  56  that are positioned so that the first threshold  54  can be installed on the wall  16  the guide poles  14  pass through the threshold guide holes  56 . The illustrated first threshold  54  includes side walls  58  that define a U-shaped wall channel, indicated at  60 . The first threshold  54  is installed on the wall  16  with the wall channel  60  opening downwardly. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the wall channel  60  is wide enough to fit over a top surface  61  of structural member  12 . The first threshold  54  includes a first frame channel, indicated at  62 . The illustrated first frame channel  62  is a separate piece that is welded to the first threshold  54 , but the first frame channel  62  may be an integral part of the first threshold  54 , if desired. The first frame channel  62  defines a U-shaped channel that opens upwardly when the first threshold  54  is installed on the wall  16 . 
         [0044]    A desired number of additional layers of structural members  12  are installed on the guide poles  14  (in the illustrated embodiment, there are four additional layers) and then the second threshold  54   a  is installed. The second threshold  54   a  includes sidewalls  58   a  that define a second U-shaped wall channel  60   a.  The second threshold  54   a  is installed on the wall  16  with the wall channel  60   a  opening downwardly and the wall channel  60   a  is wide enough to fit over the top surface  61  of structural member  12 . 
         [0045]    The second threshold  54   a  includes a second frame channel, indicated at  62   a . The illustrated second frame channel  62   a  is a separate piece that is welded to the second threshold  54   a,  but the second frame channel  62   a  may be an integral part of the second threshold  54   a,  if desired. The second frame channel  62   a  defines a U-shaped channel that opens downwardly when the second threshold  54   a  is installed on the wall  16 . A frame space, indicated at  63 , is defined in the wall  16  between the first frame channel  62  and the second frame channel  62   a.  The window frame  52  is installed in the frame space  63  with a first end  64  located in the first frame channel  62  and a second end  66  located in the second frame channel  62   a.    
         [0046]    It should be appreciated that the window frame  52  may include a glass or plastic window, as well as a screen, if desired. Additionally, it should be appreciated that the window frame  52  may be replaced with a frame for any desired opening in the wall  16 , for example, a door, a plumbing opening, a vent. The size of the frame space  63  may be changed depending on the size of the frame to be installed. For example, a door will typically use a larger opening than a window. The illustrated fabricated building  10  includes both the window frame  52  and a door frame  74  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). However, the fabricated building  10  may include any desired openings. The illustrated window frame  52  and door frame  74  are installed using similar first thresholds  54  and second thresholds  54   a.  It should be appreciated that additional, desired equipment may be installed in or around the window frame  52 . For example, insulation could be installed to help prevent cold air from moving through the opening, or to help prevent a hot exhaust vent from damaging the structural members  12 , or a drip plate could be installed to channel precipitation or other fluids out of the fabricated building  10 . 
         [0047]    As best seen in  FIG. 8 , the first threshold  54  defines optional threshold pin holes  68  while the window frame  52  defines optional window pin holes  70 . The window pin holes  70  on the first end  64  of the window frame  52  are axially aligned with the threshold pin holes  68  and optional window pins  72  are inserted through the window pin holes  70  and the threshold pin holes  68 . The illustrated window pins  72  are made of steel, but they may be made of any desired material. Similarly, the window pin holes  70  on the second end  66  of the window frame  52  are axially aligned with threshold pin holes  68   a  defined by the second threshold  54   a  and window pins  72  are inserted through the threshold pin holes  68   a  and the window pin holes  70 . When the fabricated building  10  is assembled, the first threshold  54  and the second threshold  54   a  prevent movement of the window frame  52  vertically as well as inwardly or outwardly relative to the wall  16 , while the structural members  12  prevent movement of the window frame  52  side-to-side relative to the wall  16 . 
         [0048]    Referring back to  FIG. 9 , additional layers of structural members  12  are installed on the guide poles  14  to complete the wall  16 , including a highest layer, indicated at  76 , of structural members  12 . The optional wall cover  50  is draped over the highest layer  76 . The illustrated wall cover  50  includes pre-cut openings to correspond to the location of the window frame  52  and door frame  74 . Alternatively, the wall cover  50  may not include pre-cut openings, allowing the locations of the window frame  52  and door frame  74  to be selected during assembly of the fabricated building  10 . The wall cover  50  provides a barrier to keep contaminants and light from passing through the wall  16  through any gaps  78  between the structural members  12 . 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , a perspective view of a partially-assembled roof frame, indicated at  80 , is shown. The roof frame  80  includes trusses  82  and cross beams  84 . The illustrated trusses  82  and cross beams  84  are made of folded corrugated polypropylene sheet material, but they may be made of any desired materials. A ridge pole  86  is supported on the trusses  82 . The ridge pole  86  serves to support a roof  88 , as will be described below. The ridge pole  86  also serves to help prevent movement of one of the trusses  82  relative to the other trusses  82  and helps prevent the walls  16  from moving relative to each other when the fabricated building  10  is assembled. The illustrated ridge pole  86  is a three-inch diameter PVC pole, but may be any desired support. 
         [0050]    The roof frame  80  also includes a soffit member, indicated at  90 . The soffit member  90  is shown before it is attached to the roof frame  80 . The illustrated soffit member  90  is made of corrugated polypropylene, but may be made of any desired material. The soffit member  90  includes a lower portion, indicated at  92 . The lower portion  92  defines soffit guide holes  94  that are positioned to fit over the guide poles  14 . The soffit member  90  is connected to the trusses  82  by connectors  96  that pass through first connector holes  98  defined in the lower portion  92 . The illustrated connectors  96  are plastic bolts, but any desired connector may be used to connect the soffit member  90  to the trusses  82 . The soffit member  90  also includes an outer portion, indicated at  100 , connected to the lower portion  92 . When the soffit member  90  is attached to the roof frame  80 , the outer portion  100  is folded up to cover outer ends  102  of the trusses  82 . Referring to  FIG. 11 , a cross-sectional view of the roof frame  80  is shown, with the soffit member  90  attached to the roof frame  80 . The soffit member  90  also includes an upper portion, indicated at  104 , connected to the outer portion  100 . The upper portion  104  is folded on top of the trusses  82  and is connected to the trusses  82  by additional connectors  96 . The soffit member  90  also includes a roll-up portion, indicated at  106 , that is connected to the lower portion  92 . The roll-up portion  106  includes a plurality of fold lines  108 , the purpose of which will be described below. 
         [0051]    Referring back to  FIG. 10 , the roof frame  80  also includes a truss roll-up, indicated at  110 . The truss roll-up  110  is shown before it is attached to the roof frame  80 . The illustrated truss roll-up  110  is made of corrugated polypropylene, but may be made of any desired material. The truss roll-up  110  includes an attachment portion, indicated at  112 . The attachment portion  112  defines roll-up guide holes  114  that are positioned to fit over the guide poles  14 . The truss roll-up  110  is connected to one of the outer trusses  82  by additional connectors  96  that pass through connector holes  116  defined in the attachment portion  112 . Referring to  FIG. 12 , a cross-sectional view taken along line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 10  is shown, with the truss roll-up  110  attached to the truss  82 . As shown, the truss roll-up  110  extends an overhang distance  118  beyond the truss  82 . The purpose of the overhang distance  118  is to help keep water that runs off the roof  88  away from the wall  16  of the assembled fabricated building. The truss roll-up  110  includes a roll-up portion, indicated at  120  that is connected to the attachment portion  112 . The roll-up portion  120  includes a plurality of fold lines  122 , the purpose of which will be described below. 
         [0052]    For clarity, only one soffit member  90  is shown in  FIG. 10 , but it should be appreciated that the illustrated fabricated building includes a second soffit member on the opposite side of the roof frame  80 . Similarly, although only one truss roll-up  110  is shown, it should be appreciated that the illustrated fabricated building includes a second truss roll-up on the opposite side of the roof frame  80 . With the roof frame  80  assembled the roof  88  is then placed over the roof frame  80 . The illustrated roof  88  is made of a nylon mesh laminated with Teflon, although it may be made of other desired materials. The roof  88  is large enough to overhang the roof frame  80 , and is attached to the roof frame  80  by the roll up portion  106  and  120  of the soffit member  90  and the truss role-up  110 , respectively. Referring back to  FIG. 11 , the roll up portion  106  soffit member  90  is located below the trusses  82 . Referring now to  FIG. 13 , the roof  88  is placed above the trusses  82  and is folded below the trusses  82  and an outer edge  124  of the roof  88  is placed adjacent to the roll up portion  106 . The roll up portion  106  is then folded at the fold line  108 , along with the outer edge  124  of the roof  88 . It should be appreciated that this traps the inner edge  124  between overlapping layers of the roll up portion  106  in a roof lock, indicated at  126 . One or more clips  128  may be used to prevent the roll up portion  106  from unfolding. The illustrated clip  128  is made of steel, but the clips may be made of any desired materials. The roof  88  is shown with an optional drip edge  129  installed. The illustrated drip edge  129  is a section of nylon mesh laminated with Teflon approximately three inches wide, and extends around the entire roof. However, the drip edge  129  may be made of any desired material. The illustrated drip edge  129  is welded to the roof  88 , but may be connected to the roof  88  in any desired manner. When the roof  88  is installed, the drip edge  129  extends from the roof  88  and hangs below the lower portion  92  of the soffit member  90 . The drip edge  129  is provided to help guide precipitation from the roof  88  onto the outer surface of the wall  16 . 
         [0053]    It should be appreciated that the roll up portion  120  of the truss roll-up  110  (shown in  FIG. 12 ) engages and locks an edge of the roof  88  in a similar manner. Consequently, when the roof frame  80  and roof  88  are fully assembled, all edges of the roof  88  are engaged and restrained to the roof frame  80 . Referring to  FIG. 14 , a perspective view of a roof assembly, indicated at  130 , including the roof frame  80  with the roof  88  attached, is shown. It should be appreciated that the illustrated roof assembly  130  is self-supporting, and may be assembled as shown, without being attached to the walls  16 . Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the roof assembly  130  is installed on top of the walls  16 , above the highest layer  76  of structural members  12 . 
         [0054]    It should be appreciated that both the walls  16  of the fabricated building  10  and the roof assembly  130  have some play in their assembled shape. That is, one or both of the assemblies may not be perfect squared. However, the play in one assembly allows it to be adjusted to fit onto the other assembly during mating. 
         [0055]    Referring to  FIG. 15 , a partially-cut away view of one of the trusses  82  is shown. An interior wall  132  of the truss  82  is shown. Only two sides of the truss  82  are shown, and it should be appreciated that the other walls are not shown for clarity. The truss  82  defines an interior space, indicated at  134 , and an opening  136  in the truss  82  provides access to the interior space  134 . When the roof assembly  130  is placed on the walls  16 , one of the guide poles  14  extends through a truss guide hole  138  and into the interior space  134 . An upper pole hole  140  is defined by the guide pole  14 , and is positioned in the interior space  134 . It should be appreciated that the guide pole  14  is initially sitting on the base platform  34  of the mount plate  18  and the number of layers of structural members  12  in the wall  16  is known and as a result it is known in advance that the upper pole hole  140  will be located within the interior space  134  of the truss  82 . 
         [0056]    Referring to  FIG. 16 , a plate  142  is placed in the interior space  134  and around the guide pole  14 . An upper fastener  144  is inserted through the upper pole hole  140 , trapping the plate  142  between the interior wall  132  of the truss and the upper fastener  144 . The illustrated plate  142  is a steel ring, while the illustrated upper fastener  144  is a steel pin, but these may be made of any desired materials. It should be appreciate that similar connections are installed at the upper end of each guide pole  14  that enters a truss  82 . The plate  142  and upper fastener  144  cooperate to prevent the truss  82  from moving relative to the guide pole  14 . Additionally, as previously described (and shown in  FIG. 6 ), the lower fastener  44  prevents the guide pole  14  from moving relative to the mount plate  18 . Also, the ground anchors  28  prevent the mount plate  18  from moving relative to the ground surface  20 . As a result, all the components of the assembled fabricated building  10  are anchored relative to the ground surface  20 . 
         [0057]    Referring now to  FIG. 17 , a perspective view of an optional window guard  146  is shown. The illustrated window guard  146  is made of a single piece of transparent polycarbonate, but may be made of any desired material. The window guard  146  includes a positioning wing  148  extending from a guard body  150 . The positioning wing  148  is positioned at approximately a  45 -degree angle relative to the guard body  150 . However, the positioning wing  148  may have any desired orientation relative to the guard body  150 . The positioning wing  148  includes two positioning holes  152 . Referring to  FIG. 18 , a perspective view of a portion of an alternative wall  16   a  is shown with a plurality of the window guards  146  installed. As shown, the wall  16   a  is made from a plurality of structural members  12   a,  which are similar to the structural members  12 , and structural members  12   b,  which have a shorter length than the structural members  12  but are otherwise similar. The structural members  12   b  are used to define a space for a window frame  52   a.  As shown, a plurality of window guards  146  are installed during assembly of the wall  16   a  by positioning the positioning wings  148  so that the guide poles  14   a  pass through the positioning holes  152  while the guard body  150  is located on the outside of the wall  16   a.  It should be appreciated that the window guards  146  may be installed after the wall  16   a  is assembled if, for example, the positioning holes  152  have an open U-shape that allows them to be slid around the guide poles  14   a  of the assembled wall  16   a.  When installed, the window guards  146  help prevent rain outside the alternative fabricated building  10   a  from getting in through the window frame  52   a  while still allowing air and light to pass through. It should be appreciated that the window guards  146  may be made of a translucent or opaque material, in order to increase the privacy of the interior space of the alternative fabricated building  10   a,  if desired. 
         [0058]    Referring now to  FIG. 19  through  FIG. 23 , an alternative roof design is illustrated. This alternative roof design is illustrated as being installed on the fabricated building  10  in place of the roof  88 . Referring to  FIG. 19 , an overhead, plan view of a roof skirt  154  is shown. The illustrated roof skirt  154  is a single piece of nylon mesh laminated with Teflon, but it may be made in multiple pieces and may be made of any desired material. The roof skirt  154  includes a plurality of skirt tongues  156  that extend from a skirt fold-over  158 . The illustrated roof skirt  154  includes three skirt tongues  156 , but it may include any desired number of skirt tongues  156 . The illustrated skirt fold-over  158  is long enough to span the distance between two of the guide poles  14 , and the skirt fold-over  158  includes a plurality of first skirt guide holes  160  and second skirt guide holes  162  that allow the roof skirt  154  to be positioned on one of the walls  16  with the guide poles  14  passing through the first skirt guide holes  160  and the second skirt guide holes  162 , as will be described below. An optional skirt lock  164  is provided with the roof skirt  154 , and the use of the skirt lock  164  will also be described below. The illustrated skirt lock  164  is a one-inch diameter piece of PVC pipe that is approximately the same length as the roof skirt  154 , but may be any desired material and length. 
         [0059]    Referring now to  FIG. 20 , a perspective view of the fabricated building  10 , partially assembled, is shown. As shown in  FIG. 20 , the walls  16  are assembled but the roof frame  80  has not been connected. Additionally, a plurality of roof skirts  154  have been placed on the walls  16  above the highest layer  76  of structural members  12 . Each roof skirt  154  is installed with its respective skirt tongues  156  located on the exterior side of the wall  16 . The skirt fold-over  158  is positioned on top of the structural members  12 , with guide poles  14  passing through at least some of the first skirt guide holes  160 . The skirt lock  164  is positioned on top of the skirt fold-over  158 , and the skirt fold-over  158  is then folded over so that the guide poles  14  also pass through at least some of the second skirt guide holes  162 . As shown, the skirt lock  164  is located on an interior side of the wall  16 , and is supported by the roof skirt  154 . It should be appreciated that the order of installing the roof skirt  154  may be reversed, if desired. Preferably, each roof skirt  154  is installed so that it engages at least two of the guide poles  14 , but this is not necessary. Additionally, it should be appreciated that multiple roof skirts  154  may engage a single guide pole  14 , but this is also not necessary. It is possible that the skirt tongues  156  of adjacent roof skirts  154  may overlap each other. Additionally, all of the skirt tongues  156  may be located on a single roof skirt  154 , or multiple wall-length roof skirts  154  may be used in assembly of the fabricated building  10 . In  FIG. 20 , roof skirts  154  are only illustrated on two of the walls  16 , but it should be appreciated that during typical assembly roof skirts  154  will be placed on all walls  16 . 
         [0060]    As shown in  FIG. 21 , the roof frame  80  is then placed on top of the walls  16 . It should be appreciated that the skirt fold-over  158  of the roof skirts  154  are trapped between the walls  16  and the roof frame  80 . This is best seen in  FIG. 24 . The roof fame  80  may then be connected to the guide poles  14 , as previously described in reference to  FIG. 15  and  FIG. 16 . It should be appreciated that while the roof skirts  154  are shown as located between the walls  16  and the roof frame  80 , they may alternatively be located between two layers of the structural members  12  that comprise the wall  16 , if desired. Additionally, the roof skirts  154  may optionally be welded or otherwise connected to the wall  16 , if desired. 
         [0061]    Referring now to  FIG. 22 , a roll-up roof  166  is illustrated positioned above the roof frame  80 . The illustrated roll-up roof  166  is made of a single piece of nylon mesh laminated with Teflon, but it may be made in multiple pieces and may be made of any desired material. The roll-up roof  166  includes a cover section  168  that is dimensioned to fit over and conform to the shape of the roof frame  80 . The roll-up roof  166  also includes a plurality of roof tongues  170  that extend from the cover section  168 . When the roll-up roof  166  is positioned over the roof frame  80 , as shown in  FIG. 22 , the roof tongues  170  are generally adjacent to the skirt tongues  156 . The roll-up roof  166  may include a number of roof tongues  170  that is equal to the total number of skirt tongue  156 , if desired. Alternatively, the roll-up roof  166  may include a different number of tongues  170 . It should be appreciated that when the roll-up roof  166  is positioned on roof frame  80 , the roof tongues  170  do not necessarily have to be precisely positioned next to the skirt tongues  156 , and there may be some room for adjustment or play in the position of the cover section  168 . 
         [0062]    It should be appreciated that the illustrated roll-up roof  166  is custom sized to cover the roof frame  80  of the illustrated fabricated building  10 , but this is not necessary. Additionally, the roll-up roof  166  may be configured so that each roof tongue  170  is substantially adjacent to one skirt tongue  156  when the roll-up roof  166  is positioned on the roof frame  80 , but this is not necessary. The roll-up roof  166  may include a number of roof tongues  170  that is different from the number of skirt tongues  156  if desired, and each of the skirt tongues  156  does not need to be generally adjacent to one of the roof tongues  170 . Each of the roof tongues  170  includes an optional tongue strip  172 . Each illustrated tongue strip  172  is a two-sided plastic clip that is slipped onto the roof tongue  170 . However, the tongue strip  172  may be made of any desired material and does not need to be connected to the roof tongue  170 . The tongue strip  172  is a spool that one or more skirt tongue  156  and one or more roof tongue  170  are rolled up together on. In order to connect the illustrated roll-up roof  166  to the fabricated building  10 , the skirt tongues  156  and one roof tongues  170  are folded together around the tongue strips  172  to form a plurality of roof locks  174 , which is shown schematically in  FIG. 24 . It should be appreciated that a roof lock  174  may be created by folding one skirt tongue  156  and one roof tongue  170  around one tongue strip  172 , or by folding a different desired number of skirt tongues  156  and roof tongues  170  together. A roof clamp  176  is applied to prevent the roof lock  174  from unfolding. It should be appreciated that the tongue strip  172  provides a spool to fold the roof lock  174  onto, and for the roof clamp  176  to engage to help prevent the roof lock  174  from pulling loose. The illustrated roof clamp  176  is a metal clip, but any desired connector may be used, including adhesives or welding. It should be appreciated that during installation of the roll-up roof  166 , all of the skirt tongues  156  and all the roof tongues  170  will typically be assembled into roof locks  174 . This will result in the roll-up roof  166  being anchored to the walls  16  of the fabricated building  10  around the whole perimeter of the roll-up roof  166 . 
         [0063]    Referring now to  FIG. 23 , the roll-up roof  166  is shown with a lock cover  178  installed. The illustrated lock cover  178  is made of a generally keystone-shaped piece of plastic, but any desired material or construction may be used. The lock cover  178  helps prevent the roof locks  174  from unfolding. The lock cover  178  is positioned to surround two or more adjacent roof locks  174 . The illustrated lock cover  178  is also positioned below the top surface of the highest layer  76  of structural members  12 . 
         [0064]    It should be appreciated that the connection of the roll-up roof  166  does not include the use of the roll-up portion  106  of the soffit member  90 , nor the roll-up portion  120  of the truss roll-up  110 . Thus, the components may be omitted from the roof frame  80  when the roll-up roof  166  is used, if desired. 
         [0065]    The principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.