Patent ID: 6955016

Claim:
A multi-story building comprising: (a) a foundation; (b) a supporting framework coupled to the foundation, wherein the supporting framework comprises: (1) a central rectangular shearwall, (2) a first rectangular end shearwall, (3) a second rectangular end shearwall, and (4) plurality of spaced apart floors arranged in a substantially parallel manner relative to each other and the foundation, and wherein: (5) each shearwall includes a top edge, a bottom edge, and two opposing side edges, the edges defining first and second opposing faces, and each shearwall forming a vertical support plane; (6) each floor includes at least three side edges, the edges defining a top face and an opposing bottom face, and each floor forming a horizontal support plane wherein each floor is coupled to at least two of the shearwall; (7) the bottom of each shearwall is coupled to and supported by the foundation; (8) the vertical support plane of each shearwall is aligned substantially normal to the foundation; (9) the central shearwall is coupled proximate the first side edge to the first end shearwall; (10) the central shearwall is coupled proximate its second side edge to the second end shearwall; and (11) the central rectangular shearwall, the first rectangular end shearwall and the second rectangular end shearwall in cooperation provide all necessary lateral support for the building and -all necessary vertical support for the floors of the building; and (c) at least one vertically self-supporting exterior wall that is vertically self-supporting along a vertical support plane, the vertically self-supporting exterior wall including a top vertical wall edge, a bottom vertical wall edge, and two opposing vertical wall side edges, the vertical wall edges defining first and second vertical wall opposing faces, and the vertically self-supporting exterior wall coupled to the foundation and coupled to the supporting framework, wherein the supporting framework provides all necessary lateral support for the vertically self-supporting exterior wall.