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A classification of built forms is presented. It is based on a study of buildings surveyed at 3350 addresses in four English towns and has been designed for use in the national Non-Domestic Building Stock (NDBS) database developed for the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions. As the prime use of the database is in energy analysis, the classification focuses on the external envelopes of buildings. (Materials of construction, servicing systems, and activities are classified separately.) Built forms are distinguished according to two main criteria: the broad “texture” of their internal subdivision; and whether they are daylit or artificially lit.

In this paper I will describe data provided by the UK Valuation Office (VO) for the national Non-Domestic Building Stock database developed for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The purpose of this database is to support policymaking for the conservation of fossil fuels and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The fact that the VO data cover floor areas, activities, building construction, and building services—all of which are liable to affect the use of fuels in buildings—make them specially valuable for this application. Several tables and charts derived from the VO data are presented, containing statistics on the nondomestic building stock of England and Wales. A review is then given of the very considerable research potential of such a large administrative data source as the VO databases. Some of the problems that arise in the use of those data are examined.