Architecture Dictionary

8/6/2019 Architecture Dictionary

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Architecture Dictionary

ABATEMENT: The wastage of wood when lumber is sawed or planed to size.

ABUTMENT: A masonry mass (or the like) which receives the thrust of an arch, vault, or

strut.

ADDENDUM: A supplement to bidding documents, issued prior to the submission of bids,

for the purpose of clarifying, correcting, or adding to the specifications previously issued.

ALCOVE: A small recessed space opening directly into a larger room.

AMBULATORY: A passageway around the apse of a church.

APPROVED EQUAL: Material, equipment, or method proposed by the contractor and

approved by the architect for incorporation in or use in the work as equivalent in

essential attributes to the material, equipment, or meth od specified in the contractdocument.

APSE: A semicircular or semipolygonal space usually in a church terminating an axis and

intended to house an altar.

ARBOR: A light open structure of trees or shrubs closely planted either twined together or

self supporting on a light lattice.

ARCADE: A line of counter thrusting arches raised on columns or piers.

ARCHITECT: A designation reserved, usually by law, for a person or organization

professionally qualified and duly licensed to perform architectural service s.

ARCHITRAVE: A horizontal beam or lintel, that rests on columns or piers; or the lowest

portion of an entablature; or a decorative molding around a door, a window, or an arch.

ARCHIVOLT: One of several parallel curved, and often decorated, moldings on the inside

of an arched opening; a curved architrave.

ASHLAR: Stone that has been cut square and dressed.

ATRIUM: In classical architecture, an interior courtyard that is open to the weather. In

contemporary architecture, a significant interior space, of ten sky lighted, used for

circulation.

BALUSTRADE: An entire railing system including top rail and its balusters, and sometimes

a bottom rail.


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BALUSTER: One of a number of short vertical members often circular in section used to

support a stair handrail or a coping.

BASILICA: A Roman hall of justice, typically with a high central space lit by a clerestory

and lower aisles all around it.

BATTEN: A narrow strip of wood applied to cover a joint along edges of two parallel

boards in the same plane.

BID: An offer to perform the work described in a contract at a specified cost.

BREEZEWAY: A covered passageway, open to the outdoors, connecting either two parts of

a building or two buildings.

BUILDING CODES: Regulations, ordinances or statutory requirements o f a government unit

relating to building construction and occupancy, generally adopted and administered for

the protection of public health, safety, and welfare.

CAMBER: A slight convex curvature built into a truss or beam to compensate for any

anticipated deflection so that it will have no sag when under load.

CANTILEVER: A structural member which projects beyond its supporting wall or column.

CANTON: A corner of a building decorated with a projecting masonry course, a pilaster or

similar feature.

CATHEDRA: The bishops throne, set at the end of the apse in early Christian churches.

CAVETTO: A hollow member or round concave molding containing at least the quadrant of

a circle used in cornices.

CELLA: The sanctuary of a classical temple, containing the cult statue of the god.

CERTIFICATION: A declaration in writing that a particular product or service complies with a

specification or stated criterion.

CHANGE ORDER: An amendment to the construction contract signed by the owner,

architect, and contractor that authorizes a change in the work or an adjustment in thecontract sum or the contract time or both. Construction Budget: The sum established by

the owner as available for construction of the project, including contingencies for bidding

to contractors and for changes during construction.

CLERESTORY: An upper zone of wall pierced with windows that admit light to the center of

a lofty room.


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CLOISTER: A covered walk surrounding a court, usually linking a church to other buildings

of a monastery.

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS: Drawings and specifications created by an architect that set

forth in detail requirements for the construction of the project.

CORBEL: In masonry a projection or one of a series of projections each stepped

progressively farther forward wi th height.

CORNICE: Any molded projection which crowns or finishes the part which it is affixed.

CRIPPLE: In a building frame, a structural element that is shorter than usual, as a stud

above a door opening or below a windowsill.

DENTIL: A band of small, square, toothlike blocks utilized in an ornamental manner.

DERRICK: A hoisting machine for heavy loads, usually has a vertical mast and ahorizontal or sloping boom whose movement is controlled by wire rope.

DESIGN/BUILD A method of project delivery in which the owner contracts directly with a

single entity that is responsible for both design and construction services for a

construction project.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT The architect prepares more detailed drawings and finalizes the

design plans, showing correct sizes and shapes for rooms. Also included is an outline of

the construction specifications, listing the major materials to be used.

DORMER: A structure projecting from a sloping roof usually housing a window or

ventilating louver.

DOVETAIL: A splayed tenon, shaped like a dove's tail, broader at its end than at its base.

DRESSED: Descriptive of brick, lumber, or stone which has been prepared, shaped, or

finished by cutting, planing, rubbing, or sanding one or more surfaces.

EASEMENT: A right of accommodation in land owned by another, such as right of way or

free access to light or air.

ENTABULATURE: In classical architecture the elaborated beam member carried by the

columns.

EURYTHMY: Harmony, orderliness, and elegance of proportion s.

FASCIA: Any flat horizontal member or molding with little projection.


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FENESTRATION: The arrangement and design of windows in a building.

FORMWORK: A temporary construction to contain web concrete in the required shape

while it is cast and setting.

GIRANDOLE: A branched light holder, either standing on a base or projecting from a wall.

GROIN: The ridge, edge, or curved line formed by the intersection of the surfaces of two

intersecting vaults.

GROTTO: A natural or artificial cave, often decorated wi th shells or stones and

incorporating waterfalls or fountains.

HAUNCH: The middle part between the crown and the springing of an arch.

HEPTASTYLE: A portico having seven columns at one or both ends.

HIERON: The sacred enclosure of a temple or shrine.

HIP: The external angle at the junction of two sloping roofs or sides of a roof.

HYPOTHYRUM: A frieze and cornice arranged and decorated in various ways for the lintel

of a door.

ILLUMINANCE: The luminous flux density incident on a surface, ie the luminou s flux per

unit area.

JALOUSIE: A shutter or blind with fixed or adjustable slats which exclude rain and provide

ventilation, shade, and visual privacy.

KEYSTONE: In masonry the central often embellished voussoir of an arch.

LANCET: A narrow window with a sharp pointed arch typically found in Gothic

architecture.

LIFE CYCLE COST ANALYSIS The architect calculates expected future operating,

maintenance, and replacement costs of desired designs and features to assist

homeowners in developing a realistic de sign and budget estimate.

LINTEL: A horizontal structural member over an opening which carries the weight of the

wall above it.

LOGGIA: An arcaded or colonnaded structure, open on one or more sides, sometimes

with an upper level.


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LUNETTE: A crescent shaped or semicircular area on a wall or vaulted ceiling framed by

an arch or vault.

MASTERSPEC: A proprietary master specification for the construction industry developed

by the AIA.

MEGALITHIC: Structure built of unusually large stones.

MEZZANINE: A low ceilinged story or extensive balcony, usually constructed above the

ground floor.

MORTISE: A hole, cavity, notch, slot, or recess cut into a timber or piece of another

material usually receives a tenon.

NAVE: The middle aisle of a church.

NICHE: A recess in a wall usually to contain a sculpture or an urn.

OBELISK: A monumental, four-sided stone shaft tapering to a pyramidal tip.

ORTHOSTYLE: A colonnade in a straight line.

PAGODA: A multistoried shrine like tower, originally a Buddhist monument crowned by a

stupa.

PARAPET: A low guarding wall at any point of sudden drop, as at the edge of a terrace,

roof, or balcony.

PEDIMENT: In classical architecture, the triangular gable end of the roof above the

horizontal cornice.

PERGOLA: A garden structure with an open wooden framed roof, often latticed, supported

by regularly spaced post or columns.

PERIPTERAL: Surrounded by a single row of columns.

PIAZZA: A public open space or square surrounded by buildings.

PROGRAMMING The architect and homeowner first discuss the goals, needs and function

of the project, design expectations and available budget, pertinent building code and

zoning regulations. The architect prepares a written statement setting forth design

objectives, constraints, and criteria for a project, including special requirements and

systems, and site requirements.

PROJECT BUDGET The sum established by the owner as available for the entire project,


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including the construction budget, land costs, costs of furnitu re, furnishings, and

equipment; financing costs; compensation for professional services; cost of owner -

furnished goods and services; contingency allowance; and similar established or

estimated costs.

PROSCENIUM: In a theater, the part of stage which lies between the curtains and theorchestra.

QUADRIPARTITE: Divided by the system of construction employed, into four compartments,

as a vault.

REGULATION: Any rule prescribing permitted or forbidden conduct, whether found in

legislation or in the actions of an administrative agency.

RELIEF: Carving, chasing, or embossing raised above a background plane.

RETEMPERING: The addition of water and remixing of concrete or mortar which as startedto stiffen.

SCALLOP: One of a continuous series of curves resembling segments of a circle used as

a decorative element.

SCHEMATIC DESIGN The architect consults with the owner to determine the requirements

of the project and prepares schematic studies consisting of drawings and other

documents illustrating the scale and re lationships of the project components for approval

by the owner. The architect also submits to the owner preliminary estimate of

construction cost based on current area, volume, or other unit costs.

SCUPPER: An opening in a wall or parapet that allows wat er to drain from a roof.

SERVICE CONNECTION: An electrical connector that attaches the utility company's

conductors to the customer's wiring.

SERVICE DROP: The portion of service conductors between the last pole of the utility

supply and the junction wit h service entrance conductors of the building supplied.

SPECIFICATIONS A part of the construction documents contained in the project manual

consisting of written requirements for materials, equipment, construction systems,standards and workmanship.

SQUARE FOOTAGE Can be calculated as both gross and net square footage. No uniform

standard for computing residential square footage yet exists. Architects, builders and

realtors each measure square footage differently. Square footage is not always an

indication of the livable space available in a structure. Buyers are encouraged to ask for

an explanation of which spaces were included in the square footage calculation.


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STUCCO: An exterior finish, usually textured composed of portland cement, lime, and

sand, which are mixed with water.

TABERNACLE: A decorative niche often topped with a canopy and housing a statue.

TENON: The projecting end of a piece of wood, or other material, which is reduced in

cross section, so that it may be inserted into a corresponding c avity, a mortise, to form a

secure joint.

TORCHERE: An indirect floor lamp which sends all or nearly all of its light upward.

TRACERY: The curvilinear openwork shapes of stone or wood creating a pattern within the

upper part of a Gothic window.

TRAVERTINE: A variety of limestone deposited by springs, usually banded.

TRELLIS: An open grating or latticework, of either metal or wood.

TRIFORIUM: In medieval church architecture, a shallow passage above the arches of the

nave and choir and below the cleresto ry.

UNDERLAYMENT: A material such as plywood placed on a subfloor to provide a smooth

even surface for applying the finish.

VISTA: A usually unobstructed view into the distance.

VOMITORY: An entrance or opening usually one of a series which pierce a ban k of seats

in a stadium.

VOUSSOIR: A wedge shaped masonry unit in an arch or vault whose converging sides are

cut as radii of one of the centers of the arch or vault.

WAINSCOT: A decorative or protective facing applied to the lower portion of an interior

partition or wall.

WEEP HOLE: A small opening in a wall or window member, through which accumulated

condensation or water may drain to the buildings exterior.

XYST: In classical architecture, a roofed colonnade, opened to at least one side for

exercising in bad weather.

YOKE: The horizontal piece forming the head of a window or door frame.

ZONING: The control by a municipality of the use of land and buildings.


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