architecture terms

• Arch


  a curved symmetrical structure spanning an opening and typically supporting the weight of a bridge, roof, or wall above it.
• Biomorphic


  The term biomorphic means ‘life-form’. Biomorphic features relate to shapes found in nature, often without explicitly representing natural things. They are often rounded and irregular, unlike most geometric shapes.
• Butress


  A structure (normally of stone or brick) built against a wall to strengthen or support it. A ‘Flying Buttress’ is a buttress slanting from a separate column, typically forming an arch with the wall it supports.
• Canopy


  A canopy is the coverage of an outside area. Canopies are often built over entrances to shelter people from rain or to provide them with shade. Though some canopies are simple coverings, some architects turn canopies into beautiful installations and works of art with a range of materials.

   
• Cantilever 


  A term to describe horizontal forms projecting from a wall or central core capable of carrying loads without support along its projection. Some cantilevers are simple, like when a deck pushes out just a bit past the last beam. Other examples of a cantilever can be extreme, like when massive portions of a building seem to defy gravity with no support.

   
• Circulation


  In architecture, circulation refers to the pathways that people use to get around a building. Circulation is made up of hallways, paths people take to cross a room, and any other way people experience the architecture. Circulation also includes the way people move around the outside of a building.

   
• Cruciform


  Cruciform means taking the form of a cross. This is a common term in architecture because many buildings—especially cathedrals and churches—are designed with cruciform floor plans.

   
• Cupola


  A cupola is a small dome-like structure that tops a building. It can provide light and circulation in addition to serving as a decorative feature.

   

   
• Curvilinear


  Curvilinear architecture includes curved lines. It is often understood as the opposite of rectilinear.

   
• Entablature


  The upper part of a classical building supported by columns or a colonnade, comprising the architrave, frieze, and cornice. It can be heavily ornamental.

   
• Façade


  In architecture, a façade is a face or front of the building. It might be of a different material, or be more ornate, than the rest of the building.

   
• Fenestration


  Arrangement of windows and doors on a building.

   
• Frieze


  A broad horizontal band of sculpted or painted decoration, especially on the upper section of a wall, near the ceiling.

   
• Geometric


  Geometric shapes are angular, precise and regular, like squares, rectangles, and triangles. They reference manmade designs, and are opposed to Biomorphic shapes.

   
• Keystone


  A block of masonry, placed at the apex of an arch or vault. It is the final element in the construction of these structures, locking the arch or vault together and allowing it to bear weight.

   
• Industrial


  Industrial is a term often used to define contemporary projects with lots of steel, sleek polished surfaces, clean angular lines, and industrial style materials.

   
• Juxtaposition


  Juxtaposition is when two opposite things are placed next two each other to emphasize the contrast. In architecture, juxtaposition can be used to create different atmospheres within a space, or indicate usage. For example, in an open plan house, the kitchen and living room areas might be indicated by the juxtaposition between a polished concrete floor and a wooden floor.

   
• Masonry


  Stonework in architecture and building.

   
• Memorial/ Monument


  A structure or sculpture established to commemorate or remind people of a person or event.

   
• Motif


  In architecture, a motif denotes a recognizable symbol that repeats.

   
• Ornamentation


  Ornamentation is simply any form of decoration on a piece of architecture. Ornamentation is often embedded in structures, windows, or other pieces of architecture. In some architectural styles, it is difficult to distinguish what is ornamentation and what is pure function.

   
• Rectilinear 


   Rectilinear designs are made up of mostly straight lines and right angles. It is often understood as the opposite of curvilinear.

   
• Solar gain


  Solar gain is the amount of sunlight that enters a building or hits a material. It is an important consideration in architecture because sunlight brings in natural light, but it also heats the building. Minimizing solar gain is often necessary to improve the cooling of a building.

   
• Spire


  A spire is the ornamental tip of a tower. Though they are typically associated with Gothic architecture and other older styles, spires are still used in contemporary buildings, especially skyscrapers.

   
• Structural Support


  The means by which a building achieves height. Sometimes architects make the structural supports a visible/decorative feature, as with columns, sometimes they are ‘invisible’, as with plastered brick walls,  or steel reinforced concrete walls.

   
• Turret 


  A turret is a small tower typically at the corner of a building. Turrets are an iconic feature of castles since they allowed for guards to look out in defence of the building.

   
• Vault


  A roof in the form of an arch or a series of arches, typical of churches and other large, formal buildings.

   
• Veneer


  A veneer is a thin material applied to another material. A veneer can be a thin sheet of stone, wood, or many other options. They are a cheap and simple way to create a new desired effect, and can give an impression of grandeur for lower costs.

   
• Vernacular


  Indigenous or local style, a style that comes from a specific area and time.

   
• Ziggurat


  A structure with terraces that recede as they get closer to the top. Used in several ancient cultures, ziggurats are thought to have been designed to bring people closer to heaven.