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Dictionnaire d'anglais «Architecture»

Vous trouverez ici un dictionnaire d'anglais architecture développé par BusinessTalkFrance pour vous assister dans vos exercices et activités d'anglais en ligne.

A-Frame: A roof shape with avery steep pitch forming a gable or "A" shape.
Abacus: The flat stone slabunderneath the entablature that forms the top of the capital of aclassical column supporting a beam.
Acanthus: AStylized leaf motif, one of the primary decorative elements of classicalarchitecture. With its origins in Greece, it was adopted by Romans andtransmitted into the general classical tradition.
Acropolis: Thesymbolic center of a Greek city-state, bringing together its mostimportant sacred and civic buildings in one urban space, as in Athenswhere the Parthenon forms the heart of the Athenianacropolis.
Adobe: Medbricks reinforced with straw. Used particularly in Latin America andsouthwestern USA, adobe produces a distinctive architectural style basedon organic forms, a smooth finish, and a minimum of windowopenings.
Aedicule: Aterm now applied to the frames surrounding a classical doorway or windowflanked by a pair of columns and topped by a pediment, but which has itsorigins in the architectural treatment of the shrines of the classicalperiod.
Agora: Thepublic open space that formed the heart of ancient Greek cities and it'sthe origin of most western conceptions of public, or civic, space ascenter of for social interaction for ceremony and democratic life on apedestrian scale.
Air Space: Aspace provided in exterior wall construction to prevent passage ofmoisture and allow the wall to dry out.
Aisle: The portion of a churchflanking the nave and seperated from it by a row of columns or piers. Ingeneral, the space between the arcade and an outer wall.
Alcazar: Abuilding type that is a legacy of the Moorish occupation of Spain, afortified palace found mainly in south of the country, particularlySeville and Granda.
Align: The faces of objectsthat are in line with each other, or when their center-lines lie on thesame axis.
Alterpiece: A panel, painted orsculptured, situated above and behind an altar.
Aluminum Siding: Lightweight materialthat is often painted rather than left in its naturalcolor.
Ambulatory: A covered walkway,outdoors (as in a cloister) or indoors: especailly the passwage around theapse and the choir (quire) of a church.
Amphitheater: Thecircular structure characterized by rising tiers of stone seats containedwithin an arched stone outer wall that was used by Romans for circusperformances and gladiatorial contest.
Anchor Bolt: Abolt or threaded rod used to secure the sill to the foundationwall.
Angle Iron: Providessupporting lintels for openings in masonry wallconstruction.
Apron: Thehorizontal member directly beneath the stool or inside sill of awindow.
Apse: Asemicircular and usually vaulted projection from a rectangular structure.Origins of the word are classical, but it is most commonly used todescribe an element of a Gothic church. A recess, usually singular andsemi-circular, at the east end of a Christian church.
Arcade: Aseries of arches supported by piers or columns.
Arcading: Anuninterruped series of arcades.
Arch: Acurved structure used as a support over an open space, as in a doorway. ASemicircular opening in a wall, or a freestanding structure dependent forits structural stability on the horizontal load threatening to push itapart. Usually made from cut stone blocks forming interlockingwedges..
Architrave: Originallya simple, flat, structural lintel spanning an opening in a wall, it is thelowest part of the classical entablature. Subsequently a term used todescribe any molded door or window frame.
Archivolt: Onee of a series ofconcentric moldings on a Romanesque or a Gothic arch.
Area wall: Theretaining wall surrounding a basement window which is below groundlevel.
Areaway: Theexcavated area between the Area wall and the basementwindow.
Art deco: Apopular design of the 1920s and "30s characterized by bold outlines,geometric and zigzag forms.
Art Nouveau: A movement that embracedarchitecture, design, and visual arts throughout Europe. It wasfashionable between 1890 and 1910, and particularly strong in France,Belgium, Germany, and Austria. In Britain, Charles Rennie Mackintosh wasan important exponent: in Spain, Antonio Gaudi was the leading figure. Itattempted to find what was sometimes called a modern style, using natural,organic forms and decorative motifs rather than historically derivedelements. Marked by ornate use of undulation, such as waves, flames,floweer stalks and flowing hair.
Arts and Craft: Galvanizedby William Morris's disgust at what he perceived as the dehumanizingtendencies of mass production and the factory system, a group osarchitects and designers attempted to revive the traditions of simplehandicraft techniques in 19th century Britain. In architecture they lookedat the unselfconscious vernacular tradition of barns, mills, and cottagesas an inspiration and at the aesthetics of the medieval period. Known asthe Arts and Crafts movement, this design tendency spread across much ofEurope to America and Australia.
Asbestos: Afibrous, incombustible material once used in building construction. Nolonger allowed due to health risk.
Asbestos Shingles: Ashingling material made up of a nonconducting, fireproof mineral used inroofing and siding. No longer allowed due to healthrisk.
Ash dump: Asmall opening located in the hearth of a fireplace having a cast ironcover, used to dump the ashes down into a cavity below the firebox.
Ashlar: Thepractice of laying stone in smooth cut - or dressed - blocks in regularcourses, seperated by only the thinnest of joints. Originated by theancient Egyptians and adopted as an important element of classicalarchitecture.
Ashlar Masonry: Masonryconstruction using a square stone.
Asphalt Shingle: Aroofing material made of a brown or black tar like substance mixed withsand or gravel.
Atrium: Inthe Roman period this was the inner courtyard of a house, left open to thesky, and generally built by the affluent urbam classes. In the 20thcentury the word has been adopted to describe dramatic enclosedglass-roofed indoor spaces associated with high-rise hotels and officebuildings that are treated as substitutes for the publicrealm.
Aumbry: A recess to hold sacredvessels, often found in castle chapels.
Awning (Window Types): Top hinged
Awning Window: Awindow hinged along the top edge.
Axis (pl. axes): The centerline ofopenings or objects that align in a row along an imaginary line. A primaryelement in architectural composition, around which it is possible tocreate a sense of symmetry both in plan and in the elevation of abuilding.
Axonometric: Adrawing technique devised to represent three dimensional objects on flatpaper. Verticals are drawn to scale, but diagonal dimensions aredistorted.
Bailey: Castle courtyard andsurrounding buildings.
Balcony: A platform projectingfrom an upper story and enclosed by a railing.
Balloon Framing: Acommon type of house framing using a box sill and ribband (if a secondfloor exist).
Baluster: Any of the small poststhat make up a railing as in a staircase; may be plain, turned, orpierced.
Balustrade: The combination ofrailing held up by balusters.
Barbican: Outwork defending theentrance to castle
Barge Board: Theexterior board spanning the distance from the roof ridge to the cornicereturn.
Baroque: Anarchitecture of flamboyance and swaggering excess that characterized the17th century. Taking as a starting point the elements of classicism,Baroque architects gave their buildings an unprecedented elaboration ,creating particularly dramatic spatially complex interiors heighten byornamentation and by the use of bold lighting effects.
Barrel Roof: Like a covered wagon, orinverted ship; barrel vault is a plian vault of uniformcross-section.
Barrel Tiles: Roundedclay roof tiles most often used on Spanish-style houses. Usually red, butavailable in many colors.
Bartizan: Overhanging battlementedcorner turret, corbelled out; common is Scotland (andFrance).
Base Molding: Thedecorative wooden strip along the top edge of thebaseboard.
Base Shoe: Thewooden strip (usually quarter round) along the bottom face of thebaseboard at the floor level.
Baseboard: Finishtrim where the floor and walls meet.
Basilica: The public hall thatformed a gathering point in every Roman city, usually with a rectangularplan ending in as apse and divided by a double file of columns. It was theinspiration for the early Christian churches.
Bastion: A solid masonryprojection.
Batt: Aprecut section of insulation designed to fit betweenstuds.
Batten Board: Asmall strip of wood used, for example, to cover the joints betweenvertical siding.
Batter: An inclined face ofwall; hence battered.
Batter Boards: Boardserected at the corners of a proposed building to specifically locate andshow corners and show foundation wall height.
Battlements: A Parapet withindentations or embrasures, with raised portions (merlons) between; alsocalled crenellations.
Bauhaus: Thearchitecture, design, craft, and fine art school established by WalterGropius in Weimar in 1919, transferred to Dessau in 1925, and finallymoved to BERLIN IN 1932. It closed in 1933 under increasing politicalinterference. Its influence was worldwide, providing the most coherentstatement of architectural modernism, primary through functionalistprinciples.
Bay: Buildingsare often divided into repetitive elements, or bays, defined by the spacebetween two horizontal beams, or pairs of verticalcolumns.
Bay (Window Types): Extends beyond the exterior face of the wall
Bay Window: A setof two or more windows that protrude out from the wall. The window ismoved away from the wall to provide more light and widerviews.
Bead Molding: Asmall, cylindrical molding enriched with ornaments resembling a string ofbeads.
Beam: AHorizontal load-bearing element that forms a principal part of astructure, usually using timber, steel, or concrete.
Bearing Partition: Aninterior wall supporting weight from above.
Bed Board: Athin board (usually thin plywood) nailed to the underside of the return sand spanning the distance from the face board to the frieze. Now oftenreferred to as the soffit.
Bell-cast Eaves: Aroof which curves, sloping more gently toward thebottom.
Belt-course: Ahorizontal band similar to but thicker than a string course, markingsubdivisions of a building.
Berm: A level area sepereatingditch from bank.
Beveled: Astone cut at angles for a more decorative display.
Beveled Wood Ridge: Awood strip that covers the ridge pole; commonly found on wood-shakeroofs.
Bivalate: A hillfort defended bytwo concentric ditches.
Black Asphaltum: Abituminous substance applied to the outside of foundation walls beneaththe ground level to waterproof these walls.
Blind Stop: Astrip of material fastened to the inside perimeter of a window frame usedto hold a sash in place.
Board and Batten: Verticalsiding where wood strips (battens) hide the seams where other boards arejoined.
Board Feet: Aunit of measurement based on volume. 144 cubic inches of wood equals oneboard foot.
Bond: A term adopted todescribe the various patterns used to lay bricks in order to give themmaximum strength. It is an approach that has its origins in the periodbefore the invention of high-strength cement mortars, which made bondingof this kind unnecessary; but the patterns survive, representing acultural tradition now, rather than a functional necessity. English bond,for example, has been in use for 400 years, and is based on a mix ofbricks laid end on, and side on, in such a way that the cross joints areregularly spaced. Other patterns include Flemish bond, heading,stretching, and American. Refers to the pattern formed by mortar jointsbetween bricks, blocks or stones.
Boss: Acarved stone positioned at the apex of a ribbed vault.
Bottom Rail: Thelower rail of the bottom sash of a double-hung window.
Bow (Window Types): Projected window with a curved surface often in the glass itself.
Box Sill: Atype of sill employing a continuous header with the appearance beingresponsible for the name.
Bracket: Asmall supporting piece of wood or stone, often formed of scrolls or otherdecorative shapes, designed to bear a projected weight, such asa awindow.
Bratice: A timber towere, orprojecting wooden gallery.
Breeze Way: Aroofed area usually found between the garage and house proper designed tpprovide shelter and outdoor summertime comfort.
Brick Sill: Acommon type of exterior window sill in brick walls with the bricksprotruding past the wall line to allow water to fall directly to theground.
Brick Veneer: Atype of wall constructed with facing brick covering a backing wall offrame or masonry.
Bricks: One of the oldestbuilding materials, brick is based on a mix of clay with silt and sandpressed in molds and then burned in a kiln, which gives the characteristicslightly glazed finish. Standard brick sizes vary from country to countryand over the years. In mainland Europe, for example, bricks are often moreslender than those commonly used in the USA and Britain.
Bridging Cross: Woodor metal strips nailed diagonally between floor joist tp prevent lateralmovement and dissipate weight.
Bridging Solid: Woodenblocks used to separate floor joists beneath partitionwalls.
Brief: Theformal written instructions prepared by a client for an architect, settingout the necessary requirements for a building in functional terms. Theyusually include the required accommodation, size of rooms, andrelationship of one space to another.
Brutalism: Ashort-lived architectural movement of the 1960s that set itself inopposition to the picturesque Scandinavian-influenced mainstream of theperiod, and instead advocated the brutally frank expression of the natureof modern materials, characterized by unadorned concrete and the bluntdetailing of joints and openings.
Building Code: A setof laws drafted by the governing body of a borough, town or city tocontrol building construction "to promote the public health, safety andgeneral welfare" of the people in that locality.
Building Paper: Ablack building paper used to cover roof boards and sheathing to helpcontrol moisture and wind infiltration.
Buttress: Astructure built against a wall to support or reinforce it. Usually anexterior masonry structure that opposes the lateral thrust of an arch or avault and adds extra support.
Campanile: Belltower, often set some distance away from its church.
Canopy: A projection or hoodover a door, window, niche, etc.
Cantilever: Aprojecting elements, such as a beam or porch, supported at a single pointor along a single line by a wall or column, stabilized by scounterbalancing downward force around the point offulcrum.
Capital: The elaboration at thetop of a column, pillar, pier or pilaster.
Carport: A roofed area attachedto the house designed to protect the car.
Caryatid: Thehuman figure used as a sculptural column as part of a classicalcomposition, often flanking a doorway, or as a decorative detail within aninterior around a fireplace.
Casement (Window Types): SidehingedAwningTop hingedHopper
Casement Window: Awindow that opens by swinging inward or outward much like a door. Casementwindows are usually vertical in shape but are often grouped inbands.
Casing: Thetrim bordering the inside or outside of a window or door, commonlyreferred to as "inside" or "outside" casing.
Castellated: Decoratedwith battlements (a parapet with alternating indentations and raisedportions); also called crenellation. Building with battlements are usuallybrick or stone.
Caulking: Aputty-like substance used to seal joints against theweather.
Cedar Shingle: Aroofing material made of durable pinewood..
Cement Blocks: Massproduced building blocks made from pouring concrete into amold..
Cement Plaster: Amixture of sand and cement that is applied to the exterior foundation wallbeneath ground level to aid in watering proofing.
Ceramic Tile: Anyof a wide range of sturdy floor and wall tiles made from fired clay andset with grout. May be glazed or unglazed. Colors and finishes vary. Maybe used in doors or out.
Cesspool: Acesspool is a welled, underground cavity designed to receive the dischargefrom waste and soil pipes. Here, liquids are passed off while solidaremain to undergo bacterial decomposition.
Chair-rail molding: Awooden molding placed along the loweer part of the wall to prevent chairs,when pused back, from damaging the wall. Also used asdecoration.
Chamfer: Abeveled edge.
Chancel: Theeasternmost part of a church, in which the alter ishoused.
Chatri: Adomed pavilion supported by columns at each corner, which is acharacteristic element of Mogul architecture in India.
Chevet: The eastern end of aGothic church, including choir (quire), ambulatory, and radiatingchapels.
Chevron: Adecorative V-shaped line.; Zig-zag moulding (twelfthcentury).
Chimney: A passage or structureextending above the roof, through which smoke escapes.
Chiseled: A stone shaped by asharp-edged hand tool.
Choir (also quire): The space reserved forthe clergy in the church, usually east of the transept but, in someinstances, extending into the nave.
Cinquecento: Sixteenthcentury.
Circulation: Architectureis not experienced statically. Circulation routes, the means by whichaccess is provided through and around a building, are very often keyelements in creating an understanding of architecture as users move fromone part of a building to another through a carefully considered sequenceof spaces. That part of a room or building required for movement of peoplefrom place to place.
Cladding: Thelightweight outer skin of a building that does not carry any weight orsupport the building, but does keep wind and rain out. A term used todescribe the siding or materials covering the exterior of abuilding.
Clapboard: Taperedhorizontal boards used as siding, thickest on their bottom edge; eachoverlaps the one below. Also know as weatherboard orsiding.
Classical: Refers tothe architecture and design ideas of ancient Rome andGreece.
Classicism: Thearchitectural vocabulary that has shaped Western architecture ever sinceancient Greece. Characterized by a set of compositional rules andarchitectural elements, in particular, columns and orders. It is alanguage that has continually reinvented itself, providing scope forsuccessive generations to explore the fundamentals ofdesign.
Clean-Out: Anopening in the fireplace foundation for disposal of ashes from the ashdump, or a fitting attached to waste and soil pipes to allow the system tobe cleaned out.
Clerestory: Thefenestrated part of a building that rises above the roofs of the otherparts.; Upper elements of a Romanesque or Gothic church, bringing lightinto the center of the building from side windows pierced throughstone.
Clerestory window: Awindow (usually narrow) placed in the upper walls of a room, usually at anangle, to provide extra light.
Cloister: A court, usually withcovered walks or ambulatorie along its sides.
Cob: Unburnt clay mixed withstraw.
Collar Beam: Horizontalmembers spanning roof rafters to supplement roof strength and/or formceiling joist in half-story construction.
Colonnade: A row of columns forming an element of anarchitectural composition, carrying either a flat-topped entablature or arow of arches.
Column: Aslender, upright structure, usually a supporting member in a building.Freestanding or self-supporting structural element carrying forces mainlyin compression; either stone, steel, or brick, or more recently,concrete.
Combination (Window Types): The integration of two or more of the above into one unit.
Common Brick: Abrick used where strength in construction is required rather than apleasing appearance.
Competition: Ameans for selecting an architect for a significant commission: Architectsare invited to take part in a competition, which can be either open to allcomers or by invitation only. Open competition is reguarded as animportant way of discovering innovative new talent.
Compound pier: A pier composed of agroup or cluster of members, especially characteristic of Gothicarchitecture.
Concrete: A mixture of sand,cement and aggregate (stone or gravel) that may be reinforced with ferrousmetals.
Concrete Blocks: Masonryblocks commonly used for foundation and backing walls.
Conical: A furnace cap,resembling or shaped like a cone.
Conservation: Thye20th century has seen the constructin of more new architecture than thetotal produced by all preceding centuries put together. But it has alsoseen the principle of preserving not just the most significant individualbuildungs, but substantial groups of buildings, come to be universallyestablished. Conservation, the art of the careful restoration and recylingof run-down and redundant buildings, has become an increasinglysophisticated practice.
Conservation: The 20th Century hasseen the construction of more new architecture than the total produced byall proceeding centuries put together. But it has also seen the principleof preservation not just the most significant individual buildings, cometo be universally established. Conservation, the art of the carefulrestoration and recycling of run-down and redundant buildings, has becomean increasingly sophisticated practice
Constructivism: An avant-grade movementof the early 20th century that orginated in revolutionary Russia with workby the sculptor Naum Gabo. It had a vision of a new sense of space, animaginative understanding of geometry, and an enthusiasm for modernmaterials. Architectural adherents included the brothers Alexander andVladimir Vesnin, and Vladimir Tatlin, whose revolutionary but unbuilttower commemorating the Communist International remains an icon of theperiod.
Contractor: The responsibility foractually building an architect's design rests with the contractor, whocommits to a particular price for the work, usually in competition,employs the workforce, and contracts out such specialist work as may benecessary.
Coping: Aflat cover of stone or brick that protects the top of awall.
Corbel: A projecting wall memberused as a support for some elements of the superstructure. Also, coursesof stone or brick in which each course projects beyond the one beneath it.Two such structures, meeting at the topmost course, creates anarch.
Corbeling: Stoneor wood projecting from a wall or chimney for support ordecoration.
Corinthian: Thetype of Greek column characterized by simulated acanthusleaves.
Corinthian column: Inclassical architecture, a column decorated at the top with a mixed bag ofcurlicues, scrolls and other lavish ormanentation.
Corner Post: Three2x4's nailed together and erected at all exterior corners of a houseproviding adequate nailing space for plaster lath.
Cornice: Decorative projectionalong top of wall.
Cornice: The uppermost section ofmoldings along the top of a wall; any molded projection of similarform.
Cornice Return: A short continuation ofthe face board at the gable end of a house.
Course: Acontinuous row of building materials, such as shingle brick orstone.
Crawl Space: Theopen space beneath the first floor in a basement lesshouse.
Cresting: Thetop line or surface of a structure.
Crown molding: Amolding where the wall and ceiling meet; uppermost molding along furnitureor cabinetry.
Cupola: Asmall, dome-like structure, on top of a building to provide ventilationand decoration.
Cut stone: Largestones cut individually, used for a foundation or wall of ahouse.
Dado: The zone between a chairrail or lower part of a sill and the baseboard.
Damper: Anadjustable metal plate controlling convection currents in afireplace.
Dead Load: The weight of things andmaterials that are always present at the same place in abuilding.
Deadening Felt: Athin sheet of felt between the sub-floor and the finishedfloor.
Dental: Amolding motif that projects from the edge of a roof line orcornice.
Door Styles: Doorsare made for interior or exterior use and are either flush or paneled.They may either be solid of honeycombed construction.
Doric: Thesimplest of the three classical orders of Greekarchitecture.
Dormer: Thesetting for a vertical window in the roof. Called a gable dormer if it hasits own gable or shed dormer if a flat roof. Most often found in upstairsbedrooms.
Double Hung (Window Types): Two sash, vertical sliding
Double-hung Window: Awindow which operates by means of two sashes that slide vertically pasteach other.
Down spout: Ametal or plastic tubing connected to the gutter forrunoff.
Drain Title: Titlepipe laid along the outside of footings to carry off excess water. Plasticperforated pipe often used for same purpose.
Drip Cap: Aprojection found, along the top edge of exterior windows and doors toallow water to fall directly to the ground.
Duct: Asheet metal enclosure carrying warm or cool air from a forced air heatingor cooling plant.
Dutch Door: Adoor divided horizontally in half; the halves may be opened together orindividually.
Eave: The projecting loweredge of a roof.
Elevation: Anorthographic view of some vertical feature of a house. (Front, rear, side,interior elevation)
Entablature: Thearea above an entryway in which the transom iscontained.
Excavate: To dig out a volume ofearth for a basement, footings or foundation.
Expansion Tank: Atank located near the heating plant of a hot water system used to helpbalance the pressure.
Exterior Wall: Anoutside wall.
Eyebrow Window: Asmall, horizontally rectangular window, often located on the uppermoststory, aligned with windows below.
Facade: Oneof the exterior faces (walls) of a building.
Face Board: Theboard nailed to the exposed ends of roof rafters.
Face Brick: Afinished, non-defective brick yielding good appearance and constructionquality.
Fanlight: A semi-circular orsemi-elliptical window with a horizontal sill often above adoor.
Fascia: A horizontal band orboard, often used to conceal the ends of rafters; the front of an object.Same as a face board.
Fenestration: Thestylistic arrangement of windows in a building.
Fieldstone: Astone used in its natural shape.
Finial: A knob-likeornament.
Finish Floor: Afinished walking surface.
Fire Brick: Afire resistant brick used to line a fireplace.
Fire Cut: Anangled cut on joist ends found in solid masonry wall construction designedto prevent wall collapse in case of fire.
Fire Stop: Aboard placed within a frame wall to prevent a flue-like action in case ofa fire.
Fish scale Shingles: Ashingle having straight sides and rounded bottoms.
Flashing: Sheetmetal fitted around chimneys, valleys, drip caps, etc. to seal outmoisture.
Flat Roof: Apitch less roof type most favorable in dry climates.
Fleche: A very small woodenspire.
Floor Plan: Anorthographic section of an intended floor layout with the cutting planepassing through windows and doors.
Flue: The hollow passage thatcarries smoke and heat to the outside from the fireplace orfurnace.
Flue Liner: Thefire resistant material that lines the flue.
Flying Buttress: Adetached pier supporting the weight of a wall.
Footer: Theconcrete slab that supports all foundation walls.
Footing: Atype of stone edging on a masonry wall.
Foundation: Thebase of a house providing stability and rigidness.
Foundation Wall: Themasonry wall that rest on the footer.
Four-way Switch: Electrical switchesconnected between three-way switches in order to control a light fromthree or more stations.
Foyer: An area just inside themain exterior door for the removal of wraps, overshoes,etc.
Frame: Ofwood construction.
Framing Plan: A topview plan of the roof of floor level showing the layout of rafters, ridge,joist headers, trimmers, etc.
French Drain: Abasement floor drain designed to allow water to seep into the groundrather than be carried away through pipes.
Frieze: Aband with designs or carvings along a wall or above doorways andwindows.
Frost Line: The under ground levelthat frost will reach during the coldest days in a givenlocality.
Furring Strips: Woodenstrips nailed to masonry walls to provide the necessary air space betweenmasonry and wood or plaster
Gable: A triangular area of anexterior wall formed by two sloping roofs.
Gambrel: A roof where each sidehas two slopes; a steeper lower slope and a flatter upper one; a 'barnroof'. Often found in Colonial revival houses in the "Dutch"style.
Gazebo: Asmall summerhouse or pavilion with a view, or a belvedere on the roof of ahouse.
Girder: Astrong, wooden member spanning foundation walls designed to support joistends.
Girt: Supportsthe second floor joist in two-story construction.
Glass Block: Awindow type formed by a compilation of small translucent cubes ofglass.
Grounds: Woodenstrips of plaster thickness found behind inside window and door casingsand baseboards to provide adequate nailing surface.
Gutter: Ametal or plastic trough along the edge of a roof that collects water offthe eave and carries it to the down spout.
Half-timber: Aframed construction method where spaces between members are filled withmasonry.
Hanger: Aformed sheet steel device that anchor together floor framing members thatmeet at right angles.
Head: Aterm that applied to the construction that comprises the entire lintel ofa door or window.
Header: This term applies toseveral construction features; - The top horizontal support of a roughopening - The support for joist-ends on the foundation walls sill - Thesupport for joist-ends in a floor or roof opening
Hearth: Thefireplace floor.
Heat Loss: The heat that is lost(in BTU's) through ceilings, roof, floors and exterior walls of ahouse.
Heating Systems: Differentheating Methods for heating buildings: Hot Water, warm air, steam,electric, heat pump, geo-thermal, etc
Hip Rafter: Therafter at the corner of a hip roof.
Hipped roof: Aroof with slopes on all four sides. The "hips" are the lines formed whenthe slopes meet at the corners.
Home Styles: Thedifferent characteristic of a home influenced by the homes of immigrants:English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italians, and others.contemporary styes is a termed "release from tradition" and severs outties with previous styles.
Hopper (Window Types): Bottom hinged
Horizontal sliding (Window Types): Two or more sash designed to slide over one another
House Shapes: Thegeneral top view of the house outline. (Square, Rectangle, L-shaped,U-shaped, H-shaped, etc.
I-Beam: Asteel beam often used for floor support. Cross section of beam resembles acapital I.
Infiltration: The act of wind blowinginto the house through poorly weather-stripped windows anddoors.
Inside Stop: Seeblind stop.
Insulation: Amaterial designed to control the passing of heat and / orsound.
Interior Elevation: Anorthographic view of an inside wall.
Ionic: The type of Greek columncharacterized by scroll-like decorations.
Jack Stud: Astud adding to the support of roof rafters.
Jalousie (Window Types): Glass slats, Venetian blind principle
Jamb: Thevertical members of a window or door frame.
Jenkins-headRoof: A gabled roof with its apex truncated by a small hippedroof.
Joist: Woodframing members, usually set 16" apart on center, carefully chosen tosupport all "live" and "dead" loads.
Keystone: Thecentral, topmost stone of an arch.
Knee Wall: Awall supported by jack studs in half- storyconstruction.
Lally Column: Apost supporting a girder or I-beam.
Lath: Meshmetal, plasterboard, or thin wooden strips used as a foundation forplaster or stucco.
Lattice: Agrille created by cris-crossing or decoratively interlacing strips ofmaterial.
Leaded Window: Awindow decorated by artistic inserts of lead.
Leader: Downspout
Ledger Strip: Awooden strip nailed along the bottom face of one support to aid in thesupport of another member brought.
Light: Awindow glass.
Lintel: Ahorizontal supporting crosspiece over an opening.
Live Load: Theweight of people, things and materials that are not always present at thesame place in a building.
Louver Vent: An opening fitted with aseries of sloping slats arranged to admit light and air but shedrain.
Mansard: Aroof type with two slopes on each of the four sides, the lower slope beingsteeper than the other; capped off with a cupola, typicallyVictorian.
Masonry: Stoneworkor brickwork
Meeting Rails: Thename applied to rails of window sash that meet one another when the windowis closed.
Millwork: Finished woodwork,cabinetry, carving, etc.
Modillion: A bracket supporting theupper part of a composite or Corinthian cornice.
Modular Planning: Planninga home in multiples of four feet in order to reduce material waste and cutlabor cost.
Molding: Shaped decorativeoutlines on projecting cornices and members in wood andstone.
Mullion: Thevertical member separating adjacent windows.
Muntin: Woodor metal strips separating lites.
Newel: Theterminating baluster at the lower end os a handrail.
Niche: Arecess in a wall to place various decorations.
Nosing: The rounded fore-edge ofa stair tread.
Obelisk: An Egyptian monumentwith a tall, tapering shaft of stone with a pyramidaltop.
Oriel: A box-like windowprojecting from the wall of a house.
Oriel (Window Types): Windows that generally project from an upper story, supported by a bracket.
Outlet: Apassage connecting the gutter to the Down spout.
Outside Stop: A strip of wood or metalfastened to the inside perimeter of a window frame that holds the sashagainst the parting strip.
Palladian: Amotif having three openings, the center one being arched and larger thanthe other two.
Palladian window: Athree part window featuring a large ached center and flanking rectangularsidelights.
Paneling: The lining of a wallwith a wainscot.
Parapet: That portion of the wallthat extends above the roof (wall surrounding a flatroof).
Parget: Roughest,plaster. (Parging is a colloquial term referring to the application ofcement plaster.)
Parquet Floor: Wood flooring laid toform geometric patterns.
Parting Strip: Awood or metal strip fastened to the inside perimeter of a window frameused to separate adjacent sliding sash.
Partition: Thename given to an interior wall.
Pediment: A lowtriangular gable above a cornice, topped by raking cornices andornamented.. Used over doors, windows or porches. A classicalstyle.
Pendant: Abulbous, knob-like ornament which hangs downward.
Pent Roof: Asmall roof protruding from a facade, separating stories.
Picture Window: One single, large windowpane that does not open from either side.
Picture Window (Window Types): Fixed sash
Pier: Avertical, non-circular masonry support, more massive than acolumn.
Pilaster: Arectangular vertical member projecting only slightly from a wall, with abase and capital as will a column.
Pillar: Similarto but more slender than a pier, also non-circular.
Pitch: The rate at which a roofor other surface slopes.
Plancher: Same as a bed board orsoffit
Plaster: A surface covering forwalls and ceilings applied wet, dries to smooth, hard protectivesurface.
Plaster Board: Aname applied to many commercial products on the market used as a backingfor plaster.
Plate: The2x4 nailed along the top edge of all stud walls. A plate also is securedto the top of all solid brick or masonry walls.
Plot Plan: A topview of your finished house and landscape orientation.
Ply Cap: A plain shaped molding,1/4 rounded to provide a smooth edge along thebaseboard.
Pocket door: A door which slides openinto cavities within walls, seeming to disappear whenopen.
Porch: Anopen or enclosed gallery or room on the outside of abuilding.
Portico: Alarge porch usually with a pediment roof supported by classical columns orpillars.
Prefabricated: Ahouse whose substantial parts are made entirely or in sections away fromthe building site.
Public Utilities: Thoseutilities including water supply, sewage, electricity, disposal, gas,telephone, cable, etc. that are available to the public.
Quoin: A stone or blockreinforcing or accenting the corners of a building.
Rafter: Aroof beam sloping from the ridge to the wall. In most houses, rafters arevisible from the attic. In styles such as a craftsman bungalows and some"rustic" contemporaries, they are exposed.
Raking Cornice: The sloping moldings ofa pediment.
Return: A wooden member nailedbetween the rafter-end and the stringer for bed boardsupport.
Rib Band: Aboard set into the inside face of the stud to support a second floorjoist.
Ridge: Thetop- most portion of a roof from which roof sides fallaway.
Ridge board: A decorative boardstanding on edge, along the ridge of a roof.
Ridge Rafter: Thewooden member supporting rafter-ends at the ridge of aroof.
Ridgepole: Thehorizontal beam at the ridge of a roof, to which rafters areattached.
Rise: The vertical distancefrom one stair tread to the next.
Riser: Thevertical portion of a step. The board covering the open space betweenstair treads.
Roof Pitch: Degreeof roof slant stated in inches rise per foot.
Roof Run: Thehorizontal distance from the outside of a bearing wall plate to the centerof the ridge rafter.
Roof Span: Equalto twice the roof run, or the horizontal distance between the outsidefaces of bearing wall plates.
Roof Types: Styleand shape of roofs gable,gambrel, hip, mansard, shed, flat, butterfly, salt-box.
Rough Opening: Theframe wall opening to receive a door or window unit.
Rough Sill: Thebottom rail of a window rough opening.
Rubble: Masonryconstruction using stones of irregular shape and size.
Rusticated Stone: Stonework,sometimes roughly finished, distinguished by having the joints deeplysunk.
Saddle: Asmall ridged roof designed to carry water away from the back side of achimney.
Sash: Anindividual window unit (comprised of rails, stiles, lites, muntins) thatfits inside the window frame.
Schematic: Anelectrical diagram of electrical symbols.
Scuttle: Anopening in the ceiling leading to an unfinishedhalf-story.
Septic Tank: Aconcrete or bituminous- covered metal tank where sewage is digested bybacterial action.
Shaft: Along, slender part of a pillar that adds support to an overhangingstructure.
Sheathing: Acovering over the structural frame of a building, onto which the claddingis attached.
Shed: A roof type with onehigh pitched plane covering the entire structure.
Shingles: Wood,asphalt, or other material that is applied in small sections as an outsidecovering on roofs of exterior walls to convey the run off ofwater.
Ship lap: Aboard siding with joints cut out of the board allowing pieces to fittogether with no overlapping.
Shutter: Amovable cover for a window used for protection from weather andintruders.
Shutter Dogs: Smallmetal structures used to hold the shutters against thewall.
Sidelights: Windowson either side of a door.
Siding: Thefinished covering on the outside of non masonry walls of houses andbuildings. Shingles, wood siding, aluminum siding, vinyl siding, stucco,etc.
Sill: Ahorizontal piece forming the bottom frame of a window or dooropening.
Site: Thesection of town or general location in which your building lot islocated.
Skylight: A window in a roof togive light to a loft or room without other lighting.
Slate: A roof material madefrom a hard, fine-grained rock that cleaves into thin, smoothlayers.
Sleepers: Joistset in concrete to provide nailing strips for flooring.
Sliding Window: Awindow that opens by sliding large panes from one side to theother.
Smoke Chambers: The are immediatelyabove the damper and smoke shelf of a fireplace in thechimney.
Smoke Shelf: Ashelf at the base of the smoke chamber that provides proper smokecirculation within this chamber above the fireplace in thechimney.
Soffit: The underside of amember such as a beam or arch, or of an eave, overhang, dropped ceiling,etc. (Same as bed board)
Solar Orientation: Therelationship of room to the sun's light.
Sole: Thehorizontal wooden member supporting wall studs.
Spandrel: The part of a porchfacade that reflects the balustrade.
Spanish Clay Tile: Aroofing material made from clay soil into red brick; common toMediterranean Revival houses.
Specifications: Adocument that takes up where drawn plans leave off. This includes quantityand quality of material and a general description of how the work shouldbe done and what will be included.
Spire: The pyramidal structuresoaring from a tower or roof a church.
Square: Aunit of measure equal to 100 square feet. Three square of shingles, forexample, will cover 300 square feet of wall or roofarea.
Stairwell: Theenclosure of a stairway.
Steel Siding: Heavysiding material which remains very durable and weatherresistant.
Stile: Thevertical sides of a window sash.
Stool: The inside windowsill.
Story: A horizontal division ofa building, from the floor to the ceiling above it.
Striking Joints: The act of forming themortar at the joints of brick, stone , or tile construction for thepurpose of decoration.
String-course: Similarto a belt-course but thinner; a horizontal band or molding markingarchitectural subdivisions, such as stories.
Stringer: Theboard nailed to the exterior wall sheathing to support returns. Thediagonal supporting members for treads and riser, also calledhorses.
Stucco: Amixture of cement, sand, lime and water spread over metal screening orchicken wire or wooden lath on wooden walls to form the exterior coveringof and exterior wall.
Stud: Avertical wood support in a frame wall.
Sub-floor: Afloor beneath the finish floor designed to strengthen the bearing surfaceand prevent dust from passing through floors.
Surround(s): Themolding which outlines an object or opening.
Swiss Cap: A decorative furnace capthat exhales smoke by spinning.
Symmetrical: Whentwo halves of an object are mirror images of each other.
Tail Beam: Joistsupported by header at both ends, from a header in a floor opening to thesill header.
Terra Cotta: Amixture of sand and baked clay commonly used to make pipe for sewagedisposal systems. A mixture of sand and baked clay used to form a shingleused on certain styles of architecture.
Terrazzo: Acolorful flooring material made of cement and marble chips or certainstones. After the floor has hardened it is ground and polished to a smoothand durable finish.
Thermopane: Two or more sheets ofglass set apart from one another with a vacuumed space between to preventcondensation and reduce heat loss.
Thermostat: Anautomatic device to control heating or cooling.
Three-way Switch: Electricalswitches installed in pairs to allow a light or appliance to be controlledfrom to locations.
Threshold: Thewooden or metal strip directly beneath an exterior door. Some have anadded rubber or plastic strip feature for betterweatherstripping.
Throat Cut: The notch cut intorafters to allow proper seating on the plate.
Timber: Largewooden boards used in creating the structure of a wall.
Tongue and Groove: Atype of wooden siding with the edge of one board fitting into the grooveof the next.
Top Rail: Theupper rail of the top sash of a double hung window.
Traffic Plan: Aplan of room and door placement designed for convenience of movement innormal everyday activities.
Transom: A small window justabove a door.
Trap: Aplumbing device preventing sewage odors from entering thehouse.
Tread: Thehorizontal portion of a step, usually with a rounded edge , or 'nosing'which overhangs the riser.
Trellis: Asystem of horizontal joists supported on posts, designed to supportgrowing plants.
Trimmer: Twojoists or rafters spiked together and run parallel to joists or roofrafters to supply needed support to a floor, ceiling or roofopening.
Truss: A framework forsupporting a roof.
Turret: Asmall tower, often at the corner of a building. Common in Queen AnneStyles among others. A turret is a smaller structure while a tower beginsat ground level.
Unite d'Habitation: LeCorbusier's name for an ideal housing type, the multistory block includingsocial facilities, shops, and play space contained within a singlebuilding, around what he called streets in the sky. Realized by LeCorbusier himself most famously in Marseilles, but also in Berlin and atthe new town Firminy, the Unite was to prove hugely influential, far fromuniversally socially sucessful.
V-Type Ridge Cover: Aseries of clay shingles used to cover the ridge pole on tile and slateroofs.
Valley: A lowregion on a roof between gables.
Valley Jacks: Raftersthat run from the ridge rafter to the valley rafter.
Valley Rafter: Therafter under the valley proper.
Veneer: Athin facing of finishing material
Veneer Wall: Thecovering of one wall construction by a second material to enhance wallbeauty. (Brick or stone over frame, brick or stone over concretebloc.
Vent Stack: Ametal, plastic or composite pipe (usually 4 inch in diameter) leading fromthe sewage network out through the roof to prevent pressures during sewageflow.
Vinyl: A synthetic type ofsiding used for its economic value and durability.
Wall Tie: Agalvanized iron strip used to tie a veneer wall to its backingwall.WainscotA paneling applied tothe lower portion of a wall.Waste Pipe
Water Closet: Commode
Water Table: Similarto a drip cap in function, sometimes found around the perimeter of a housenear the ground line.
Weatherstripping: A strip of fabric,plastic, rubber or metal found around exterior wall openings to reduceinfiltration.
Well-Opening: Astair enclosure.
Window Frame: Thewindow unit less sash.
Yoke: Thetop horizontal board of a window frame.