Building Analysis Flashcards
electromagnetic distance measurement (edm)
method of field measuring and recording that uses a laser-based instrument with an on board computer to measure the distance, horizontal angle, and vertical angle of a laser beam to a reflective prism target
refractorless electromagnetic distance measurment (redm)
relies on the return signal bounced from the object being measured - less precise
rectified photography
uses digital cameras to photograph facades
photogrammetry
survey of objects or spaces through the use of photography and associated software
stereophotogrammetry
uses two overlapping photographs in a computer program to produce a digital stereo image
convergent photogrammetry
uses multiple photographic images of an object taken at different angles
laser scanning
uses medium-range pulsing laser beams that symmetrically sweep over an object or space to obtain 3D coordinates of points on the surface being scanned
programming
the stage of defining the problem and establishing all the guidelines and needs on which the design process can be based
expansibility
programmatic concept to consider when working with a client whose needs may change significantly in the near future
net area
the area of a facility not including the space for general circulation between rooms, mechanical rooms, stairways, elevator and mechanical shafts, electrical and telephone equipment rooms, wall and structural thicknesses, and other spaces that do not directly house the primary activities of the building
nonassignable area
the secondary space for general circulation between rooms, mechanical rooms, stairways, elevator and mechanical shafts, electrical and telephone equipment rooms, wall and structural thickness, and other spaces do not directly house the primary activities of the building
gross building area
the net area + the nonassignable area
efficiency ratio
ratio of the net area to the gross area (net-gross-ration)
rentable area
the sum of the occupant area and a prorated share of the areas of a building used by all tenants
occupant area
the area used exclusively by the tenant’s own business or function
base building circulation
the minimum path on a multi-occupant floor necessary for access to and egress from occupant areas, elevators, stairs, restrooms, janitorial closets, and similar areas
pro forma
statement listing the expected income that the project will generate and the expected costs to build the project
value engineering
involves reviewing individual systems and materials to see if the same function can be accomplished in a less expensive way
building cost
money needed to construct the building, including structure, exterior cladding, finishes, and electrical and mechanical systems, as well as the contractor’s overhead and profit
site development costs
cost of parking, drives, fences, landscaping, exterior lighting, and irrigation systems and are usually separate from the building cost
furniture, fixtures and equipment (ff&e)
costs that include movable equipment
professional services
architectural and engineering fees as well as costs for services such as topographic surveys, soil tests, special consultants, appraisals, and legal consultations
financing
the long term interest paid on permanent financing as well as the immediate costs of loan organization fees, construction loan interest, and other administrative costs
debt service
the cost to pay off the construction loan for a project and is generally considered an ongoing cost over many years, not part of the original cost of the project
project comparison method
method in which the cost of the project is estimated using the costs of past projects of similar scope and function
area method
the type of estimate is usually prepared when preliminary design is completed and the architect has a fairly good idea of the size of the project, it’s functional components and the general level of quality or complexity
assembly method
during schematic design, when more is known about the space requirements and general configuration of the building and site, budgeting can be based on major subsystems
market approach
a way land value is calculated in which the surrounding neighborhood or region is investigated to find similar properties that have recently sold or are on the market
income approach
the value of the land is calculated based on the potential the property has to yield a profit
cost approach
the value of the land is estimated at its highest and best use - then the cost to replace the building or add improvements is calculated - the estimated accrued depreciation is figured and subtracted from the replacement cost or the cost of improvements - this adjusted amount is then added to the land value to give the total value of the property
mill levy
a way property tax is often expressed in which the number of mills, or thousandths of a dollar, that are charged per $1000 of assessed value
general tax
any tax imposed for general governmental purposes
ad valorem tax
a tax based on the value of the property being taxed
special sales tax
any tax that is imposed for a specific purpose or by a single-purpose authority
general obligation bonds
bonds typically used to finance the acquisition or construction of specific public capital facilities, such as schools, museums, and libraries, and to purchase real property
revenue bonds
bonds issued by local government to pay for a facility or improvement and are backed by the revenue that will come from the customers who use the services that the bonds funded (city water and sewer facilities)
public enterprise revenue bonds
bonds issued by cities or countries to finance facilities for revenue producing public enterprises (airports, parking garages and hospitals)
tax-increment financing
a city can use this to pay for improvements that will encourage private development in an area and generate increased taxes due to increased property values
development impact fees
fees imposed on developers in order to pay for the improvements to off-site infrastructure (such as roads, utilities, etc) that the new development make necessary
subdivision exactions
requirement that subdivision developers either dedicate some land for public use or contribute cash for the purchase of land and facilities by local governments
special district assessments
fees used to fund public space improvements, such as parks and streetscapes, in order to enhance an area’s appeal and increase its property values (business improvement districts or benefit assessments)
mortgage loan
used to purchase property - the borrower grants the lender a lien on the property until the loan is repaid
blanket loan
used to fund the purchase of a large piece of real estate that the borrower intends to subdivide and resell as smaller parcels
bond
a type of debt security issued by a government entity to raise money for a construction project - typically sold to individual investors and investment companies
bridge loan
a short-term loan used to purchase property or finance a project quickly, before long-term financing can be arranged
construction loan
loan used to finance the building of a project and is in effect only for the duration of construction
hard money loan
relatively short-term loan used when there is a distressed financial situation such as a foreclosure, bankruptcy or nonpayment of a previous loan
mezzanine loan
loan secured by collateral in the stock of the development company rather than in the developed property - often used by developers for large projects
abatement
reduction in the price of a property due to the discovery of some problem that tends to decrease the property’s value
accessory building
building whose function is secondary to that of the main structure
amenities
desirable features of a building or near a building that have the effect of increasing the property’s value
amortization
payment of a loan using equal payments at equal intervals over the life of the loan - each payment provides for a portion to be applied to the principal and the remainder to be applied to the interest
anhor tenant
a major tenant in a shopping mall - serves to attract shoppers to the mall to the benefit of other, smaller stores
appraisal
an estimation of a property’s value made by a qualified appraiser
aquifer
a natural, underground reservoir from which wells draw water
assessed value
value given to a piece of property by local jurisdiction, to be used in assessing taxes on the property
bedroom community
region or small town that contains mainly housing and offers few employment opportunities
blighted area
an area of a city in which many buildings are in a state of decay and in need of improvement
boilerplate
standard portion of a written document, such as a contract or architectural specification
buffer zone
a piece of land used to separate two incompatible uses
capital expenditure
an amount of money used to make physical improvements to a property to enhance the property’s value over an extended period of time
cash flow
the amount of money that is net income from a property after expenses are paid
cluster housing
particular type of housing development in which the houses or apartments are placed closed to each other and have access to nearby common open spaces
common area
a portion of a building or development that is available for the use of all tenants or unit owners
conditional use permit (cup)
permit given by a city or other zoning jurisdiction for a proposed use that would otherwise not be allowed in a particular zoning district - the conditional use permit gives the zoning jurisdiction a means of imposing special conditions on the proposed development, to ensure that the development will not adversely affect the surrounding neighborhood or the public safety and welfare
condominium
development in which residents own their own living units but share common areas, which are maintained by the condominium corporation
conveyance
the act of transferring an interest in a property to another person or the document written to formalize such a transfer
cooperative
type of land ownership where the residents of individual units own an interest in the corporation that owns the entire property
cul-de-sac
a dead end street that has only one way in and often features a large circular turnaround space at the end
dedication
the donation of a parcel of land by a developer for public use, such as for a park or school
demising wall
party wall
despoil
to remove items of value (from a site)
development rights
the legal right of a developer to develop a parcel of land
discount rate
rate of interest that reflects the time value of money and that is used to discount future values, to present values, or to calculate the future value of money invested at the discount rate
downzoning
a change of zoning resulting in a decrease of allowable density
easement
the right to use a portion of land owned by another for a specific purpose
eminent domain
the right of a governmental jurisdiction to take ownership of private property for the public good while paying fair market value compensation to the owner
encroachment
an intrusion onto one property by the improvement of an adjoining property
equity
the amount of money an owner of a property keeps after selling the property and paying off any mortgages
escalation rate
rate of change in the price for a particular good or service
fair market value
value of a piece of property that a buyer would pay a seller in a free transaction for the property
fixture
an item that is attached to a building and is typically included in the sale of the building
ground lease
long-term lease of a property that allows the tenant to use and improve the land, but that reverts to the owner at the end of the lease
height zoning
restrictions on the heights of buildings and structures established by local laws
improvement ration
ratio of the value of improvements on a property to the value of the property alone
inverse condemnation
remedy by a court for a private land owner whose land has been taken away by a governmental body
landlocked
descriptive of a parcel of land that does not border any public road
land sale leaseback
a legal arrangement in which the owner of a property sells the property to someone else but then immediately leases it from the purchaser
lien waiver
a document that gives up a person’s right to claim a lien against property
mechanic’s lien and materialman’s lien
claim placed against a property’s deed by someone who has provided work on materials to improve the property but has not been paid for the work
minimum property standard
minimum standards for residential building required by the federal housing administration for construction or for underwriting a mortgage
modified uniform present worth factor
a discount factor that is used to convert an annual amount that is changing from year to year at a given escalation rate to a time-equivalent present value
net leasable area
area of a building that is available for rent, which does not include common areas, structure, stairs, and the like
occupancy permit
a document, issued by a city’s building department, giving permission for a building to be occupied
pad site
a separate location for development of retail space near a shopping center
party wall
shared wall between two leased spaces or between two residential units
restriction
limit on how the owner of a property or building can use or improve the property
riparian
pertaining to land adjacent to a river or other body of water
riparian rights
the rights of a landowner to use or control all or a portion of the water in a body of water bordering his or her property
satellite tenant
a minor or smaller tenant in a shopping center
special use permit
an exemption from zoning regulations given to a jurisdiction
spot zoning
the application of specific zoning regulations to specific properties when nearby land is under different zoning
underimproved land
property that is not producing the maximum income it is capable of producing given its size, zoning, and so on
uniform capital recovery
a method of converting the future value of money to a present worth using the discount rate
uniform present worth factor
the discount factor that is used to convert a uniform annual value to a time-equivalent present value
uniform sinking fund
the amount of money that has to be invested at today’s value at a given interest rate to become a specified amount of money in the future
usury
the illegal practice of charging exorbitant interest rates on a loan
variance
permission granted by a local jurisdiction to deviate from the literal provisions of a zoning ordinance where strict adherence would cause undue hardship because of conditions or circumstances unique to an individual property
zero lot line
part of a zoning regulation’s setback requirements that allows a building to be constructed up to the property line with no setbacks
zoning bylaw
the set of zoning regulations established by a local jurisdiction that regulates certain building practices within the jurisdiction
