Glossary Flashcards
A buttressing or supporting structure
Abutment
The branch of physics that deals with sound. In architectural application the sound qualities of a room or space
Acoustics
In an ancient Greek city, a citadel, usually on a high plateau
Acropolis
A sun dried brick of earth, used in the American Southwest
Adobe
The branch of philosophy that deals with the quality. aspects, and perception of beauty.
Aesthetics
The rights to the use or control of space above a property, such as highways, railroad tracks or buildings.
Air Rights
Reflectivity measured as the relative permeability of a surface to radiant energy flowing in either direction.
Albedo
Horizontal or vertical deviation from the straight or level centerline of the road.
Alignment
An arena encircled by tiers of seats.
Amphitheater
An electromagnetic device that indicates the activation of certain circuits; a device to signal the existence and location of a fire in a building.
Annunciator
The eastern or alter end of a church usually semi circular in plan
Apse
Masonry having a face of square of rectangular stones.
Ashlar
A glazed decorative tile with the color blue most prominent.
Azulejo
Earth or other fill material placed between an outside foundation wall and the excavation.
Backfill
A partial obstruction against flow, in a duct or pipe.
Baffle
The proportioning of components by offsetting or contrasting so as to produce an aesthetic equilibrium in the whole.
Balance
A style in European architecture developed in the late Renaissance in reaction to classical forms, containing elaborate curves, scrolls, and ornament.
Baroque
East - West lines from which townships are established on government surveys. They run perpendicular to meridian lines.
Base Lines
A part usually half of a broken brick; also a unit of flat insulation
Bat
A cleat like member placed across a series of boards to tie them together; also a narrow strip covering the joint between two vertical boards.
Batten
Roof structure or pavilion located to command a view.
Belvedere
An excavated level terrace in a slope used to collect running water.
Bench
A relatively permanent surveyor’s mark of know location and elevation.
Bench Mark
A bank of earth, often piled against a wall
Berm
Describing cement, mastic or roofing material which contains asphalt as a principal ingredient.
Bituminous
An area usually urban that has deteriorated in quality and value, and which functions well below its economic and social potential.
Blighted Area
A division of urban land, normally private property, that is surrounded by public streets, and which is officially established and recorded.
Block
A stone guard to prevent damage to a wall; also a free standing stone or metal post to divert vehicular traffic
Bollard
Drilling into the earth to obtain soil samples in order to determine soil bearing capacity.
Boring
A sun break, an architectural shading device for blocking unwanted sun rays.
Brise - Soleil
British Thermal Unit, the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water 1 degree F.
BTU
A defined limit within a property line beyond which a structure may not protrude.
Building Line
An air chamber without a bottom, used in excavation through water or mud.
Caisson
A bell tower
Campanile
To set at a slant from the horizontal or vertical.
Cant
A small room in a library
Carrel
A sieve like device at the entrance to a storm sewer to trap matter that could block up the sewer.
Catch Basin
A geographical area from which the participants in an activity are drawn, such as the customers of a shopping center or the employees of a manufacturing plant.
Catchment
To fill a joint with mastic, usually done with a pressure gun.
Caulk
The inner enclosed room of an ancient temple.
Cella
The separation of traffic lanes by the use of islands or dividers.
Channelization
A valve in a pipe that permits water to flow only in one direction.
Check Valve
The flow or movement of people, goods, vehicles, etc. from place to place.
Circulation
The prevailing or average weather conditions of a place as determined over a number of years.
Climate
A brick that has been overburned by being near the fire in a kiln.
Clinker
A type of grade separated interchange used in highway design. Named for its shape.
Cloverleaf
A method of residential siting in which a series of housing units are grouped to form common interior spaces, as well as a unified peripheral space.
Cluster
A street to which minor streets connect and that, itself leads to a major arterial.
Collector Street
The sensation resulting from stimulation of the retina of the eye by light waves of certain lengths; the property of reflecting light of a particular wavelength.
Color
Hollow and curved inward (the inside surface of a hollow sphere)
Concave
The speed with which energy (normally heat energy) passes through a given material after penetrating its surface.
Conductivity
Pertaining to cone bearing trees and shrubs, mostly evergreens, such as pine, spruce, fir, cedar, etc.
Coniferous
A pattern of land use in which random cluster or development are connected to one another.
Constellation Pattern
A procedure in which an owner contracts with a construction manager (CM), who is generally responsible for control of a project’s time, cost and quality
Construction Management
An amount included in a construction budget, normally 5 to 10 % to provide for unforeseen or unpredictable costs.
Contingency Allowance
An imaginary line of constant elevation on the ground surface used to designate elevation and describe the form of land surface graphically.
Contour
The distribution of energy (normally heat) by fluid movement of air or water.
Convection
Curved outward (the surface of a sphere)
Convex
A deed restriction that regulates land use, construction materials, appearance, and aesthetic qualities of an area.
Covenant
To develop minute surface cracks in stucco, concrete or glaze.
Craze
A system of planning and scheduling construction operations that analyzes sequences and durations of time using network diagrams and identifies construction tasks that have great impact in schedule.
Critical Path Method
A short road with no outlet, serving only those buildings or properties that front on it.
Cul-De-Sac
A length of pipe, running under a road or other barrier, used to drain or carry water.
Culvert
A raised margin running along the edge of a street pavement, usually of concrete.
Curb
Earth that is removed and earth that is added in grading.
Cut and Fill
A platform raised above floor level
Dais
A horizontal plane elevation used as a reference for other elevations in surveying and mapping
Datum
Shedding leaves annually, as contrasted with evergreen
Deciduous
A written instrument that is used to transfer property title from one party to another.
Deed
A measure of the number of people, families, etc. that occupy a specified area.
Density
The arrangement of parts, details, form, color etc. so as to produce a complete entity.
Deisgn
The temperature at which air becomes saturated with moisture and condensation occurs.
Dew Point
Two sheets of glass with an air space between, to insulate against the passage of heat or sound
Double Glazing
The system by which excess water and wastes are controlled, transported and disposed.
Drainage
Clay pipe, usually with open joints to convey water away from a footing or to disperse fluid in a septic tank field.
Drain Tile
A pit, usually filled with coarse stone, into which water is conducted for leaching out into surrounding soil.
Dry Well
A dome, hence often a cathedral.
Duomo
An ingredient living area that includes its own private cooking and bathing facilities.
Dwelling Unit
The modifications involved in altering existing topography.
Earthwork
A legal right that an individual or the public may have to use or have access to a portion of another person’s land.
Easement
Sensation produced by the combined effects of absolute temperature, relative humidity and air movement.
Effective Temperature
The height above a known point of reference, often taken as the height above sea level.
Elevation
The right of a public agency to expropriate private property for public use.
Eminent Domain
The slight convexity of a column used to give an impression of vertical strength.
Entasis
The gradual wearing away or disintegration of land caused by water running over its surface, wind, etc.
Erosion
A preliminary sketch or plan
Esquisse
Having green leaves throughout the year, as opposing to deciduous
Evergreen
The digging or removal of earth or soil as for a foundation
Excavation
A semi circular open area, with or without a roof, providing a continuous seat.
Exedra
The exterior face of a building, usually the front
Facade
Enameled clay products
Faience
A construction technique in which construction on each phase of a project is begun when its design is completed, without waiting for overall project design completion.
Fast Track
The boundary between adjacent rock plates along which movement may take place during an earthquake
Fault
FHA
Federal Housing Authority
Brick composed of clay not containing any fusible material which can resist high temperatures
Fire Brick
A wall resistant to the spread of fire.
Fire Wall
The ratio between the gross floor area of a building and its site area.
Floor Area Ratio
An agency whose function is to stabilize the housing market by purchasing mortgages or providing mortgage money directly.
FNMA Federal National Mortgage Association
The shape, outline, or configuration of a structure or the parts of a structure that gives its distinctive appearance.
Form
A high speed multiple lane highway designed to move traffic smoothly and without interruption.
Freeway/ Expressway
A horizontal band on a vertical surface, located beneath the cornice sometimes decorated with relief sculpture
Frieze
The limit of penetration of soil by frost
Frost Line
Attaching wood or metal strips to a rough wall, to provide a flat plane for the finish or to provide an air space.
Furring
A belvedere or viewing place
Gazebo
A specific residential area in which people of a particular ethnicity are concentrated.
Ghetto
Extreme contrast between light and dark in the visual field which can cause discomfort.
Glare
An agency that functions in the secondary mortgage market.
GNMA Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae)
The degree of rise or descent of a sloping surface. Also the act of altering or finishing existing topography
Grade
Concrete used for paving, which uses crushed granite as the course aggregate.
Granolith
A belt like area around a city reserved for park land, farms, open space, etc.
Greenbelt
A pattern of land division for development as well as circulation so named for its shape.
Grid Pattern
An amount established in an agreement between an owner and a contractor as the maximum cost of performing specific work.
Guaranteed Maximum Cost
Agreement or proportionate agreement of parts in size, color, form, etc.
Harmony
A race course bordered by tiered seating
Hippodrome
The type, arrangement and quality of dwelling units distributed over a given area
Housing
An agency concerned with all phases of housing activities.
HUD Department of Housing and Urban Development
The amount or degree of moisture in an area expressed as a percentage, a determining element of weather.
Humidity
A sacred picture of object
Icon
The cap of a pier or pilaster that supports the spring of an arch
Impost
An entrance
Ingress
The sections of a large city in or near its center, especially when crowded or blighted.
Inner City
A surface decoration formed by a slightly depressed plane of lines and patterns
Intaglio
An access and egress point on a freeway that permits traffic to enter, exit or change direction.
Interchange
The point at which two streets come together or cross
Intersection
A situation, generally the reverse of normal, in which cold air is close to the ground and a layer of warm air is above it
Inversion
The elevation of the lowest inside surface of a pipe or sewer.
Invert Elevation
A window or door blind made of movable horizontal slats.
Jalousie
The wedge shaped top member of the arch
Keystone
A small pavilion, usually in a public place
Kiosk
A Hawaiian terrace or veranda
Lanai
The design and arrangement of natural elements on a site.
Landscaping
A superstructure on a roof, dome, or tower, glazed along its sides, that admits light to the area below.
Lantern
A legal claim on property, as security for money owed.
Lien
Radiant energy that is perceived by the human eye.
Light
A pattern of land use that develops along a line such as a highway or river.
Linear Pattern
A structural member placed over an opening and supporting construction above.
Lintel
A street that starts at a major street, extends in curvilinear fashion for a short distance, and then returns to the major street
Loop Street
One of several horizontal slats slanted to exclude rain but allow the passage of air
Louver
Paving using crushed stone
Macadam
The general climate over a large geographical area
Macroclimate
A hole though which a person can enter a sewer, pipe, conduit, etc. in order to inspect, repair or service a utility
Manhole
Long range, overall concept of an area’s development.
Master Plan
Caulking that remains elastic
Mastic
A stone of great size
Megalith
A term referring to a group of large cities or metropolitan areas that merge.
Megalopolis
A description of property boundaries expressed by directions (bearings) and distances.
Metes and Bounds
The characteristics form of large scale American urbanization; a city form with an operating radius of 30 miles or more.
Metropolitan Area (or Region)
The general climatic characteristics that are peculiar to a very small area
Microclimate
A repetitive dimension used in architectural design and planning.
Module
An agreement to pay for the cost of a property over a long period of time, n which the property is pledged as security.
Mortgage
The vertical division member between windows or doors.
Mullion
A wood or metal member used to hold the panes within a window
Muntin
An inner chamber of a classical temple
Naos
The entrance vestibule of a church.
Narthex
The man longitudinal portion of a church interior
Nave
A community of people living in a general area. The area can generally support an elementary school.
Neighborhood
A system of circulation channels that covers a large area.
Network
A commemorative shaft, square in sections with a small pyramid on top.
Obelisk
An abbreviation for “on-center” in dimensioning.
O.C.
The positioning of an object in relation to certain directions; the sense of direction disclosed by an object in a particular position.
Orientation
In Far Eastern architecture, a tower like structure.
Pagoda
A palace
Palazzo
A building planned so that a person at the center can observe converging corridors.
Panopticon
A level and patterned garden
Parterre
The general scheme of a design
Parti
A wall built astride a property line
Party Wall
An open court enclosed by the walls of a building
Patio
The triangular face of a roof gable.
Pediment
A landscaped strip of ground dividing a pedestrian walk from a street
Planting Strip
A plan of a land area, lots, streets, etc.
Plat
A parcel of land
Plot
Constructed off site in standardization sections for shipment and quick assembly such as a prefab house
Prefabricated
A system of sizing and division to establish harmonious relationships between components elements.
Proportion
A zoning designation that allows greater freedom in site planning, while usually maintaining the same density. Similar to cluster developments but larger in scale, including commercial and industrial developments, in addition to housing.
PUD
A circulation pattern in which channels spread out from a central point.
Radial Pattern
A slope or incline as on a roof
Rake
The recurrence of design elements in space
Rhythm
A path of circulation conveying persons, vehicles, and services
Right of Way
A land use pattern that is developed in a circular or doughnut form, the center being relatively unused
Ring Road
A device used at an intersection of streets in which all vehicles merge and then diverge at relatively low speeds
Rotary
A circular space covered by a dome
Rotunda
The fraction of total rainfall that is not absorbed in the ground and hence, runs off. It must be collected in a system of surface and sub surface drains.
Runoff Coefficient
In urban planning, an outlying community of secondary importance, dependent on a larger city.
Satellite
The relative measurement of an object with reference to the dimensions of the human body.
Scale
A legally defined distance from the property line into which a structure may not project.
Setback
An underground pipe or drain used to carry off rain water (storm water) or water materials (sanitary sewer)
Sewer
Designing the external physical environment in which buildings and structures are placed.
Site Planning
The amount of deviation from the horizontal or vertical
Slope
An urban area that is overcrowded and whose buildings may be unsafe and unhealthful to inhabit
Slum
Zoning of a parcel of land that is different from that of the surrounding area.
Spot Zoning
A pattern of land use development in the shape of a star
Star Pattern
A portico used in Greek Architecture often as a covered shopping way
Stoa
A sewer for carrying away surface rain water, as opposed to sanitary sewage
Storm Sewer
Specific or characteristic manner of expression, execution, construction, or design in any art, period, work, etc.
Style
The division of vacant land into smaller parcels to be used as sites for individual buildings, together with public rights of way affecting these sites.
Subdivisions
The soil layer beneath topsoil
Subsoil
An outlying portion of a city, which is largely residential
Suburb
A very large area of land in which all through traffic is eliminated, but which may be penetrated by cul-de-sacs or minor loop roads.
Superblock
The process of determining location, form, and boundaries of a parcel of land by measurement, computation, and drawing.
Survey
A mirror image arrangement of elements on either side of
Symmetry
A dark sticky oil, dry distilled from resinous woods, coal or peat; used in roofing and road surfaces
Tar
The arrangement of particles of a material that affects the appearance or feel of the surface.
Texture
The configuration of the surface features of an area ground.
Topography
A road that crosses under another road.
Underpass
A process of public intervention in the development of an existing urban area, in which the public acquires ownership of property and administers its resale and development to mainly private owners.
Urban Renewal
A public service, such as telephone, water, gas or electricity
Utility
A bridge across a valley
Viaduct
An entrance (or exit) passage in a large amphitheater
Vomitorium
The level below ground at which water is found flowing.
Water Table
Structures or plants that, because of their form and location, reduce wind velocities.
Windbreak
An area of land not built upon, which may be used for exterior activities
Yard
The legal means whereby land use is regulated and controlled for the welfare of the community
Zoning
