Programming, Planning & Practice (Kaplan 2009) Flashcards
A street which carries relatively low traffic and provides access to low-intensity uses which front on it.
local access street
A form of real estate tenancy in which the lessee has the right to use a piece of property under conditions described in the lease.
leasehold
A transitional style architecture in the late 16th century, particularly in Italy, characterized by the unconventional use of classical elements.
mannerism
Lynch’s term for a city’s circulation routes
paths
A theory suggesting that the land use patterns of some cities are not developed around a single core, but rather around several distinct nodes.
multiple nuclei theory
Lynch’s term for the central points of reference in a city.
nodes
The ratio of the gross floor area of a building to the area of the lot.
floor area ratio (FAR)
A numerical classification indicating the rate at which flame will spread over the surface of a material. Class I materials have the least and Class III have the most.
flame-spread rating
Construction to resist the spread of fire, as specified in the applicable building code.
fire-resistive construction
The intersection of two roads at different levels so that vehicles may move from one road to the other without crossing the stream of traffic. Also called interchange.
grade separation
The rate of slope between two points on a surface, determined by dividing their vertical difference in elevation by their horizontal distance apart.
gradient
The Medieval architecture of Western Europe from the 12th to the 16th century; characterized by pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and daring structural forms.
gothic
A concept developed by Ebenezer Howard in which all land would be owned by the community, the city would be economically balanced and self-contained, and a permanent belt of farmland would surround the city.
garden city
A concept of proportion in which a whole is divided so that the ratio of the smaller to the larger part is the same as the ratio of the larger part to the whole. Mathematically, C, B = B, A
golden section
The intersection of a railroad and a road at the same elevation.
grade crossing
The most profitable use of a parcel of land.
highest and best use
The time interval between the arrival of successive buses or trains.
headway
Land on which buildings have not yet been constructed, but which contains utilities and streets.
improved land
Serving to reveal or disclose; stimulating interest in order to encourage further investigation.
heuristic
A logical process in which a conclusion contains more information than the premises on which it is based
inductive reasoning
A term used by Lynch to describe the ease with which parts of a city can be recognized and organized into a coherent pattern. Also known as legibility.
imageability
Relationships between activities characterized by frequent interaction.
linkages
Equal and undivided ownership of property by two or more persons that upon the death of one, interest passes to the survivor(s).
joint tenancy
The form of modern architecture developed in the 1920s and 1930s, characterized by cubist forms, white surfaces, and large areas of glass and steel windows.
international style
A part of a highway marked off to carry a single line of moving vehicles.
lane
As used by Lynch, a point of reference in a city that cannot be entered into or traversed.
landmark
The 18th century social and economic movement, begun in England, that mechanized the productive processes by substituting machine power for hand power.
industrial revolution
The social standing one has relative to others, which serves to determine spatial and social order.
status
The study of the properties of geometric forms that remain constant when the forms change. This relation exists, for example, in considering inside and outside.
topology
An arrangement which tends to bring people together, such as the arrangement of tables and chairs at a sidewalk cafe.
sociopetal
An arrangement which tends to keep people apart, such as back-to-back seating in an airline terminal waiting room.
sociofugal
Behavior intended to protect a specific territory by means of particular positions, postures, or gestures, such as placing one’s coat over the adjacent seat.
spatial defense
A theory of urban development which assumes that land uses tend to be arranged in pieces or pie-shaped wedges radiating from the center of the city.
sector theory
The shape of an extensive urban area which lacks specific focal points, well-defined routes, or articulated form.
sheet pattern
A community in New Jersey, planned by Henry Wright and Clarence Stein, in which superblocks were surrounded by roads, and all pedestrian paths bridged over or passed under the roads.
Radburn
A typical pattern of urban development formed by a grid street system with two or more corridors of intense development intersecting at a central core.
rectilinear pattern
Separating into component parts; reducing to a simpler form.
resolution
The study of human perception of space and environment, including how the use of space relates to environmental and cultural factors.
proxemics
A spherical triangle forming a transition between a circular dome and its square or polygonal support.
pendentive
Pertaining to architecture having directness of form and economy of materials.
organic
Le Corbusier’s system of proportioning based on the male human body.
modular
A term used by Lynch to describe the ease with which parts of a city can be recognized and organized into a coherent pattern. Also known as imageability.
legibility
The unique characteristics of a place which relate to a specific behavior or a particular activity.
behavior setting
An architectural style of the 5th century, which employed masonry arches and domes on pendentives.
Byzantine
The inherent system in people that causes regular cycles of function or behavior, such as periods of working, sleeping and eating.
biological clock
An early 1950s style based on Le Corbusier’s crudely fabricated concrete work in which structural and mechanical elements were often featured.
brutalism
An architectural style from 19th century France which encouraged the eclectic adaptation of French Renaissance features.
beaux-arts
The unit of space between the supporting columns of a building.
bay
A theory of urban development that perceives the modern American city as a series of concentric rings around the central business district.
concentric zone theory
The architectural development around 1900, centered in Chicago, that was characterized by tall, steen-framed buildings.
Chicago school
Overly lavish, decorated architecture from the baroque period in Spain.
churrigueresque
The process by which private property is taken for public use under the right of eminent domain, with reasonable compensation paid to the owner.
condemnation
The process by which a person acquires, codes, stores, recalls, and decodes information about his or her spatial environment.
cognitive mapping
Lawful use of a building or lot that complies with the provisions of the applicable zoning ordinance.
conforming use
A housing pattern consisting of rows of units located perpendicular to the street.
end-on pattern
Appropriation of private property for public use, together with acceptance for such use by a public agency.
dedication
A term used by Kevin Lynch to describe sections of the environment having an identifying character.
districts
A logical process in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the premises, as opposed to inductive reasoning.
deductive reasoning
The upper part of a Greek or Roman order, comprising architrave, frieze, and cornice.
entablature
A preliminary sketch or plan.
equisse
The area beyond a city’s suburbs, whose residents are generally upper-income commuters.
exurbia
An urban pattern in which development occurs along public transit corridors and expressways.
finger plan
A form of land ownership in which the owner has absolute title, which can be transferred by sale or bequest.
fee simple
Earth that is replaced around a foundation or retaining wall after the concrete forms have been removed.
backfill
A line, usually parallel to a property line, beyond which a structure may not extend.
building line
A unit of heat energy, which is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Farenheit.
British thermal unit (Btu)
A stone guard to prevent damage to a wall; also a freestanding stone post to divert vehicular traffic.
bollard
A relatively permanent surveyor’s mark of known location and elevation.
bench mark
A type of zoning that permits a developer to reduce the minimum lot size below the requirements of the zoning ordinance, if the land gained thereby is preserved as permanent, community open space.
cluster zoning
An imaginary line on the ground surface connecting all points of equal elevation.
contour
The prevailing or average weather conditions of a place as determined over a number of years.
climate
East-west lines, running perpendicular to meridian lines, from which townships are established on government surveys.
baselines
A partial obstruction against flow, in a duct or pipe.
baffle
A sun break, an architectural shading device for blocking unwanted sun rays.
brise-soliel
The process of formulating, organizing, or expressing an element clearly with relation to other parts.
articulation
An original model after which something is patterned; a prototype.
archetype
A group of arches on columns or pillars, which are either freestanding or attached to a wall.
arcade
The aesthetic or pleasurable features of a place or facility.
amenities
Able to walk.
ambulatory
The separation of an entity into its components, so that it may be examined.
analysis
The acquisition of territory by a municipality.
annexation
The angle which the sun makes with the horizon.
altitude
To summarize; to get to the essence of something.
abstract
The violation of the spatial or territorial rights of another, usually by a show of force.
aggression
Wedge-shaped blocks used to form an arch or vault.
voussoirs
Encroachment on personal space, such as sitting very close to a person on an otherwise empty park bench.
spatial invasion
A length of pipe, running under a road or other barrier, used to drain or carry water.
culvert
The heat transfer process which occurs when a warm fluid rises, displacing cold fluid which then falls.
convection
Hollow and curved inward, such as the inside surface of a hollow sphere.
concave
Curved outward, such as the outside surface of a sphere.
convex
A waterproof boxlike structure in which construction work can be performed underwater.
Also a pile constructed by pouring concrete into a drilled shaft.
caisson
A type of grade-separated interchange used in highway design, named for its shape.
cloverleaf
A pattern of land use in which several cities of approximately the same size and population are located fairly close to each other, but have no dominating center.
constellation pattern
To set at a slant from the horizontal or vertical.
cant
A compound used to seal the joint between two materials or surfaces.
caulking
The geographic 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
Earth which is removed (cut) and earth which is added (fill) in grading.
cut and fill
A legal document which is used to transfer property title from one party to another.
deed
A deed restriction which regulates land use, construction materials, appearance, or aesthetic qualities of an area.
covenant
The rate at which a given material conducts heat, per inch of thickness.
conductivity (k)
Two sheets of glass with an air space between, to insulate against the passage of heat or sound. Also called insulating glass.
double glazing
A short road with no outlet, serving only those buildings or properties which face it.
cul-de-sac
A dome, hence often a cathedral.
duomo
The digging or removal of earth.
excavation
The right held by one party to make limited use of the property of another.
easement
A platform raised above floor level.
dais
The process of controlling, collecting, transporting, and disposing of excess water.
drainage
Trees which shed leaves annually, as opposed to evergreens.
deciduous
Trees having green leaves throughout the year, as opposed to deciduous.
evergreen
A high-speed, multiple-lane highway designed to move traffic smoothly and without interruption. Also called a freeway.
expressway
The height above a known point of reference, often taken as the height above sea level.
elevation
The gradual wearing away or disintegration of land caused by water, wind, and so on running over its surface.
erosion
Removing and/or adding earth in order to bring the ground surface to a specified elevation profile. Also called grading.
earthwork
The slightly convexity of a column, used to overcome the optical illusion of concavity that would occur if the column were straight.
entasis
The right of the state to take private property for public use, with reasonable compensation paid to the owner.
eminent domain
The expected maximum depth of frost penetration in the ground in a given area.
frost line
Wood or metal strips used to make a plane surface; also a cavity within a wall or ceiling.
furring
A construction procedure in which construction on each phase of a project is begun as its design is completed, without waiting for the completed project design.
fast-tract
A horizontal band on a vertical surface, located beneath a cornice, sometimes decorated with relief sculpture.
frieze
A high-speed, multiple-lane highway designed to move traffic smoothly and without interruption.
Also called an expressway.
freeway
A belvedere or viewing place.
gazebo
An amount established in an agreement between an owner and a contractor as the maximum cost of performing specified work.
guaranteed maximum cost
A wall resistant to the spread of fire.
fire wall
The shape, outling, or configuration of a structure. Also, a mold of wood or other material used to contain wet concrete in the required shape until it hardens.
form
The exterior face of a building, usually the front.
facade
A pattern of circulation named for its shape, consisting of equally spaced streets running perpendicular to each other.
grid pattern
The amount or degree of moisture in an area, a determining element of weather.
humidity
Extreme contrast between light and dark in the visual field, which can cause discomfort.
glare
The relationships of the sizes of building elements.
proportion
The study of the quality, aspects, and perception of beauty.
aesthetics
A citadel in an Ancient Greek city, usually on a plateau.
acropolis
The horizontal or vertical of a highway.
alignment
The science of sound and sound control
acoustics
An arena encircled by tiers of seats.
amphitheater
The eastern or alter end of a church, usually semicircular plan.
apse
A buttressing or supporting structure.
abutment
A small room in a library.
carrel
The organization of the elements of a building or other work to achieve a desired result.
design
An amount included in a construction budget, normally 5 to 10 percent, to provide for unforeseen or unpredictable costs.
contingency allowance
The right of an owner to have ingress and egress to and from a property.
access right
An underground geological formation through which water flows.
aquifer
A pit, usually filled with coarse stone, into which water is conducted for leaching out into surrounding soil.
dry well
Federal Housing Administration, founded in 1934 to provide mortgage insurance.
FHA
A semicurcular open area, with or without a roof, providing a continuous seat.
exedra
A race course bordered by tiered seating.
hippodrome
The federal agency concerned with all phases of housing activities.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
An agency which functions in the secondary mortgage market.
Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), GNMA
Concrete used for paving which uses crushed granite as the coarse aggregate.
granolith
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 lowest point of the inside of a drain, pipe, channel, or other liquid-carrying conduit.
invert
The intersection of two roads at different levels so that vehicles may move from one road to the other without crossing the stream of traffic. Also called grade separation.
interchange
Pertaining to symbolic representation of ideas or subjects by means of images.
iconographic
A legal claim on property as security for money owed.
lien
A minor street which starts at a major street, extends in curvilinear fashion for a short distance, and then returns to the major street.
loop street
A surface decoration formed by incised carving.
intaglio
A Hawaiian terrace or veranda.
lanai
A stone of great size, especially in ancient construction.
megalith
A system of circulation channels which covers a large area.
network
A building with corridors radiating from a central point, which can be observed by a person located at that point.
panopticon
The area over which a city exerts a dominant economic influence.
metropolitan area or region
A vertical member between windows or doors.
mullion
Paving using crushed stone.
macadam
A circulation pattern in which channels spread out from a central point.
radial pattern
A plan of a city or subdivision, showing the boundaries of individual properties.
plat
The principal inner chamber of a Greek temple.
naos
A land use pattern which is developed in a circle or doughnut shape.
ring pattern
An open court enclosed by the walls of a building.
patio
A device used at an intersection of streets in which all vehicles merge and then diverge at relatively low speeds.
rotary
An ornamental garden arrangement.
parterre
Zoning a parcel of land different from the surrounding area.
spot zoning
A portico used in Greek architecture, often as a covered meeting place or promenade.
stoa
A pattern of land use developed in the shape of a star.
star pattern
The percentage of total rainfall which is not absorbed in the ground and, hence, runs off. It must be collected in a system of surface and subsurface drains.
runoff coefficient
A sewer for carrying away surface rain water, as opposed to sanitary sewage.
storm sewer
The minimum distance from the property line into which a structure may not extend.
setback
Designing the external physical environment in which buildings and structures are placed.
site planning
An underground pipe or drain used to carry off waste matter.
sanitary sewer
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
Inclination or slant, especially of the ground surface.
slope
The process of determining location, form, and boundaries of a parcel of land by measurement, computation, and drawing.
survey
An underground pipe or drain used to carry off rain water (storm sewer) or waste matter (sanitary sewer).
sewer
A balanced arrangement of elements on either side of a dividing line or plane.
symmetry
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 division of vacant land into smaller parcels to be used as sites for individual buildings, together with public rights-of-way affecting these sites.
subdivision
The soil layer beneath topsoil.
subsoil
A road which crosses under another road.
underpass
The characteristic visual and tactile quality of a surface.
texture
A public service, such as telephone, water, gas, or electricity.
utility
An entrance (or exit) passage in a large ampitheater.
vomitorium
The configuration of the surface features of an area of ground.
topography
A process of public intervention in the development of an existing urban area, in which a public agency acquires ownership of property and administers its resale for development to mainly private owners.
urban renewal
The level below which the subsoil is completely saturated with water. Also called the groundwater level.
water table
A bridge for carrying a road across a valley.
viaduct
Structures or plants which, because of their form and location, reduce wind velocities.
windbreak
The legal means whereby land use is regulated and controlled for the welfare of the community.
zoning
A law by which a government regulates and controls the character and use of property.
zoning ordinance
An open, unoccupied space, other than a court, unobstructed to the sky, on the lot on which a building is situated.
yard
An area established by a governing body for a specific use, such as residential, commercial, or industrial.
zone
The volume within which a building may legally be placed.
zoning envelope
Innocuous background noise used to mask objectionable sounds.
white noise
A fictitious temperature assigned to a combination of actual temperature and wind velocity which has the same physiological effect as still air at the wind chill index temperature. It is also known as chill factor.
wind chill index
A mud-brick stepped pyramid in Mesopotamian sacred architecture.
ziggurat
A street, alley, or other thoroughfare or easement permanently established for passage of persons or vehicles.
way
An apartment above the ground floor in a building which has no elevator.
walk-up apartment
The general pattern of movement of the water on, under, and above the earth.
water cycle
The amount of space, measured in cubic feet or other similar units, occupied by a building or part of a building.
volume
The systematic review of a project design to obtain the best value for the money spent, considering first costs, operating costs, and replacement costs.
value engineering
Special permission granted to an owner permitting a deviation from zoning requirements normally applicable to the property in question.
variance
The study of the relationship between people and the urban environment in which they live.
urban ecology
The state of being a harmonious combination of elements.
unity
A house containing two separate dwelling units, either side-by-side or one above the other.
two-family house
The process by which water vapor escapes into the atmosphere from plants.
transpiration
The behavior by which an organism, human or animal, lays claim to an area and defends against members of its own and other species.
territoriality
A social group with which an individual has a territorial identification, such as a family, a school, or an entire town.
territorial group
A hole drilled into the ground at the site of a proposed structure in order to obtain samples of the subsurface soil for examination and testing in a laboratory. Based on these tests, the soils engineer recommends the type of foundation and the allowable soil bearing pressure.
test boring
A road that doubles back on itself with a hairpin curve.
switchback road
A specific or characteristic manner of expression or design, in any art, period, or work.
style
A graded flow path used in open drainage systems.
swale
The methodical evaluation of an activity to determine its basic purposes and how these purposes may be realized most efficiently.
systems analysis
The combination of separate elements into an entity, as opposed to analysis.
synthesis
A long, narrow commercial development usually located along a highway or major street.
strip development
A log showing the types of soil encountered in a test boring and other relevant information.
soil boring log
The elevation of a specified point on the ground or on a structure.
spot elevation
A common housing pattern in which houses and apartments line both sides of the street.
street-front pattern
A required exit which consists of a vestibule and continuous stairway enclosed from the highest point to the lowest point by walls of two-hour fire-resistive construction and which exits into a public way or an exit passageway leading to a public way.
smokeproof enclosure
A dwelling unit comprising an isolated structure on its own plot of ground.
single-family house
The three-dimensional expanse, generally enclosed by building elements, which accommodates human activity.
space
A sociological concept that prescribes the acceptable way an individual should act in specific situations.
role
The surface flow of water from an area.
run-off
One of a continuous row of houses having a uniform plan and appearance and often sharing party walls.
row house
A limitation on the use of property defined by covenant in a deed, by private agreement, or by public legislative action.
restriction
Having fire-resistive protection as specified in the applicable building code.
protected
Describing a design based on reason, sound judgement, or logical good sense.
rational
An indication of position having no dimension or area; the intersection of two lines.
point
A legal boundary of a parcel of land.
property line
The number of people or families per unit of area.
population density
A flat or level surface.
plane
A determining factor or characteristic.
parameter
An approximately level building area.
pad
A designation for a group of several occupancies which have comparable fire safety considerations, and which are therefore grouped together by code.
occupancy group
The total number of persons that may occupy a building or portion thereof at any one time.
occupant load
A material of which no part will ignite and burn when subjected to fire.
noncombustible
The purpose for which a building is intended to be used.
occupancy
Space provided for vehicular parking separate from the dedicated street right-of-way.
off-street parking
A use for property which is no longer permitted by the zoning ordinance. Unless it is unsafe, such a use is generally allowed to continue.
nonconforming use
The boundary line of a lot.
lot line
The study of the form or structure of anything.
morphology
A building containing three or more dwelling units.
multiple dwelling
A system composed of standardized units or sections used for simplified construction or flexibility.
modular
Referring to a disability which makes a person unable to walk and therefore confined to a wheelchair.
non-ambulatory
A three-dimensional volume that has density and bulk.
mass
A written description of the location and boundaries of a parcel of land, in accordance with a system prescribed by law.
legal description
The placement of two or more elements close together for comparison or contrast.
juxtaposition
The ratio of the area covered by buildings to the total area, expressed as a percentage.
land coverage
An inner court open to the sky, but surrounded by a roof.
atrium
The school of design established by Walter Gropius in Weimar and Dessau, also its design philosophy. Emphasis was on the merger of art with technology and the functional design which resulted.
Bahaus
The temperature of air at which the water contained in the air begins to condense and form dew. It is therefore the temperature at which the air is at 100% relative humidity.
dew point
Clay pipe, usually with open joints, used to convey water away from a footing or to disperse liquid in a septic tank field.
drain tile
An agency whose function is to stabilize the housing market by purchasing mortgages or providing mortgage money directly.
Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), FNMA
The inner enclosed room of an ancient temple.
cella
The separation of traffic lanes by the use of islands or dividers.
channelization
To develop minute surface cracks in stucco, concrete, or glaze.
craze
A type of residential siting in which a series of housing units are grouped closely together and surrounded by open space.
cluster
A sievelike device at the entrance to a storm sewer which traps matter that could block the sewer.
catch basin
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
A circular space covered by a dome.
rotunda
A circumferential or loop roadway around an urban area or development.
ring road
A wall built astride a property line between two adjoining buildings.
party wall
The strip of land in which a railroad or highway runs. Also, the right to pass over another’s property.
right-of-way
The recurrence of design elements in space.
rhythm
A slope or incline, as on a roof.
rake
A palace.
palazzo
Constructed off-site in standardized sections for shipment and quick assembly, such as a prefabricated house.
prefabricated
A landscaped strip of ground between a pedestrian walk and a street.
planting strip
The triangular face of a roof gable.
pediment
A parcel of land.
plot
A community of people living in a general area, which can generally support an elementary school.
neighborhood
In far eastern architecture, a tower-like structure, often used as a shrine.
pagoda
A commemorative shaft, square in section, with a small pyramid on top.
obelisk
The location of an object in relation to the points of the compass; also, the ability to locate oneself in the environment with regard to time and place.
orientation
The entrance vestibule of a church.
narthex
The main longitudinal portion of a church.
nave
A repetitive dimension used in architectural design and planning.
module
A short, secondary member within a window frame, either vertical or horizontal.
muntin
A legal instrument that pledges property as security for a debt.
mortgage
A group of cities which adjoin to form an urban region.
magalopolis
The most important city of a country, state, or region; or any large, busy city.
metropolis
The climatic characteristics unique to a very small area.
microclimate
A general climate of a large geographical area.
macroclimate
A permanently plastic, waterproof, adhesive material used in sealing joints.
mastic
The design and arrangement of natural elements on a site.
landscaping
A long-range, overall plan or concept for an area’s development.
master plan
The rights to the use or control of the air space above a property.
air rights
Reflectivity measured as the relative permeability of a surface to radiant energy flowing in either direction.
albedo
A building stone which has been shaped and smoothed into a rectangle for use in masonry construction.
ashlar
A system of planning and scheduling construction operations which analyzes sequences and durations of time using network diagrams.
critical path method (CPM)
An independent living area which includes its own private cooking and bathing facilities.
dwelling unit
A continuous, major street, typically two or three lanes in each direction, that connects with expressways at strategic locations.
arterial street
A building or a portion thereof used for the gathering together of 50 or more persons.
assembly building
A 19th century English movement, led by William Morris, which attempted to revive the hand crafts, as well as the social responsibility of artists. The movement led to the Gothic Revival.
arts and crafts
An open-air market or meeting place in a Greek town.
agora
In Roman architecture, an oblong building used for public administration, from which early Christian churches evolved.
basilica
A set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps.
algorithm
A late-19th century style characterized by curvilinear motifs derived form natural forms.
art nouveau
A building used for baptismal services.
baptistery
A freestanding canopy supported by columns symbolically sheltering an altar, throne, or tomb.
baldacchino
Any public way or thoroughfare 10 to 16 feet in width which has been dedicated or deeded to the public for public use.
alley
A horizontal angle measured clockwise from north or south.
azimuth
A bell tower.
campanile
The quality in a design that lacks clarity of meaning, is difficult to classify, or has several possible interpretations.
ambiguity
A surface decoration using intricate flowing lines and geometric patterns.
arabesque
A street to which minor streets connect and which leads to a major arterial.
collector street
Describing cone-bearing evergreen trees and shrubs, such as pine, spruce, fir, and cedar.
coniferous
A horizontal plane elevation used as a reference for other elevations in surveying and mapping.
datum
The lowest member of an entablature, which extends from column to column.
architrave
Construction employing the arch form.
arcuated
A consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of the elements of a building or other work.
harmony
The type, arrangement, and quality of dwelling units in a given area.
housing
The rate of rise or descent of a sloping surface. Also, to remove and/or add earth in order to bring the ground surface to a specified elevation or profile.
grade
A beltlike area around a city, reserved for parks, farms, open spaces, and so on.
greenbelt
An entrance.
ingress
A sacred picture or object.
icon
The point at which two streets come together or cross.
intersection
A small pavilion, usually in a public space.
kiosk
The wedge-shaped top member of an arch.
keystone
A window or door blind made of fixed or movable horizontal slats.
jalousie
The number of degrees north or south of the equator of a point on the earth’s surface.
latitude
A structural member placed over an opening and supporting construction above it.
lintel
The path described by a moving point having position, direction, and length, but no thickness.
line
An arrangement that is neat, efficient, harmonious, and comprehensible.
order
The legal power of a government to authorize actions which are in the best interest of the general public.
police power
A zoning designation which is used to achieve the cluster concept, including commercial and industrial as well as housing development.
Planned unit development (PUD)
The French term for the columns that raise a building off the ground, as used by Le Corbusier.
piloti
The restoration or substantial improvement of a building.
rehabilitation
The European movement, extending from the 14th to the 17th century, in which classic architecture was reintroduced and became the basis for a new style.
renaissance
A type of architecture and decoration which evolved from the baroque style, using a variety of materials to achieve a lavish, very ornamental effect.
rococo
Any street or similar parcel of land, at least 10 feet wide and unobstructed to the sky, which is permanently appropriated to the public for public use.
public way
A method of research consisting of the identification of a problem, the collection of relevant data, the formulation of a hypothesis and the testing of that hypothesis.
scientific method
A form of leasehold in which the owner of a piece of property recovers the capital invested in the property, but retains the use of the property.
sale and leaseback
Describing a style of architecture in Western Europe during the 9th to 12th centuries, characterized by the use of heavy masonry, round archs, and barrel vaults.
romanesque
A division of urban land, normally private property, which is surrounded by public streets, and which is officially established and recorded.
block
Aesthetic equilibrium produced by the proportioning of the elements of a building.
balance
A sun-dried clay brick, used in the Southwest.
adobe
A process leading to the statement of an architectural problem and the requirements to be met in offering a solution.
architectural programming
The suitability of a design for a particular purpose or occasion.
appropriateness
A curved structure composed of wedge-shaped elements, used to span an opening.
arch
Ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human.
anthropomorphic
Construction employing the post-and-beam form, as opposed to the arch form.
trabeated
A statement supporting or helping to support a conclusion.
premise
The general scheme for the design of a building.
parti
The elimination of segregation or discrimination in public facilities by making such facilities available to persons of all races.
integration
The total horizontal area within the boundary lines of a parcel of land.
lot area
The smallest identifiable parcel of land in a city.
lot
The shape of the earth’s surface.
landform
Lynch’s term for linear elements which separate regions and which are not paths.
edges
An ecological system, consisting of a community of living organisms and its physical environment.
ecosystem
The study of the total pattern of relations between a community or organisms and its environment.
ecology
The hierarchical order in a society by which some individuals or groups control others.
dominance
Flow from a culvert, sewer, or other channel.
discharge
A theory offered as a possible explanation for certain phenomena.
hypothesis
Two sheets of glass with an air space between, to insulate against the passage of heat or sound. Also called double glazing.
insulating glass
Composed of design elements originally derived from diverse sources or sytles.
hybrid
A public body which provides and manages housing, particularly for low-income families.
housing authority
An area of land designed for industrial uses and developed as a unit.
industrial park
Native.
indigenous
Relating to an entity, rather than to its parts; overall.
holistic
One of many apartment units contained in a multi-floor building and accessible by elevators.
high-rise apartment
Referring to construction in which fire resistance is obtained by using wood structural members of specified minimum sizes.
heavy timber
One or more spaces designated for physically handicapped persons, requiring special design and dimensions.
handicapped parking
The level below which the subsoil is completely saturated with water. Also called the water table.
groundwater level
Removing and/or adding earth in order to bring the ground surface to a specified elevation or profile. Also called earthwork.
grading
The elevation of the ground surface after completion of all work.
finish grade
The time, in hours, that a material or assembly of materials can withstand exposure to fire.
fire-resistant rating
Capable of serving the purpose for which it was designed.
functional
Nondiscrimination in the sale, renta, and financing of housing.
fair housing
The land surrounding a flowing stream over which water spreads when a flood occurs.
flood plain
The length of a lot line along a street or public way.
frontage
The extension of a building into the property of another.
encroahment
Derived from observation, experience, or experiment, and not based on theory.
empirical
A statement, often required by a governmental body, which assesses the environmental impact of a proposed development.
environmental impact statement
The study of the interaction between humans and machines.
ergonomics
The natural and manmade things, conditions, and influences surrounding a person, community, or place.
environment
A continuous and unobstructed means of egress to a public way generally with a minimum width of 44 inches.
exit
A two-story apartment or house containing two separate dwelling units, either side-by-side or one above the other.
duplex
A fictitious temperature which would produce the same physiological effect as the combined effects of temperature, humidity, and air movement.
effective temperature
Referring to a design that derives from a wide range of diverse sources or influences.
eclectic
The statistical study of human populations, such as births, deaths, marriages, and so on.
demography
A circulation pattern comprised of curves, which closely follows the contours of the land.
curvilinear pattern
A clause in a deed which places limitations or conditions on the use of a property.
deed restriction
The amount by which the average outdoor temperature at a particular location is below 65 degrees Farenheit for one day. It may be summed and stated for a month or year.
degree day (dd)
A housing pattern in which units face into a common open space.
court pattern
Standards or rules by which something is tested.
criteria
The uncontrolled human contact that results from an absence of physical, social, or psychological barriers, characterized by a lack of privacy.
crowding
The topmost section of an entablature.
cornice
A space, open and unobstructed to the sky, located at or above grade, and bounded on three or more sides by the walls of a building.
court
An apartment building owned by a corporation in which shares are sold, entitling the shareholders to occupy dwelling units in the building.
cooperative
The flow or movement of people, goods, or vehicles from place to place.
circulation
The quality in a design of being appropriate, harmonious, or exhibiting an agreeable arrangement.
congruity
The combination of thermal and environmental conditions within which a human is comfortable, often shown on a psychometric chart.
comfort zone
The difference of elevation between adjacent contour lines.
contour interval
A use not strictly allowed in zoning ordinance, but permitted if specified conditions are met and if approval is granted by the local governing body.
conditional use
An apartment building in which the dwelling units are individually owned.
condominium
A periodic enumeration of the population, including details of age, sex, occupation, and other data.
census
The net ground area of a lot which can be covered by a building after required setbacks and other zoning limitations have been accounted for.
buildable area
The core of a city, containing the main concentration of stores, offices, and services.
central business district (CBD)
A code regulating the design and construction of buildings, adopted and enforced by a government agency.
building code
A fictitious temperature assigned to a combination of actual temperature and wind velocity which has the same physiological effect as still air at the chill factor temperature. It is also known as wind chill index.
chill factor
The maximum number of vehicles per lane that can pass a given point in one hour under ideal conditions.
capacity
In surveying, a direction stated in degrees, minutes, and seconds as an angular deviation east or west from due north or south.
bearing
An imaginary principal line along which forms are arranged or organized. Often, an axial line bisects a form, resulting in symmetry.
axis
Having no environmental barriers, thereby permitting free access and circulation by the handicapped.
barrier-free
The process of absorbing or incorporating an element into an established design system.
assimilation
A road or path reserved for bicycle traffic.
bikeway
The lowest part of a structure.
base
An excavated, level terrace in a slope used to collect running water.
bench
A style of European architecture developed in the late Renaissance in reaction to classical forms, characterized by elaborate curves, scrolls, and ornamentation.
baroque
Describing cement, mastic, or roofing material which contains asphalt as a principal ingredient.
bituminous
A bank of earth, often piled up against a wall.
berm
A hole through which a person can enter a sewer, pipe, conduit, and so on for inspection, repair, or maintenance.
manhole
A description of property boundaries expressed by directions (bearings) and distances, starting from a known reference point.
metes and bounds
An assembly of sloping, overlapping slats, fixed or adjustable, which excludes rain but admits air and/or light.
louver
A superstructure on a roof, dome, or tower, glazed along its sides, which admits light to the area below.
lantern
A pattern of land use which develops along a line, such as a highway or river.
linear pattern
