Download - Common Architecture Terms. Fenestration The design and placement of windows in a building
CMU
-Concrete Masonry Unit: a large rectangular brick used in construction. -Made from cast concrete
COR-TEN
• Best known as weathering steel, is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance if exposed to the weather for several years.
Parapet
A parapet is a barrier usually on a roof or balcony. They are also built on bridges as
guard rails to prevent cars and people from falling off. On buildings, they are mainly
used to prevent fires from spreading, and used to be for defending the building from
attack.
Cantilever Definition:
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support the over hanging section of the building.
Definition of Section
• A section or cross section is a term used in architectural drawing for describing when a vertical line cuts through an object
• In the drawing, thedark line representsthe floor cutting through the building’swalls
Column and Post
Column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is an structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure
above to other structural elements below.
Curtain Wall
A wall that encloses the space within a building but does not support the roof, it is
not load bearing. They are typically featured on modern high-rise buildings.
Eaves
Eaves of a roof are the part of a roof that overhangs the exterior of a house. They usually project beyond the walls of the
building to carry away rain water
Beam and Joist
In architecture and engineering, a joist is one of the horizontal supporting members that run from wall to wall, wall to beam, and beam to beam. A beam is a horizontal or vertical structural element that is capable of withstanding a load by resisting bending.
Gable- The portion of the front or side of a building enclosed by or masking the end of a pitched
roof.
Gambrel Roof Definition
• a gable roof with two slopes on each side and the lower slope being steeper.
Header and Lintel
• Definition: horizontal beam that contributes to the construction of framing buildings– Used above windows and doors or other
entryways as support• Can also be used as decoration (ex. Fireplace mantles)
Hip Roof
• A roof where all the sides slope downward usually on a fairly gentle slope. It has no gables or vertical sides of the roof.
Hip Roof
Mansard Roof
A mansard roof (also known as a French roof) is a Gambrel style roof characterized by two slopes on each side with a lower slope.
Clerestory Window: an upper portion of a wall containing windows for supplying natural to a
building
A retaining wall is a wall that holds back earth or water on
one side of it. It is designed to restrain soil to unnatural slopes.
Retaining wall
Saw-tooth Roof
• A roof composed of a series of small parallel roofs of triangular cross section, usually asymmetrical with the shorter slope glazed
• It allows for natural lighting to shine through while still having a solid roof
Truss
• A Truss is any structure that has at least one triangular unit that has its ends connected by joint, otherwise called nodes.
Gutter &Downspout
A Gutter gathers water from the roof and the water travels down a downspout to drain
away from the house
Cricket
A cricket is a structure designed to divert water on a roof, from one area of a roof to another. This is typically found behind a
chimney.