Architecture Terms and Ideas
Major Architectural Influences Historically, our architecture has been derived from & is derivative of More recently
The face of a building, especially the principal face.
Arch Terms
a series of arches
decorative with no actual openings
arch formed by concentric arches set within one another
The central wedge-shaped stone of an arch that locks its parts together
an arched ceiling
Entryway Terms
a central arched section flanked by two narrow rectangular sections
A wide, low-pitched gable surmounting the faç ade of a building in the Grecian style
A porch or walkway with a roof supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of a building
A carriage entrance leading through a building or wall into an inner courtyard
Brick and Stone Terms
Brick Patterns bond (horizontal) and bond (vertical) rows (called courses).
Stone Terms : Squared-off blocks of stone used in building
: exposed corner masonry
Masonry cut in large blocks separated by deep joints, used to give a bold, exaggerated look to the lower part
Columns and Supports
A projection from a vertical surface providing structural or visual support under cornices, balconies, or any other overhanging member
Buttress and buttress
the head of a column
A decorative motif consisting of a series of uniform, usually vertical grooves
Column: fluted and flowery
Column: fluted and plain
Column: fluted and scrolled
Column: no fluting and plain
Roofs and Towers
A bell tower, especially one attached to a building
A beam, girder, truss, or other structural member which projects beyond its supporting wall or column
A small dome set on a circular or polygonal base or resting on pillar
lower edge of a roof of a building which overhangs the side
The generally triangular section of wall at the end of a pitched roof, occupying the space between the two slopes of the roof
A two-sided roof with a double slope on each side, the lower slope having the steeper pitch.
A four-sided roof having sloping ends and sides.
A four-sided roof having a double slope on all sides, with the lower slope much steeper than the upper.
A tall tower forming the superstructure of a building, such as a church or temple, and usually surmounted by a spire.
A flat roof that slopes in one direction and may lean against another wall or building
A small tower or tower-shaped projection on a building
Also called Captain's walk
Ornamental Features
(one) and (a row or a railing)
(castle)
panel or tablet, often in round or oval form, often for an inscription or coat of arms
Molding
Attached to a wall by being partly embedded or bonded to it
Any sculptured or richly ornamented band in a building
Having a wooden framework, often exposed, with plaster, brick, stone, or other masonry
horizontal molding
An ornamental bracket in the form of a block or scroll supporting the cornice.
A rectangular column with a capital and base, projecting only slightly from a wall as an ornamental motif.
A twisted or spiral decorative strip used for ornamentation or finishing
Any molding ornament in which the design is continuous in intertwined or flowing lines
or pediment
Window Terms
small balcony
(rounded bay window)
: it rolls out on one side
(oculus, bull s eye, ox eye)
roof window
two windows, one on top of each other
shaped like the top of a lance (spear)
criss-crossed
A vertical slit for archers in medieval fortification walls
window
a large window that is divided into three parts
horizontal window above a door
window
Landscaping Elements
Walkways and driveways: bluestone, flagstone, pavers (dry-laid or mortared) and gravel
Walls: Fieldstone, Engineered, Mortared
Vegetation Flowers: Perennials (come back each year) and Annuals (last all summer, but die with first frost) Plants and Shrubs: Evergreens Trees: oaks, maples, dogwood, pine Grasses: (ornamental and the regular kind) Ground cover: Pachysandra, Ivy, and Myrtle
Lattices and Arbors Sculpture Fences Fountains Lighting Sculptural Elements