Alphabet of Architecture Terms

Introduction

• Shift in interest from visible aspects of urban systems to invisible dynamics.
• Architecture often filled with jargon that can confuse the audience.
• Importance of a developed vocabulary for architects.
• This guide will cover key architectural terms from A to Z.

A to Z Architecture Terms

A - Aesthetic

• General meaning: visual vibe in everyday use.
• In architecture: includes all senses and experiences of a building (sight, sound, smell).

B - Buttress

• Can be a verb (to support) or noun (a specific architectural element).
• Flying buttress: structural support allowing large cathedrals to appear light.

C - Circulation

• Refers to spaces allowing the flow of people.
• Correlates with corridors and privacy in domestic spaces.

D - Diagrammatic

• Means simple, clear, irreducible.
• Used both positively and negatively in architectural context.

E - Enfilade

• Series of rooms arranged in a line without separate hallways, useful for museums.

F - Fenestration

• Openings in a facade, includes windows and their patterns/compositions.

G - Geodesic

• Curve representing the shortest path between points.
• Popularized by Buckminster Fuller with geodesic domes.

H - Hierarchy

• Relationship between major and minor elements within a composition.

I - Iconic

• Refers to recognizable and distinguishable shapes of buildings.

J - Jam

• Sides of doorways, crucial for structural integrity and security.

K - Kitsch

• Low culture objects of questionable taste, often associated with pastiche in architecture.

L - Legibility

• Clarity of a building's design and wayfinding.

M - Morphology

• Study of form and structural relationships in architecture.

N - Nodes

• Junction points within a network, critical for orientation in cities.

O - Ornament

• Visual elements providing sensation; differs from decoration (which is applied).

P - Program

• List of requirements for a building's spaces and functions.

Q - Coin

• Block corners in buildings providing structural support and visual weight.

R - Rustication

• Roughening materials for visual weight, typically at the building's base.

S - Stereotomic

• Craft of cutting solids into volumes, often associated with stone cutting.

T - Tectonics

• Describes how elements are joined together in construction.

U - Urbanism

• Study of interaction between urban inhabitants and their environment.

V - Vernacular

• Design solutions that respond to local conditions and traditions.

W - Weathering

• Visual representation of time on a building, includes patina.

X - Xylography

• Art of making wood cuts or engravings.

Y - Yurt

• Portable round tent used by nomadic groups in Central Asia.

Z - Zeitgeist

• Concept representing the spirit of the age in culture.

Conclusion

• Encouragement to investigate these terms further.
• Invitation for audience engagement through comments.
• Acknowledgment of supporters and thanks for watching.