The decorating terminology series continues today – moving from definitions of decorating styles to definitions of architectural terms.  Architectural terminology will run for three weeks, starting with today’s post.  Today we’ll cover architectural terms A through E.  Next week F-Q terms will be presented.  Then,  two weeks from now, the final article will present terms R-Z.

Previous articles in this series included general decorating terms and three articles on style terminology: A-E, F-Q and R-Z.

 Architecture A-E

Acanthus leaf: representation of the acanthus plant leaves used as a decorative motif on items such as Corinthian columns

Accessible:  capable of entering or exiting an area or building without any obstacles

Adobe: bricks made of clay and sun dried

Angular lines:  a straight line used in interior design that is not horizontal or vertical – may be diagonoal or zig-zag.

Antebellum:  elegant plantation homes built in the American South in the 30 years or so preceding the Civil War

Arcade:  a row of arches supported by columns

Arch:  a curved structure capable of spanning a space while supporting significant weight

Architect:  a professional who plans three-dimensional space and creates floor plans and blueprints

Architectural elements:  walls, floors, ceilings, windows, doors, fireplaces, cabinetry, and other items built in the interior of a space

Baluster:  one in a set of small pillars supporting a handrail on a stairway

Balustrade:  a railing formed by the newel post, balusters, and handrail

Barrel vault:  an arched roof with a rounded arch shape

Barrier-free design:  design that presents no obstacles or barriers to access and allows the handicapped free movement in the environment

Bas -relief:  shallow carving where figures and landscape only slightly protrude from the background

Baseboard:  base trim made of wood

Baseboard units:  heating units near the floor

Bauhaus:  German school or art, design and architecture that functioned from 1919-1933 and promoted the integration of art and technology in design

Bay window:  window of one or more storeys projecting from the face of a building

Beamed ceiling:  ceiling with exposed beams or trusses

Blueprints:  floor plans printed in blue ink and used for construction plans

Board and batten:  vertical wood siding of parallel boards with narrow wood strips (battens) to cover the seams

Bracket:  an angle-shaped support

Brick: clay and other materials formed into rectangles and dried then used for walls and floors

Building inspector:  professional whose job is inspecting new or remodeling construction for structural soundness and safety

Bullnose:  180 degree rounded edge (tile shown above, bullnose wood is also common)

Breezeway:  a roofed, often open, passage connecting two buildings (as a house and garage) or halves of a building

Bulls-eye window: s mall oval window, set horizontally

Cantilever:  a projecting or overhanging structure anchored at one end

Casement window: window hung vertically and side hinged so it swings in or out.

Cathedral ceiling:  a high, open, gabled ceiling

Cathedral window:  a pointed window set in the gable of an open ceilinged room

Circulation:  movement from place to place within a space  

Clapboard: thin, horizontal, overlapping exterior wood siding

Clerestory window:  window at the top of the wall

Closed stair:  stairway with walls on both sides

Coffered ceiling: ceiling formed with ornamental sunken panels or boxes in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon that are between beams as a decoration

Column: tall upright supporting shaft

Corinthian columns: Greek and Roman columns featuring a capital decorated with acanthus leaves

Coved ceiling: a ceiling with a concave radius that curves into the wall and eliminates the usual right angle between the wall and ceiling

Crown molding:  trim placed where the ceiling and wall meet

Dado:  the specially finished lower part of a wall, designated by a horizontal molding that is usually about waist-high

Dentil: molding made up of rows of small square blocks

Doric columns: Greek and Roman architectural style with fluted columns and a plain capital

Dormer window:  a window projecting from the attic

Double-hung windows: windows with two sashes sliding up and down.

Drywall:  wallboard, sheetrock or plasterboard used for creating interior walls

Dutch door: a door split in half with the top and bottom sections working independent of one another

Egg & Dart: molding made from egg  and dart shapes alternating

Elevation: a two-dimensional drawing of a straight on view of an object, interior wall or exterior facade

Eyebrow Window: roof dormer with low sides that is formed by raising small section of roof

More To Come

Was there a new term that surprised you today?  Next Friday’s post covers Architectural terms F-Q.  Hmmmm, will you know all of A-E by then?