Glossary of Architectural Terms
Over the course of centuries, architects and builders have developed specialized terms to describe their buildings. This section of the guide provides definitions for some of the more common technical terms. It should be used with reference to other Historic Resources Branch materials that are part of this series (specifically Architectural Styles in Manitoba and Historic Construction Materials and Techniques) where technical subjects are also discussed. The contents of this section have been drawn from a larger glossary that is included in a more detailed branch publication, Identifying Architectural Styles in Manitoba.
This guide groups terms according to how we generally perceive a building, from the large to the small. Thus we start with some of the terms that help describe a building s basic form: the plan and roof shape. Terms that distinguish certain construction materials and techniques are presented next. Windows and doors are often a source of great interest for designers and some of the key technical terms associated with those elements are noted here. Finally, the multitude of details that may be applied to a building are introduced, with some of the more common terms defined.
A host of architectural details, each with its own technical term, animate the Hotel Fort Garry in Winnipeg.
Plan Shapes
Whether for the sake of efficiency, cost, tradition, or style, building designers often look to a basic plan shape to determine the overall form, or massing, of their building. The most common shape is the rectangle, but others, illustrated here, are also frequently used. There are a few additional technical words that are used with reference to the basic shape of a building:
bay A regularly repeated visual division of a fa ade.
fa ade The exterior face or presentable front of a building.
pavilion A part of a fa ade given prominence because it projects out from the fa ade.
proportion The relationship between individual elements of a building (such as windows and doors) and their size within the whole building.
rhythm A regularly repeating sequence or pattern.
storey The habitable space between a floor and a ceiling, floor or roof above
Roof Shapes The structural imperative of a roof is to protect the interior and to efficiently shed water and snow. This can be accomplished with a number of shapes, which have been exploited throughout history by building designers. The most
common shape is the gable, which can be steep or shallow in its slope. Some other common shapes are noted at right and illustrated below.
gable
mansard
gambrel
pyramidal
hipped
shed
Building Materials and Construction Techniques
This subject is also addressed in Historic Materials and Construction Techniques, where basic definitions of materials and construction techniques are explained. There are, however, some technical terms associated with this subject that need further clarification.
Heavy Timber Frame Construction
bent A prefabricated network of large posts and beams.
board and batten Wide vertical wood sheathing (boards) with narrow vertical wood strips (battens) covering the joints between the boards.
peg A pin or dowel, slightly tapered, used to join two parts together.
Light Wood Frame Construction
joists A series of horizontal members used to support floors or ceilings.
plate A member laid horizontally to accept the ends of joists or studs.
purlins Horizontal structural members that run perpendicularly across the top edges of other roof members.
rafter A structural roof member that slopes up from the wall to the peak of a roof.
studs A series of vertical members used to support.
wall sheathing Sheathing the exterior cladding of a building.
Brick Construction
bonds An arrangement of masonry units (brick or concrete block) to provide structural strength and visual appeal; common bonds are called header, stretcher, English or Flemish.
mortar A mixture of cement and lime with sand and water used as a bonding agent between masonry units.
repointing To repair the joints in masonry construction with the addition of new mortar.
Stone Construction
ashlar Hewn stone blocks with straight-cut edges.
coursing A continuous layer of material, a row.
fieldstone Building stone collected from a field.
finish The surface texture; common finishes are rock-faced, rusticated and vermiculated.
rustication Stonework emphasized by roughly cut block faces.
rubble Construction with fragments of broken stone.
vermiculated Ornamentation in stone created with winding, wavy lines, as if caused by worms.
Windows and Doors
The openings in the walls of a building the windows and the doors are the source of great attention in a design. (The technical name for the placement of openings in the walls of a building is fenestration, from the French, fen tre, meaning window). The placement and the detail work that comprises windows and doors can be the source of great attention.
Window Types
bay
double hung
casement
Palladian
Shapes of Openings
round arch
pointed arch
flat top
segmental arch
triangular
Tudor arch
Parts of Windows and Doors
fanlight A semi-circular window over a door with.
radiating bars (or muntins) resembling a fan.
head The top of a window or door opening.
jamb The vertical member on each side of a window or door opening.
label A moulding that runs across the top and partway down the sides of a window or door.
opening
lintel A horizontal beam over a window or door opening that carries the weight of the wall above the opening bottom drawing.
mullion A vertical member between adjacent window sashes or between windows and doors.
muntin A small member that supports several pieces of glass within a sash (window drawing).
sash The framework that holds a piece of glass.
shutter Hinged panels used to cover window openings.
sidelights Windows located at the sides of doors (door drawing).
sill The horizontal piece forming the bottom of a window or door opening (both drawings) surround trim around a window or door opening.
tracery A pattern of interlocking muntins in the upper part of a Gothic pointed window (see pointed arch drawing, page 5).
transom light A window located above a door (door drawing).
Elements and Details
The elements and details that either are part of a
building s structure (like the parts of a window)
or are applied to it (like cresting or brackets) are
often what creates visual delight. The following
list of words is only a brief catalogue of the
hundreds of technical terms that have been
developed over centuries to describe the many
and marvellous details of a building.
arch A curved structure spanning across the top of an opening in a vertical surface (such as a wall).
balcony A structural platform extending from the wall of a building and enclosed with a balustrade; supported from below or cantilevered from a supporting wall.
baluster Balusters are upright posts or spindles that support a handrail/a balustrade is a series of balusters under a handrail.
balustrade Balusters are upright posts or spindles that support a handrail/a balustrade is a series of balusters under a handrail.
bargeboard A board, often decorative, covering the projecting edge of a gable roof.
belt course A slender, horizontal band that projects from an exterior wall often at window sill or interior floor levels.
bracket An angular support for a horizontal element that projects from a wall.
buttress A vertical structural member resembling a massive post built against an exterior wall.
capital The decorative feature at the top of a column or pilaster.
column An upright post, usually a tapered cylinder, used for support or decoration; in classical architecture a column consists of a base, shaft and capital.
corbel A masonry unit or series of masonry units that progressively step out from a supporting wall or column.
corbel table A projecting line of masonry or belt courses supported by corbels.
cornice A horizontal, projecting decorative moulding along the top of a wall or building, or the top portion of an entablature.
crenellation A series of square indentations in a parapet giving a castle-like appearance.
cresting Ornamental ridge, like a miniature fence, along the top of a roof.
cupola A small domed structure on top of a roof or larger dome.
dentils Band of small, tooth-like blocks usually used in Classical architecture.
dome A roof structure in the shape of a portion of a sphere.
dormer A roofed projection from a sloping roof often with a window.
eaves The part of a sloping roof that overhangs a wall entablature the upper horizontal part of a Classical order, consisting of the cornice, frieze and architrave; similar to a beam.
gable The triangular upper portion of a wall formed by the slopes of a pitched roof.
half-timbering A method of construction where the spaces in a timber-frame wall are filled with rubble or brickwork.
finial An ornament at the top of a roof gable, spire or other architectural feature.
frieze The central band in a classical entablature above the architrave and below the cornice; or often a decorative band running under the cornice of an interior or exterior wall.
keystone The central uppermost member of an arch.
massing The organization of three-dimensional volumes or spaces into a coherent composition.
moulding A decorative element that defines edges, joints or surfaces through the use of a continuous profile.
parapet The portion of an exterior wall that projects above the edge of a roof area.
pediment In classical architecture, the triangular end of a low-pitched gable; a triangular element used over doors and windows.
pendant An ornamental feature that hangs down from a supporting structure or architectural feature.
pier A massive vertical support of masonry, placed under columns, arches or walls to support a concentration of loads.
pilaster A shallow pier or post, often decorative, projecting slightly from the surface of a wall; resembles a square post attached to a wall.
pinnacle A small vertical ornament with a spire-like pyramidal or conical shape, usually used to crown buttresses or the corners of parapets and towers.
pitch The angle at which a roof slopes from its peak to its eaves.
porch A structure projecting from a building and located in front of an entrance; usually roofed, often open-sided and occasionally supporting a balcony above.
portico An open-sided porch with a column-supported roof.
quoins Stones or bricks used to decoratively emphasize the outside corners of a building.
shingles Wood or asphalt tiles for covering roofs and walls.
spindle Lathe-turned wood elements, often used as balusters and porch decoration.
spire A tall, narrow, steep roof structure ending in a point, rising from a tower or roof peak.
terra cotta Fired clay cast in moulds, often used for decorative elements or to clad a building exterior.
tower A building, either freestanding or attached as a prominent element of another building, of great height compared to its floor area; a slender, tall structure usually rising above the building to which it is attached.
turret A small, slender tower characteristically projecting from the corner of a building.
vault A roof or ceiling structure over an area that is based on the form of an arch.
verandah A roofed porch or balcony attached to the elevation of a building.
Source Citation
Gimli Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee, “Glossary of Architectural Terms,” http://gimliheritage.ca/pdfs/Glossary%20of%20Architectural%20Terms.pdf. Last accessed September 20, 2018.