Architecture Terms and Ideas

Major Architectural InfluencesHistorically, 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

bond (horizontal)

and bond (vertical)

rows (called courses).

Brick Patterns

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: EvergreensTrees: oaks, maples, dogwood, pine…Grasses: (ornamental and the regular kind)Ground cover: Pachysandra, Ivy, and Myrtle

Lattices and ArborsSculptureFencesFountainsLighting

Sculptural Elements