cantilever
A beam or structure that sticks out from a wall and is supported at only one end.
Example: The balcony is a cantilever with no visible supports underneath.
C120 words · Advanced
Buildings & Architecture vocabulary — C1
Advanced construction vocabulary for design and regulation, including a cantilever, a building's elevation, planning permission and the building code that a demolition or value engineering exercise must satisfy.
20 questions
Words in this set
20elevation
/ˌɛləˈveɪʃən/A drawing that shows one side, or face, of a building as it would appear from outside.
Example:
The architect presented the front elevation of the new library.
balustrade
A row of small posts topped with a rail, used along the edge of a staircase or balcony.
Example:
Marble balustrades line the grand staircase.
retrofit
/ˈrɛtroʊˌfɪt/To add new equipment or features to an older building to improve it, especially for safety or efficiency.
Example:
The council plans to retrofit older homes with better insulation.
building code
A set of official rules that new buildings must follow for safety and quality.
Example:
The extension failed to meet the local building code.
planning permission
Official approval from a local authority that is needed before building work can begin.
Example:
They were refused planning permission to build a second floor.
demolition
/ˌdɛməˈlɪʃən/The act of deliberately pulling down or destroying a building.
Example:
Demolition of the old factory starts next month.
cornice
A decorative strip of moulding that runs along the top of a wall or ceiling.
Example:
Fine plaster cornice ran around the edge of the ceiling.
lintel
/ˈlɪntəl/A horizontal beam placed over a door or window to support the wall above.
Example:
A stone lintel spanned the width of the old doorway.
variance
/ˈvɛriəns/Formal approval to break one normal building rule for a single project.
Example:
The developer applied for a variance to build above the height limit.
massing
/ˈmæsɪŋ/The overall shape and bulk of a building.
Example:
The massing was cut by a storey after the objections.
thermal bridge
A path where heat escapes through a break in insulation.
Example:
One thermal bridge at the balcony undid the whole specification.
value engineering
Cutting the cost of a design without losing its function.
Example:
Value engineering removed the atrium and most of the point.
procurement route
The chosen way of appointing and paying a contractor.
Example:
The procurement route decided who carried the risk.
defects liability period
The time after handover when the builder must fix faults.
Example:
The defects liability period expired eleven days before the leak.
retention
/riˈtɛnʃən/Money held back until work is proved satisfactory.
Example:
The retention was never released and never chased.
building envelope
The outer shell separating inside from outside.
Example:
Half the budget went on the building envelope alone.
permitted development
Building work allowed without applying for permission.
Example:
It fell within permitted development by about nine inches.
conservation area
A district where buildings are protected from unsympathetic change.
Example:
In a conservation area even the window frames need approval.
as-built drawings
Drawings updated to show what was actually constructed.
Example:
The as-built drawings and the building agreed on almost nothing.
