rebar
/ˈriˌbɑr/Steel rods used inside concrete to make it stronger.
Example: Workers laid rebar before the concrete was poured.
C222 words · Proficient
Buildings & Architecture vocabulary — C2
Expert construction vocabulary for structural and sustainable design, including rebar, excavation, the substructure and superstructure of a building, and the embodied carbon behind biophilic design.
22 questions
Words in this set
22excavation
/ˌɛkskəˈveɪʃən/The digging out of earth to prepare the ground for building, or the hole created by this.
Example:
Excavation revealed old Roman remains beneath the site.
substructure
The part of a building below ground level, including its foundations.
Example:
The substructure had to be redesigned after the survey.
superstructure
/ˈsupərˌstrʌktʃər/The part of a building constructed above its foundations.
Example:
Steel beams form the superstructure of the new tower.
dilapidation
The condition of a building that has fallen into disrepair through age or neglect.
Example:
Years of dilapidation left the roof close to collapse.
curtain wall
A lightweight outer covering, often made of glass, fixed to a building's frame without supporting its own weight.
Example:
Glass curtain walls cover the entire office tower.
structural integrity
The ability of a building or structure to safely support the loads and forces placed on it.
Example:
Engineers checked the bridge's structural integrity after the flood.
party wall
A shared boundary between two adjoining properties, usually owned jointly by both neighbours.
Example:
Building the extension required the neighbour's agreement about the party wall.
fenestration
The design and arrangement of windows and doors in a building.
Example:
The architect praised the building's careful fenestration and natural light.
geotechnical
Relating to the study of soil and rock properties before construction begins.
Example:
A geotechnical survey confirmed the ground could support the new tower.
embodied carbon
The emissions produced making and transporting a building's materials.
Example:
Embodied carbon now outweighs the operational figure on a new build.
whole-life costing
Counting the cost of a building over its entire life, not just to build.
Example:
Whole-life costing made the expensive cladding the cheap option.
brise soleil
A structure that shades a facade from direct sun.
Example:
The brise soleil cut the cooling load by a third.
vernacular architecture
Building in the traditional local style using local materials.
Example:
The vernacular architecture of that valley is slate and nothing else.
adaptive reuse
Converting an old building for a completely new purpose.
Example:
Adaptive reuse of the mill produced ninety flats and one argument.
passive design
Designing a building to stay comfortable without machinery.
Example:
Passive design removed the need for air conditioning entirely.
sick building syndrome
Illness among occupants caused by the building itself.
Example:
Sick building syndrome closed the whole floor for a fortnight.
differential settlement
Uneven sinking of a structure that causes cracking.
Example:
Differential settlement put a crack the width of a finger through the wall.
charrette
/ʃəˈrɛt/An intensive collaborative design workshop.
Example:
A three-day charrette produced more than nine months of correspondence.
wayfinding
Designing a building so people can find their way through it.
Example:
The wayfinding was so poor that staff drew their own maps.
biophilic design
Designing with natural light, plants and materials to improve wellbeing.
Example:
Biophilic design turned out to be cheaper than the wellness consultant.
desire line
The route people actually take, worn into the ground.
Example:
They paved the desire line rather than fencing it, for once.
