This website makes references to a number of terms that may not be familiar to you. Use the links below to explore this glossary.
Abatson
anything to reflect sound downwards or outwards, such as a louvre; series of sloping louvres in a belfry
Accolade
two ogee curves meeting in the middle to form a decorative treatment. Used over an arch, door, or window American Colonial Revival a period revival based upon broad interpretations of New England Colonial, Beaux-Arts Classicism, Georgian or Southern Colonial styles; Dutch and Spanish Colonial elements were also popular
Arcade
series of arches
Arch
curved structure spanning across the top of an opening in a vertical surface (such as a wall)
Architecture
the art and science of designing and building structures
Architrave
lowest member of an entablature
Art Nouveau
design movement shunning imitation of past styles; popular primarily in the 1890s; characterized by stylized undulating natural forms such as waves, flower stems, leaves and flowing hair
Arts and Crafts Movement
design movement in architecture led by the British designer, William Morris (1834-1896); characterized by stylized, two-dimensional forms, naturally finished materials and hand-crafted production; in the first two decades of the 20th century The Craftsman magazine was an influential exponent of these design principles in the Unites States; often referred to as the Craftsman movement
Ashlar
hewn stone blocks with straight-cut edges
Asymmetrical/Asymmetry
composition that is off-balance with respect to a point of reference, such as an imaginary centre-line, as it is drawn through the plan of a facade
Attic
space beneath the sloping pitch of a roof and above the uppermost full storey of a building