This website makes references to a number of terms that may not be familiar to you. Use the links below to explore this glossary.
Canopy
roof-like projecting cover over a window, door, or niche
Cantilever
unsupported end of a beam that overhangs a wall, column post or pier
Capital
decorative feature at the top of a column or pilaster
Casement Window
window where the sash is hinged along its vertical edge and swings to the side like a door
Chevron
v-shaped decoration typically used in a continuous band as a moulding
Chimney
vertical structure of brick or stone to carry up smoke from a fireplace or furnace
Clapboard
thin narrow board used for covering the exterior of timber-framed buildings
Classical
architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, and subsequent styles derived from these; characterized by the use of the five orders of classical columns consisting of the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders of Hellenic Greece, and the Tuscan and Composite orders of Imperial Rome
Clerestorey Window
elevated series of windows for light and ventilation
Column
upright post, usually a tapered cylinder, used for support or decoration; in classical architecture a column consists of a base, shaft and capital
Column Plinth
square slab forming the bottom element of a column base
Concrete
artificial stone mixture made by combining water, an aggregate of crushed stone and sand, and a cementing or bonding material
Corbel
masonry unit or series of masonry units that progressively step out from a supporting wall or column; creates a shelf or bracket to support overhanging masonry walls or corbel tables, the bases of arches, or ornamental elements
Corbel Table
projecting line of masonry or belt courses supported by corbels
Cornice
horizontal, projecting decorative moulding along the top of a wall or building; top portion of an entablature
Crenellation
series of square indentations in a parapet giving a castle-like appearance
Cresting
line of ornaments on the ridge of a roof, often made of wrought iron
Cupola
small domed structure on top of a roof or larger dome
Curtain Wall
non-loadbearing, prefabricated exterior sheathing system usually consisting of steel or masonry spandrel panels and/or window panels attached to a structural frame of steel or concrete