Photo Glossary
Here are some architectural terms illustrated with picturers whenever possibe. This list will be updated from time to time.
Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
- Adobe
- Adobe is a term widely used in the southwestern United States and Spanish speaking countries. Although the word is often used to describe an architectural style, adobe is actually a building material.
B
- Bungalow
- California Bungalows, Craftsman Bungalows, and Chicago Bugalows were variations of an affordable housing type that swept across America.
- Butress
- A buttress is a support--usually made of brick or stone--built against a wall to support or reinforce it. A flying buttress is a free-standing buttress attached to the main structure by an arch or a half-arch.
C
- Craftsman Style
- A Craftsman house is often a Bungalow, but many other styles can have Arts and Crafts, or Craftsman, features.
D
- Dormer
- A dormer is a window which is set vertically on a sloping roof. The dormer has its own roof, which may be flat, arched, or pointed.
E
- Eave
- An eave is the edge of a roof. Eaves usually project beyond the side of the building.
G
- Gable
- A gable is the triangle formed by a sloping roof. A building may be front-gabled or side-gabled. Porches and dormers may also be gabled.
