Architectural Terms

Architectural Terms

Abacus

The uppermost portion of a capital directly below the entablature or the arch spring. Usually these are just plain square slabs, but sometimes they are molded or decorated.

Accolade

Two ogee curves meeting in the middle to form a decorative treatment, used over an arch, door, or window.

Acropodium

An elevated plinth or pedestal bearing a statue, generally raised above the substructure.

Architectural Styles

Cape Cod (1600s - 1950s)

The first Cape Cod style homes were built by English colonists who came to America in the late 17th century. They modeled their homes after the half-timbered houses of England, but adapted the style to the stormy New England weather.

Georgian Colonial (1690s - 1830s)

Georgian Colonial became the rave in New England and the Southern colonies during the 1700?s. Stately and symmetrical, these homes imitated the larger, more elaborate Georgian homes which were being built in England.

Federal and Adam (1780s - 1840s)

Like much of America's architecture, the Federal (or Federalist) style has its roots in the British Isles. Two Scottish brothers named Adam adapted the pragmatic Georgian style, adding swags, garlands, urns, and other delicate details.

Famous Architects

Alvar Aalto (1898 - 1976)

Born at the cusp of Modernism, Finnish architect Alvar Aalto became famous for both his buildings and his furniture designs. Aalto's unique style grew out of a passion for painting and a fascination for the works of cubist artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.

Unique Homes

Fallingwater (1935)

Fallingwater may look like a loose pile of concrete slabs about to topple into the stream, but there is no danger of that! The slabs are actually anchored through the stonework of the hillside.

Architecture and the Environment

Green Architecture

Green architecture, also known as sustainable design, is simply a method of design that minimizes the impact of building on the environment. It can be organized into several areas of application, as follow:

Design Elements

Architecture and Expression

Architecture may express human values, feelings and dynamic states. We derive meaning from a building based upon our perceptions of the sensory, formal and technical properties and from our own experiences. When these elements of design are combined, they give expression to a work of art that can be explained using the language of human emotion.