Glossary

an addition of materials or parts to create the whole

most public area in a Classical Greek city, often defined as a figural void with buildings loosely defining edges

goddess of light in Shinto religion. Amaterasu is the primary diety worshipped at Ise Shrine.

most sacred and hierarchical part of the Christian church, usually where the altar is located. The apse, with few exceptions, faced east towards Jerusalem.

designed and built during Classical Roman times, engineered waterways transporting water from long distances above ground to major cities such as Rome

lowest horizontal band of the interior façade. The arcade are the side aisles extruded in elevation.

a curved structural element transferring forces from above to below

an unequal reflection about an axis (linear, radial, etc.)

an imaginary line organizing space; could be linear, radial, symmetrical or asymmetrical

a Z axis (in the third dimension) connecting the heavens to the earth, often related to a religious or spiritual connection, though there are exceptions

smaller of the SARSENS at Stonehenge, weighing up to 5 tons

a bath, hot in temperature, usually lasts in the sequence of three baths.

the section at Hadrian’s villa with a long linear waterway with a half rotunda at one end and semi-circular arches at the other end. Though the canopus visually had many Classical Roman characteristics, the long waterway evoked the River Nile.

The top or head of a column. Egyptians decorated capitals to represent vegetation from either Upper (lotus flower) or Lower (papyrus buds) Egypt. The Greeks incorporated acanthus leaves as a vegetative element.

the interior most zone of a temple housing statues and important objects to the culture

which means a division a garden divided into four

Circular shape around the stones at Stonehenge made from the mineral chalk. The chalk mound is broken in one area at the HEEL STONE.

smaller rooms of hierarchy in a church

religious building type related to Christianity, the worship of (one) God

the top most horizontal band of the interior façade. Clerestory is one of the most dematerialized areas of the structure with the largest amount of glass. This area allows the most amount of light to enter through the clerestory.

decorative pattern in a ceiling

a series of columns, either in a straight line or another form, spanned by lintels

Common building material made of cement and aggregate allowing for many different forms and shapes to be created. Concrete is a malleable material poured into a wood or steel formwork. Once the concrete has cured, formwork is removed to leave the resultant concrete material that has hardened.

third in the series of Greek order of columns; Corinthian is taller than IONIC, and features acanthus leaves and VOLUTES shifting to the corner of the CAPITAL, creating a more three dimensional column capital

column characterized by volutes (scrolls) and acanthus leaves

Figural void encompassed within one building only (as compared to a piazza, a figural void in an urban location lined by multiple buildings). Courtyards can be completely closed within one building or open on one or more sides.

a system which acts as a means of organization due to its regularity and continuity

reduction in structure

there are many ways domes can be constructed, one common dome is an arch rotated 360 degrees to create a dome

First in the series of Greek columns, Doric are the shortest and thickest of the three orders of Greek columns.

lack of mass within a city, landscape or building

a structural exoskeleton transferring structural forces from interior to exterior to dematerialize interior structure

figural void (lack of mass) in an urban context in a Classical Roman city, plural is for a

a bath, cold in temperature, usually the first in the sequence of three baths

a quality defining spirit of the place; it does not require a religious connotation

proportions whose relationships embody those of the GOLDEN SECTION

scale relationship of the parts to the whole through mathematical proportions

figural void in a US town plan

the one stone outside of the chalk mound

a space that is more important than another in project; could be because of scale, function, location or for other reasons

a hall created by a datum of columns, with or without roof

Spacing between columns. In earlier civilizations, intercolumniation is closer because of the limit of structural innovations. As builders evolve further structural sophistication, intercolumniation expands between structure creating more open interiors.

second in the series of Greek order of columns, Ionic is taller and thinner than DORIC columns. Ionic CAPITALS feature VOLUTES, which appear to be scroll like.

spirit in Shinto religion

the tendency of the forces of a dome or an arch to kick out at the base (of the dome or arch)

smaller representation of a larger whole or system

a tall, thin, tower. May be possible to occupy the interior and they are generally cylindrical in shape.

large central area of a church, where the congregation is seated

recess or void carved into the thickness of a wall

a tall, thin, tapered stone, constructed of one solid piece of stone (no occupiable space within the structure)

opening at the top of a dome, but doesn’t always have to be dome, usually without any glazing (glass)

the processional route cutting through the Athenian Agora ending at the Acropolis

triangular cap to a temple originally, but also many other building types

A figural void in an urban context, defined by multiple buildings. The name piazza is generalized to Italian urban context and during and after the Renaissance. A piazza is similar to a forum or agora, but these terms relate to Classical Roman and Classical Greek cultures respectively.

bundles of columns. Piers gather structure from the form of a wall to increase the span between columns.

stones inlaid in the marble

column engaged with a wall structure; pilasters can be either semi-circular or square in shape

Basic shapes (such as the circle and square for example) extended in the third dimension. Platonic solids are the basic elements of most formal organizations. Examples of platonic solids include: cylinders, cones, spheres, pyramids, and cubes.

simplified three dimensional shapes extruded from basic shapes such as the circle or square

the substance of a wall that can be carved into

an arch, pointed in shape, that reduces lateral thrust forces. The reduction of forces allows for wider and taller spans between structure.

a larger porch added to a building; can be on one side only or wrap around to multiple sides

a design that comes before and justifies later designs

an entryway or gateway to the Egyptian temple, generally composed of two trapezoidal shapes with entry in the center

an object of significance of a religion

The rebirth of architecture, art, mathematics, literature, science and rational thinking inspirited from the Classical Greece and Roman eras. Renaissance comes from the Italian word renacare, meaning rebirth.

one of the most structural elements on the interior ceiling of the church

a large circular window, often decorated with stained glass windows. Rose windows are located on the ends of the transepts, sometimes on the westworks also.

the most important reliquary worshipped at Ise Shrine located in the most sacred inner Naiku. The sacred heart mirror was the object used to withdraw Amaterasu from the cave where she retreated.

The most hierarchical area of the Egyptian temple, usually smaller in scale. Could be location of altar or religious ceremony, but most likely a space for only the holiest of people to enter.

a large upright stone

‘way of the kami’. An indigenous religion to Japan with a reverence to nature.

aisles on the side of the nave allowing for a procession and movement of people

columns in a line, separating interior and exterior zones

inspiring a feeling of awe, could be by scale, function or effect.

A reduction or deletion of mass or parts. The difference between dematerialization and subtractive is that dematerialization is specifically a reduction in structure.

an equal or like reflection about an axis (linear, radial, etc.)

a clean slate; a site that is cleared for a new project or organization

Space changing in width and/or height, either decreasing or increasing volume of space. Telescoping can occur in either plan with wall placement or section by either floor and/or ceiling position.

a religious building of a culture that worshipped multiple deities (pagan)

a bath, medium or tepid in temperature

a simple trabeated arch characteristic in Japanese architecutre

diety to food, housing and clothing. Toyouke is the secondary diety worshipped at Ise Shrine.

(these two vocabulary phrases mean the same) a construction system of vertical members (posts) working in compression and horizontal members (lintel) working in tension. Trabeation works better in specific materials (wood and steel) than stone because of the tension and spanning limits of the lintels.

thin carving of stone, holding the glass in place for either a rose window or clerestory

the crossing arm of the church perpendicular to nave

middle horizontal band of the interior façade. Triforium is characterized by repeated iterations of three, symbolizing the Trinity.

Largest of the SARSENS at the site, weighing between 26-50 tons, made of Marlborough stone. These are the most common of stones associated with Stonehenge. Most of the trilithons are arranged in TRABEATION with two uprights and a lintel spanning above.

one of the most sculptural areas of the church, located over the doorway

located in southern Egypt today, Upper Egypt is known for a mountainous geography and head waters of the Nile River

Inscription of a human figure within a circle and square. Arms and legs outstretched radial to the circle, perpendicularly to the square and implying two centers, navel and groin respectively.

scrolls on the side of a column. The scrolls create a clear differentiation between front and side of the column.

the entrance to a church