Descriptionary

Ionic order the classical order of intercolumnia- tion characterized by elegant detailing, although less ornate than Corinthian and less massive than Doric.

jib door a door with no visible hardware on the room side and that stands flush with the wall so as to blend in neatly.

joist one of any of the parallel beams used to sup­port the load from a floor and ceiling.

keystone the central block, sometimes embellished, of an arch.

lancet window a narrow window with a pointed arch, commonly found in churches.

lantern a decorative, lighted structure crowning a dome, turret, or roof.

lintel a horizontal member forming the upper por­tion of a door or window frame and that supports the load above it.

lozenge a small window.

mansard roof a roof having two slopes on all four sides, the upper portion being almost flat and the lower portion being almost nearly vertical. Similar to a gambrel roof.

marigold window a round window with radiating mullions. Also known as a rose window.

marquetry wood inlay work.

mezzanine a partial floor level between two main levels in a building; an extended balcony or gallery.

minaret a tall tower associated with a mosque.

molding trim, usually of wood, providing decora­tive outline and contouring.

monopteron a Greek circular building surrounded by a single row of columns.

motif any repeated decorative design or pattern.

mullion any one of the vertical members supporting or dividing a window or door.

newel the central supporting column or post around which a winding staircase climbs.

obelisk a four-sided stone tower or monument, tapering to a pyramidal tip.

octastyle having eight columns.

onion dome a Russian bulbous dome ending in a point and resembling an onion.

order in classical architecture, the style of interco- lumniation and entablature. The Greek orders are Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian. The Roman orders are Tuscan and Composite.

ornament any carved, sculpted, engraved, or painted architectural decoration.

oversailing course a row of bricks that project beyond the face of a wall.

palmette an ornament representing palm leaves.

parapet a low, safeguarding wall along the edges of a rooftop.

parquet inlaid wood flooring, usually forming a geometric pattern.

pavilion roof a pyramidal roof.

pediment in classical architecture, the triangular gable end of a roof. Also, an ornamental feature, such as found over doors and windows, having this shape.

pentastyle having five columns.

pepperbox turret a turret with a conical or domed roof.

peripteral surrounded by a single colonnade.

peristyle a colonnade surrounding a building or courtyard.

pier a vertical masonry support.

pilaster a flat, rectangular column having a base and capital and set or engaged into a wall.

pilastrade a line of pilasters.

pinnacle a tower or turret.

plinth the square base for a column or pilaster. Also, a block serving as a base for a statue.

architecture TERMS 27

portcullis a large iron or timber grated door that can be raised or lowered, as in the entrance to a castle.

portico a porch consisting of a roof supported by columns.

pyramidion a small pyramid, as a cap on an obelisk.

quadrangle a rectangular courtyard surrounded by buildings.

quarry-faced rough, unfinished.

quoin the stones used to reinforce an external wall corner, sometimes decoratively distinguished from surrounding masonry. Also known as coin.

random course a row of masonry of unequal sizes.

random work masonry laid in irregular courses, with random sizes of stone.

reinforced concrete concrete reinforced with iron or steel mesh or bars embedded within it.

relief a carving or embossing raised against its back­ground.

rib a slender supporting arch.

rose window a large round window, frequently with stained glass and stone tracery. Also known as a marigold window.

rubblework masonry consisting of rubble.

rusticated stone rough-faced stone that has been beveled, popular during the Renaissance and in mod­ern banks and courthouses because of the impreg­nable appearance they provide to a facade.

sash any window framework.

scroll an ornament resembling a scroll or spiral.

scrollwork ornately carved wood, cut with a scroll saw.

sill a horizontal timber at the bottom of a door or window frame. Also, the horizontal timber resting on a foundation in a wood house.

skirt roof a small false roof between levels of a building, forming a decorative skirt.

sleeper any horizontal beam laid near the ground or foundation of a building.

soffit the exposed surface underneath an architec­tural member, such as an arch, beam, or lintel.

splay a large bevel.