Team Vocabulary

ARCHITECTURAL TERMS

shear wallwall made up of braced panels to counter the effects of cross load.Diana

WORD	DEFINITION	STUDENT
ADA	Americans with Disabilities Act; prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services; also provides regulations for public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation.	Silvana
architectural column	a column that provides load-bearing support but is also designed for decorative purposes, such as support (post) for a lintel.	Silvana
architectural wall	a wall commonly designed to combine the structural and architectural elements of a building. By doing so, a dramatic façade may be created while generating a building exterior that requires minimal maintenance.	Silvana
axonometric view	an architectural view placed at a 45 degree angle; purpose is to show the relationship of the different sides of the building.	Silvana
bay	the space between partition walls, posts, columns, or buttresses in the length of a building.	Silvana
beam	a structural element capable of withstanding a load by resisting bending.	Silvana
brace	a supporting beam in a building that steadies or holds something else erect.	Silvana
building envelope	a representation that shows the limitations on building height and width.	Silvana
bulk	regulations determining the maximum size and placement of a building on a lot, as a result of the combination of FAR, maximum lot coverage, yard regulations, height and setback regulations.	Diana
camber	Slightly arched surfaces.	Diana
chase wall	a wall constructed in a manner that allows for passing large pipes, ducts or other items through the wall, either vertically or horizontally.	Silvana
component	for building purposes, a part of a system, such as the parts – or components – that make a window opening (eg. jack, header, sill and cripple).	Silvana
concrete slab	a horizontal slab of reinforced concrete used to construct floors and ceilings.	Silvana
conduit	a pipe utilized for carrying the flow of liquids and gases, such as water in the plumbing system for a house	Silvana
cripple stud	a stud located above a door or window or below a window, which is non-structural but provides a base for nailing/attaching to siding or interior wall coverings.	Silvana
cross-section	a vertical plane cut through an object for the purpose of viewing the details of the interior, such as the interior of a wall.	Silvana
curtain wall	a wall system that forms the outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but serve only to protect occupants from external weather conditions. May be composed of glass.	Silvana
deep foundation	a type of foundation that is used to transfer the load of a structure down through the upper weak layer of topsoil to the stronger layer of subsoil below; also known as a caisson.	Silvana
dormer	a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows. They also provide a source of light.	Silvana
elevation	an architectural view of a building that shows the exterior of one side of a building structure on a flat plane.	Silvana
elevator	a motorized transportation device that moves people vertically between floors in a building, vessel or other structure.	Silvana
EQEQ	stands for “equal-equal”; to place in middle.	Silvana
escalator	a motorized staircase designed for transporting people between floors.	Silvana
FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation)	ratio of total building area to the area of its lot.	Diana
fire resistance rating	how well a building system-for a specified time period (such as 2 hours)-can withstand a fire from spreading to adjacent rooms	Silvana
floor plan	a map-like architectural diagram that shows a view from above of the arrangement of spaces in a building individual to each floor.	Silvana
footing	also known as shallow foundation; usually embedded about a meter into soil.	Silvana
foundation	the lowest suporting layer of a structure upon which all other components,such as floors, structural frames and columns are added and transfers the loads of all these structures to the base below it (soil and bedrock).	Silvana
glulam	Glue laminated (ex. plywood).	Diana
gypsum board	a panel made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper and used to make interior walls and ceilings; also known as sheetrock.	Silvana
header	also known as a lintel; a structural member used in light-frame construction that run perpendicular to floor and ceiling joists, i.e., “heading” them off to create an opening.	Silvana
I-beam	a beam with an I- or H-shaped cross-section; used for support and usually made of structural steel.	Silvana
inclusionary zoning	municipal and county planning ordinances; can be also be described as a bonus to increase FAR, which requires a given share of new construction to be affordable for people with low to moderate incomes.	Eric
isometric view	an architectural view placed at a 30 degree angle from the horizontal in both directions; purpose is to show the relationship of the different sides of the building.	Silvana
jack	a type of stud that supports a header at each end; also known as called trimmers, they fit under each end of a header, and transfer the load that the header carries down to the bottom plate and the framing beneath.	Silvana
legend	a list that explains symbols on a drawing or map.	Silvana
massing	the general size and shape of a building structure.	Silvana
mechanical circulation	building circulation that consists of escalators and elevators.	Silvana
mullion	a slender member used to form a division between panels of a window, door or screen, or for decorative purposes.	Silvana
open ratio	regulation for residential areas requires that certain portion of the site be left open (example: backyard).	Silvana
partition wall	wall built for the purpose of separating rooms or dividing a room.	Silvana
perspective view	an approximation on a flat surface of a representation as perceived by the eye; in a perspective view in architecture, one is able to view the effects of lighting and shadow upon a building design at different angles.	Silvana
rebar	also known as a reinforcing bar; a common steel bar or mesh of steel wires commonly used in tension in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures with the purpose to strengthen and hold the concrete in compression. The surface of the rebar can be patterned to form a better bond with the concrete.	Silvana
reflected ceiling plan	a floor plan that shows the view of the ceiling on an individual floor along with placement of components, such as lighting and other ceiling fixtures and skylights.	Silvana
reveal	is typically seen at the edge of a door or window, where the face molding is set back; the depth of exposure of aggregate in an exposed aggregate finish (exposed aggregate is a concrete surface with the aggregate exposed, formed by applying a retarder to the surface before the concrete has set, and subsequently removing the cement paste to the desired depth).	Silvana
riser	the vertical or near vertical space between one step and the next; minimum 4 inches, maximum 7 inches.	Silvana
setback	distance between the structure/building and the property line	Diana
shaft	a long, narrow, vertical or inclined hole that gives access to an elevator in a building, or provides ventilation.	Silvana
site plan	a type of plan that shows the whole context of a building or group of buildings as well as property boundaries and means of access to the site, and nearby structures and spaces if they are applicable to the design.	Silvana
sky exposure	a line that shows the exterior shape of all buildings; the sloping line is formed where the horizontal and vertical edge/corner lines of a building or buildings meet; the greater the positive angle, the greater the sky exposure, and vice-versa. This helps determine the maximum building envelope.	Silvana
site map	a map that displays a property lot as the focus, along with surrounding streets, buildings, bridges, etc., in order to give an indication of the environment of the location. It includes property lines and lot dimensions.	Silvana
spandrel panel	used in place of glazing units in curtain wall systems where it is necessary to hide the edges of floor slabs, ceiling details, insulation, and other building elements that would ruin the aesthetic of the curtain wall if they were visible.	Silvana
straight run stair	extends from one floor to the next without turns or winding.	Silvana
structural column	a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above it to other structural elements below, i.e., a column is a compression member. Most commonly, it refers to a large round support with a capital and base made of stone, or gives the appearance of such.	Silvana
tax map	a document showing the location, dimensions, and other information pertaining to a parcel of land subject to property taxes and usually kept as a public record at a local tax office or courthouse.	Silvana
TDR (Transfer of Development Rights)	allows transfer of unused development rights to another zoning lot in limited circumstances. Most of these rights are used on historic sites in order to preserve them.	Eric
tread	the horizontal depth that constitutes a step, between 2 risers; minimum requirement is 11 inches; also known as the run.	Silvana
truss	a rigid framework composed of wooden beams or metal bars, designed to support a structure, such as a roof.	Silvana
vertical circulation	refers to the way people move through a building, utilizing stairs, ramps, elevators and escalators, which serve to optimize movement through a building.	Silvana
zoning	shapes a city; determines the size and use of buildings; 1916: zoning began in NYC.	Silvana

Moises Reyes’s vocabulary

1) BIM: a process involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places.

2)FAR :  The total square feet of a building divided by the total   square feet  of the lot the                    building is located on.

3) Sky Exposure Plane:  is a theoretical inclined plane, through                                          which the   height of a building may  not penetrate,  that is designed to                                       provide light and air at street  level in  medium and higher density districts.

4)Bulk:Bulk is the term used to describe the size (including height and floor area) of buildings.

5)Cellar:A cellar is a portion of a building that has more than one-half of its floor-to-ceiling height below curb level.

 6 Mixed Building: is a building in a commercial district used partly for residential use and partly for community facility or commercial use.

7) Certification:is a determination made by the Department of City Planning that an application is complete, complies with specific sections of the Zoning Resolution, and is ready for the formal public review process (ULURP).

8) Commercial Building : Any building occupied only by commercial uses is a commercial building.

9) Commercial District : A Commercial District is designated by the letter C (C1-2, C3, C4-7, for example).

10) Commercial Overlay : A commercial overlay is a small portion of a residential district — usually the first and second floors of buildings fronting on major avenues or wide streets — which is zoned for retail and service stores. A commercial overlay is shown on the zoning maps as a pattern superimposed on a residential district.

11) Commercial Use : A commercial use is any use listed in Use Groups 5 through 16.

12) Community Facility Building : is any building occupied only by a community facility use.

13) Community Facility Use  :Any use listed in Use Groups 3 or 4, except open uses, is a community facility use.

14) Contextual Zoning : is zoning that regulates the height and bulk of new buildings, their setback from the street line, and their width along the street frontage, to conform with the character of the neighborhood.

15) Court :  is any open area other than a yard or portion thereof, which is unobstructed from its lowest level to the sky, and which is bounded by building walls, or building walls and one or more lot lines

16)Limited Height District : is an overlay district superimposed on another district which limits the height of buildings in certain areas designated as historic districts by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

17)Height Factor : The height factor of a building is equal to the total floor area of the building divided by its lot coverage.

18) Loft : A loft is a type of building generally constructed prior to 1930 for commercial or manufacturing use, and which is now occupied (or has been occupied) by manufacturing tenants.

19)Plaza : A plaza is an open area accessible to the public at all times. It shall not at any point be more than five feet above nor more than 12 feet below the curb level of the nearest adjoining street. It must be unobstructed from its lowest level to the sky except for certain permitted obstructions such as arbors. awnings, ornamental fountains and flag poles.

20) Lot Area : is the area of a tract of land (zoning lot) in single ownership located within a block.

21)Story : A story is that part of a building between the surface of one floor and the ceiling immediately above. However, a cellar does not count as a story.

 

22)Bitmap: A pixel based graphic or image inserted in a drawing. Bitmaps can be sized but not edited with most CAD programs.

23)Coordinates: A system of numbers used to locate a point or object in a drawing. In the Cartesian coordinate system 2 numbers x and y are used to describe the location of a point in the horizontal and vertical dimensions respectively. 3D CAD programs add the z coordinate which describes distance in the third dimension.

24)Autodesk Revit : is BIM software for architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, designers and contractors. It allows users to design a building and structure and its components in 3D, annotate the model with 2D drafting elements and access building information from the building models database.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TECHNICAL TERMS

WORD	DEFINITION	STUDENT
base constraint	command in Revit where a component being placed originates, i.e., the lowest point, or ground zero.	Silvana
base offset	command in Revit for a component placement indicating the distance (displacement) from the beginning of the object up until or down to a given element or point, presumably within the same object (eg., a wall that continues above or below a base point).	Silvana
callout	command in Revit that creates a top view.	Silvana
casework	refers to storage type furniture components (such as counters and cabinets) and placement of such in Revit.	Silvana
detail line	command in Revit that creates view-specific lines.	Silvana
family	a component used to build modes in Revit, such as walls, stairs, doors, among others. Each one can have several types with relevant variables depending on the family. Any change to a family is updated in every instance throughout the project.	Diana
filter	Revit feature that allows for selection and viewing of categories of components.	Silvana
grid	construction grid lines in Revit that allow for accurate placement of building components.	Silvana
hung ceiling	also known as a drop ceiling; refers to a second ceiling hung below the structural ceiling.	Silvana
“model line”	command in Revit that allows you to create drawings of non-architectural objects.	Diana
parametric	a manner of organizing computer data in 3D CAD system.	Silvana
“pick-line”	command in revit that allows you to create a line based on an existing object, such as a wall, line, edge selected in the drawing.	Diana
revision cloud	feature in Revit to indicate where design areas have changed.	Silvana
“section” command	command in AutoCAD model 3D that divides a solid object into sections.	Silvana
top constraint	in Revit, the level to which a component being added to a building is chosen to extend.	Silvana
Underlay	Revit command that allows you to change the visibility of other levels.	Diana
view range	Revit command that permits temporary change in view depth by setting the offset to show features at greater detail.	Silvana
v v (visibility)	Command that allows you to change the visibility in a certain view according o categories.	Diana
visibility template	Command that allows you to create a template based on preferences of visibility of categories in a certain view in order to apply it later to other views.	Diana
wall sweep	Revit tool used to add a baseboard, crown molding, or other type of decorative horizontal or vertical projection to a wall.	Silvana
widget	determines display on side of page in OpenLab.	Silvana