IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURE TERMS

arcuated - arch shaped 

Ambulatory – a covered walkway, outdoors (as in a church cloister) or indoors; especially the passageway around the apse and the choir of a church. In Buddhist architecture, the passageway leading around the stupa in a chaitya hall. 

Apse - a recess, usually semicircular, in the wall of a Roman basilica or at the east end of a church. 

Choir - the space reserved for the clergy and singers in the church, usually east of the transept but, in some instances, extending into the nave. 

Aisles - the portion of a basilica flanking the nave and separated from it by a row of columns or piers. 

Arcade - a series of arches supported by piers or columns. 

Archivolt - the continuous molding framing an arch. In Romanesque or Gothic architecture, one of the series of concentric bands framing the tympanum. 

Bauhaus – A style of architecture that reflected the push towards functionalism and industrial design. A German design school (1919-33) promoted this style of modernist architecture and design. It was closed by the Nazis in1933. The New Bauhaus opened in Chicago in 1937.

blind arcade - an arcade having no actual openings, applied as decoration to a wall surface. 

Brutalism - This style began in England in 1954 coined to characterize the style of Le Corbusier and others who were inspired by such buildings.  Brutalism nearly always used concrete exposed at it roughest and handled with overemphais on big chunky member which collide ruthlessly. The old Oregon Historical Society Building on the park blocks in Portland, Oregon is an example of Brutalist architecture.

casement – A window frame that opens on vertical hinges. A casement window contains two such vertical-hinged windows, separated by a mullion.

fresco - a method of mural painting where the painting is painted on semi wet plaster and dries as a permanent part of the wall. Much preparation of the wall surface and time tested techniques are used for this type of painting.

fretwork spandrels - were made with intricate cutwork, skillfully joined with Ball & Dowel or Spindle sections. The lacy scrollwork was first handcut, one piece at a time. Then, Ball & Dowel or Spindle sections were combined with this cutwork to create just the length required. Installed in positions of importance.

furring walls - "Furring Out, " means setting off a new wall in front of one already built. This provides for dead air space the extra protection of the surface of the ":furred out" wall. The water proofing of the the builidng wall and the air space left between is a good guarantee against destruction due to moisture. Furred out panels can be emplyed by the fresco painter to great advantage giving her a practical and perfectly safe wall to work on if certain precautions are taken to ensure a stable and strong surface.

gilding - The laying of gold and silver over parts of fresco or secco painting.

guilloche - an ornamental border formed of two or more interlaced bands around a series of circular voids.

imbrication - a pattern or design resembling the regular overlapping of tiles or shingles.

intonaco - is the old Italian name applied to the last mortar layer upon which a fresco painting is made. The kind of surface finishing the intonaco should have is a matter of personal taste and often involves the use particular types of plastering materials and troweling techniques such as a marble dust intonaco - a dry marble dust is sifted through a 34 mesh or finer sift and then is miexed with 5 parts lime and 7 parts marble dust, or a sand intonaco - which is made up from finely sifted banksand (about 7 parts to 5 parts of lime.

lime for fresco- Only the high calcium lime is used in the preparation of mortar for fresco painting. It is sold in bulk and called "lumplime or powdered lime" in containers or paper bags.Hydrated lime is useless for fresco painting. It contains magnesia which takes forever to "slake". The best lime is pure-white, an important factore in fresco painting because of its transparaency and its ability of bleaching to a snowy white, the reflecting surface under the colors. Lime is a transparent product that appears opaque when freshly painted out and rath dull looking at first. After having dried and hardened for over a year, the painting, because of the lime's bleaching ability, beomces drawn together in tonality, with beautifully transparent depths and clear lustre in the lights. Years of continued carbonization will gradually give depth and richness in tone to the colors.

meander - a running ornament consisting of an intricate variety of Greek fretwork. 

Nave - the central area of an ancient Roman basilica or of a church, demarcated from aisles by piers or columns. 

palmette - A stylized palm leaf shape used as a decorative element in classsical art and architecture. 

rafter – An inclined timber which forms the side of a roof, to which the roof covering is attached.

slaked lime - A white powder obtained by exposing lime to moistened air or by putting water on lime to produce calcium hydroxide. Plaster contains slaked lime and sand.

secco - A painting technique similar but frendlier than fresco painting. Painting in secco is done in combination with a lime wash over a well floated sand finished lime-sand plastering. Tools and materials are the same as those used in fresco painting. The most important addition to the tols is a lime wash brush. This type of brush must be made from the highest quality 5" long grey bristle securely set in the handle. Only the best grades of such brushes will render satisfactory service in preparing the surface for successful secco painting.

Tympanum - the space enclosed by a lintel and an arch over a doorway. 

Transept - the part of a church with an axis that crosses the nave at a right angle. 

Triumphal arch - in Roman architecture, a freestanding arch commemorating an important event, such as a military victory or the opening of a new road. In Christian architecture, the arch framing the apse at the end of a church nave. 

Trumeau - in church architecture, the pillar or center post supporting the lintel in the middle of the doorway.