Archispeak

ARCHISPEAK An illustrated guide to architectural terms

Widely used in architectural circles in the heat of discussion, the recurrent use of particular words and terms
has evolved a language of design jargon. Commonly found in architectural literature and journalism, in
critical design debate and especially in student project reviews, archispeak can seem insular and perplexing
to othersand—particularly to the new architectural student—often incomprehensible.
There is a need to translate architectural design concepts into spoken and written commentary—each
word in use embodying a precise and universally accepted architectural meaning. If we explore the
vocabulary of this language we gain insight to design good practice and to a collaborative understanding of
what constitutes arefined architecture. This unique illustrated guide will help students understand the
nuances of this specialized language and help them in communicating their own design ideas.

ARCHISPEAK An illustrated guide to
architectural terms
TOM PORTER
With contributions by:

Steve Bowkett Alan Brookes Walter Grondzik Richard Hayward
Craig Huffman Mike Jenks Conway Lloyd Morgan Thorbjeorn
MannHenk Mihl Byron Mikellides Enn Ots Martin Pawley Larry
Peterson Clare Pollard Richard Rose-Casemore Ron Shaeffer
Geoffrey Spyer Peter D.Stone Jane Tankard Mark A.Tarmey
Maelee Thomson Foster Karel Vollers Edward T.White

LONDON AND NEW YORK

First published 2004 by Spon Press
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Spon Press
29 West 35thStreet, New York, NY 10001
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to
www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
Spon Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
© 2004 Tom Porter
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced orutilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known
or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing inPublication Data
Porter, Tom
Archispeak an illustrated guide to architectural terms/Tom Porter
p. cm.
ISBN 0-415-30011-8 (alk. paper)—ISBN 0-415-30012-6 (pbk: alk. paper)
1. Architecture—Terminology. 2. Architectural design—Terminology.
I. Title
NA31 .P67 2004
720'.3–dc22
2003021736
ISBN 0-203-64315-1 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-67041-8 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-30011-8 (hb)0-415-30012-6 (pb)

The author pays tribute to the memory of a good friend and colleague, the late
Layla Shamash.

Contents

List of contributors
Preface

vi
viii

Acknowledgements

ix

Illustration credits

x

Introduction

1

Archispeak

2

Further reading

168

List of contributors

Steve Bowkett is a Senior Lecturer at the schools of architecture atSouthbank University, London, and
Oxford Brookes University. He is also a partner in the Tankard Bowkett architectural practice.
Alan Brookes is Professor of Building Technology at the Faculty of Architecture, TU University, Delft.
Previously a partner in Brookes Stacey Randall, his buildings and structures are internationally known.
He is the author of several books, including Cladding ofBuildings (1998) and Innovation in Architecture
(2003).
Walter Grondzik is an architectural engineer and a Professor at the School of Architecture, Florida
A&M University, Tallahassee. His research interests include building environmental control systems and
building performance, and he is the past-President of both the Architectural Research Centers Consortium
and the Society of Building Science...