Glossary
Architectural terms, explained without jargon.
Adaptive Reuse
The conversion of a building from its original purpose to a new use, while retaining the building's structure and often its character. Distinguished from renovation, which preserves the original use.
Béton Brut
French for 'raw concrete.' The phrase, associated with Le Corbusier, refers to concrete left exposed rather than covered with cladding or finish. The source of the term 'Brutalism.'
Brise-Soleil
A fixed or adjustable shading device attached to the exterior of a building to reduce solar heat gain. Commonly used in modernist architecture, particularly in hot climates. Literally 'sun-breaker' in French.
Brutalism
An architectural style characterized by the honest expression of materials and structure, particularly the use of exposed concrete. The name derives from béton brut, not from the English word 'brutal.' Dominant in American civic and institutional architecture from the late 1950s through the 1970s.
Curtain Wall
A non-structural outer wall of a building, typically made of glass and metal, that hangs from the structural frame like a curtain. The curtain wall does not bear the weight of the building; it only bears its own weight and wind loads.
Fenestration
The arrangement, proportioning, and design of windows in a building. The term encompasses not just the windows themselves but their relationship to the wall, their size, their placement, and their effect on the interior.
Infill Development
New construction on vacant or underutilized land within an existing urban area. Infill development is generally preferred to greenfield development on the urban periphery, as it makes use of existing infrastructure and reduces sprawl.
Jalousie Window
A window made of horizontal glass, acrylic, or wooden slats that can be angled to control ventilation. Widely used in Florida and other hot climates before the widespread adoption of air conditioning. The Sarasota School architects used jalousie windows extensively.
Mid-Century Modern
An architectural and design style that emerged in the United States in the late 1940s and flourished through the 1960s. Characterized by clean lines, integration of interior and exterior spaces, and the use of new materials including glass, steel, and reinforced concrete.
Mixed Use
A development or zoning designation that combines residential, commercial, and sometimes industrial uses in a single building or district. Mixed-use development is associated with walkable, transit-oriented urbanism.
Piloti
Columns that raise a building off the ground, creating an open space at ground level. One of Le Corbusier's Five Points of Architecture. Used extensively in modernist buildings to free the ground plane for circulation or landscape.
Sarasota School
A loose affiliation of architects working in Sarasota, Florida in the late 1940s and 1950s, including Paul Rudolph, Ralph Twitchell, Victor Lundy, Tim Seibert, and Mark Hampton. United by a commitment to modernism and a shared interest in designing for Florida's climate.
Setback
The minimum distance a building must be set back from a property line, street, or other feature, as specified by zoning regulations. Setbacks shape the relationship between buildings and streets, and are a major determinant of urban form.
Urbanism
The study and practice of how cities work, including their physical form, social organization, economic structure, and governance. New Urbanism is a specific movement within urbanism that advocates for walkable, mixed-use, transit-oriented development.
Vernacular Architecture
Architecture produced without the involvement of professional architects, using local materials and traditional building techniques. Vernacular buildings reflect the climate, culture, and available materials of their place of origin.