Stuck for the meaning to some architecture terminology? Have you read something you don’t quite understand?
Browse our Architecture Glossary and learn more about your future home improvements:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Scope of works – a detailed description of the work to be performed by everyone in a construction contract
Self closer – a door or window that shuts automatically
Services engineer – someone who designs, installs and maintains the services that a building needs to be functional. These include: heath and safety, heating and power
Sewer – an underground channel for carrying of drainage water and waste matter
Site set up – making a building site ready and safe for construction- this may include, for example, displaying a notice board, health and safety law poster, and insurance certificates
Snagging – the process of checking a new building for minor faults
Soft landscaping – the process of making a piece of land more attractive by using elements of a landscape that don’t involve construction, such as trees, shrubs and flowers
Soft wood – the wood from coniferous trees, such as pine, spruce or fir
Soil pipe – a pipe that carries waste from a plumbing fixture, such as a toilet
Specification – something that describes the materials and workmanship required for a development, but it doesn’t include cost, quantity or drawn information
Statutory authority – a body that enacts legislation on behalf of the state
Structural engineer – someone who designs, constructs and maintains large structures such as roads, bridges or large buildings
Subcontractor – a body that signs another’s contract to fullfill the relevant obligations
Substation – part of an electrical generation, transmission or distribution system that increases or decreases the size of the voltage
Sump pump – a pump used to remove accumulated water in a sump basin, which is usually in the basement of homes
Sun Tube – a tube in the ceiling that transmits natural light in order to illuminate areas with little access to said natural light
Surveyor – an inspector that examines the condition of land and buildings
