Key Architecture Vocabulary Terms

Are you embarking on the journey of home remodeling, if so it is important to be familiar with a number of basic architectural terms. Following are some of the most important in classical architecture that you may hear as your project is underway. An arch is a semicircular, pointed or otherwise curved support or decorative feature in a doorway or building. Arches are supported on square, rounded or rectangular posts called columns. A sequence of arches, either free-standing in a passage or attached to a wall, is known as an arcade.

Vault: an arched ceiling usually made of wood or stone.

Columns often appear in classical architecture, featuring a shaft, base and capital (the top section of the column). The design of the capital is often used to determine the architectural order: either Doric, Ionic or Corinthian. The upper part of an order is known as the entablature, which includes an architrave, frieze and cornice. An architrave is the lowest section that lies above the capitals. The frieze is the rectangular part of the entablature above the architrave often decorated with triglyphs in the Doric order. Just above the frieze is the rectangular band of the cornice. Whenever you are looking for inspiration and new ideas for woodwork in your home designs, check out Art For Everyday. You can also contact us about custom woodcarvings for kitchens and other rooms. For a comprehensive list of other terms, see the full index of architecture vocabulary from the J. Paul Getty Museum. Image via Houzz