Aesthetics

The quality of an object that deals with art, beauty, and taste.

Bearing Walls

Solid walls that provide support for each other and for the roof of a structure.

Civil Engineer

An engineer trained in the design and construction of public works, such as bridges or dams, and other large facilities.

Color

The aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light sources.

Contrast

A visual principle associated with change made in size, shape, color, or tone of graphic elements.

Design Principles

The rules that describe how designers might put together various design elements to create an aesthetic finished product.

Dome

An arrangement of several arches whose bases form a circle and whose tops meet in the center.

Element of Design

A basic visual component or building block of designed objects.

Emphasis

Stress or prominence given to an element of a composition by means of contrast, anomaly, or counterpoint.

Façade

The exterior face of a building.

Form

The shape and structure of something as distinguished from its substance or material.

Keystone

A wedge-shaped stone placed in the crown of an arch.

Line

The edge or contour of a shape.

Lintel

A beam supporting the weight above a door or window opening.

Movement

The effect or illusion of motion conveyed by the relationship of structural elements in a design or composition.

Pattern

An artistic or decorative design, especially one having a characteristic arrangement and considered as a unit.

Post-and-Lintel Construction

Wall construction utilizing a framework of vertical posts and horizontal beams to carry floor and roof loads.

Repetition

A principle where some graphic elements are repeated throughout the entire design.

Rhythm

Movement characterized by a patterned repetition or alteration of formal elements or motifs in the same or a modified form.

Shape

The two-dimensional contour that characterizes an object or area.

Space

The dimensions of height, depth, and width within which all things exist and move.

Texture

The feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface, substance, or fabric.

Unity

The state or quality of being combined into one, as the ordering of elements in an artistic work that constitutes a harmonious whole or promotes a singleness of effect.

Value

The relative lightness or darkness of a color.

Vernacular Architecture

Culturally and climatically relevant architecture using locally available materials and traditional building techniques.

Voussoir

Any of the wedge-shaped units in a masonry arch or vault, having side cuts converging at one of the arch centers.