GLOSSARY OF ARCHITECTURE TERMINOLOGY

ABACUS:                       A slab forming the crowning member of the capital.

ABUTMENT:                   Solid masonry which resist the lateral pressure of the  arch.

AGORA:                          The Greek equipment of the roman forum, a place of open air assembly or market place.

AMPHETHEATRE:          The circular structure characterized by rising tier of stone seats contained within an arched stone outer wall that was used by Romans for circus performance and gladiatorial contest.

ARCHADE:                      A series of arches supported by piers or column or roof passageway or a lane.

ARCH:                            A structure of welded shape bricks over an opening , so disposed as to hold together when supported only by one side.

ARCHITRAVE:               The beam or lowest division of entablature which extend  from column. Also the moulded frame round a window or door-frame.

ASHLAR MASONARY : Masonry construction using a square stone.

ATTIC :                             Upper storey of a building above the main cornice, also the rooms in a Roof.

BALCONY:                        A platform projecting from an upper story and enclosed by a railing.

BALUSTER :                       A pillar or column supporting a handrail or coping, a series forming a balustrade.

BANDING:                          Horizontal subdivision of the column or wall using a change in profile Or change in material.

BASEMENT:                      The lowest stage of the building , usually an underground storey.

BASE:                                  The lowest part of the structure.

BAY:                                    The principal division of an interior of exterior elevation.

BAY WINDOW:                 A set of two or more window that protrude out from the wall. The window is moved away from the wall.

BEAM:                                Horizontal load bearing member of structure of building framework.

BELL ROOF:                       A roof whose cross section is shaped like a well.

BOARD FEET:                    A unit of measurement based on volume. 144 cubic  inches of the wood equals one board feet.

BOND:                                 A term adopted to describe the various pattern used to lay bricks in order to give a maximum strength. For example English bond , Flemish bond etc.

BUILDING CODE:              A set of law drafted by the governing body of a borough, town or city to control building construction “ to promote the public health safety and general welfare” of the people in that locality.

BUTTRESS:                        A projection of masonry or a brick work frame to give additional strength to the wall.

CANOPY:                           A projection or a hood over the door, window, niche, etc.

CAPITAL:                           The elaboration at the top of a column, pillar, pier or a pilaster.

 

CANTELEVER:                  Part of beam or a floor which projects beyond his  

                                          supports.

CASEMENT WINDOW: A window that opens by swinging inwards or outward much like door. Casement windows are usually vertical in shape but are often grouped in a band.

CHAITY:                          A Buddhist meeting hall.

CHATRI:                          A domed pavilion supported by columns at each corner, which is characteristic element of mugal architecture in India.

CHIMNEY:                      A passage of structure extending above the roof, through which smokes escapes.

CLADDING:                    The light weight outer skin of the building that does not carry any weight or support the building , but does keep the wind and rain out. A term used to describe the siding or materials covering the exterior of the building.

CLERESTORY WINDOW:A window (usually narrow) placed in the upper wall of the room, usually at a angle, to provide extra light.

COFFERS:                        Used for and aesthetic purpose enabling column free large span structure.

COLONADE:                    A row of column forming an element of an architectural composition, carrying a flat-topped entablature or an row of arches.

COLUMN:                       A vertical structural support support of a building carrying a compression load.

COPING:                         A flat cover of stone or brick that protect the top of the wall from rain.

CORNICE:                        Cornice is the decorative band of moulding that round the wall of the room, just bellow the ceiling.

COURSE:                         A continuous raw of building materials, such as single brick or stone.

CURTAIL WALL:              In older times, it was a fortified wall of castle.    Nowadays, a non-structural or non-load bearing wall either of glass or reinforced plastic.

DUCT:                             A sheet metal enclosure carrying a warm or a cool air from a forced air heating or cooling plant.

EAVES:                             Lowermost edge of the roof, sloping, or otherwise, generally employed where roof over hangs sides of the building.

ELEVATION:                   Any vertical face of the building be it exterior or interior or a drawing of the same.

ENGLISH BOND:            Brickwork pattern with alternate course of header and stretchers.

FACADE:                         The front face of the elevation of a building or any structure, which can also be sculpted.

FANLIGHT:                     A semi-circular or semi elliptical window with a horizontal sill often above the door.

FLYING BUTTRESS:       A detached pier supporting the weight of a building.

FOUNDATION:             Sub structure on which the building stands.

FRESCO:                         It is the art of decorative or painting on walls by application of pure pigments dissolved in the water on the wall plaster.

FRIEZE:                            A band with deigns or a carvings along a wall or above doorways and window.

GABLE:                            A triangular area of an exterior wall formed by two sloping roofs.

GARBHA GRIHA:            The small unlit shrine of Hindu temple.

GOPURAM:                    A gate tower of Hindu temple, ornate, pyramid shaped, and sometimes very large.

 

GUTTER:                         A metal or plastic through along the edge of a roof that collects water off eave and carries it to the downspout.

HEADER:                         Short side of the brick faces out.

HIPPED ROOF:              A roof which slopes on the four sides. The “hipes” are the line formed when the slopes meets at the corner.

JAMB:                             The vertical member of the window or a door frame

KEYSTONE:                   The central, topmost stone of the an arch which     

                                        tight  the All stone of the arches.

LINTEL:                           A horizontal beam like a structure that span an opening such as door and window.

LOUVER VENT:             An opening fitted with a series of sloping slats arranged to admit light and air but shed rain.

MEZZANINE:                  Strictly speaking it is the leave or floor between the ground floor and first floor.

MODULE:                      A measure of the proportion adopted for a building on which all other dimension are based. In other words a basic unit from which other part of building are derived.

MOULDING:                 Shape decorative outlines on projecting cornices and

                                       members in wood and stone.

MULLION:                    The vertical member separating the adjacent window.

NECROPOLIS:                A burial ground.

NICHE:                           A recess of wall to place various decorations.

OBELINK:                      An Egyptian monument with a tall, tapering shaft of stone with a pyramidal top.

PARAPET:                     Portion of the wall that extend above the roof (wall surrounding the flat roof).

PARTITION:                 The name gives to the interior wall. Simply the wall separate the room from another room.

PIAZZA/PLAZA:            An open public square.

PIER:                              A vertical, non-circular masonry support, more massive than a column.

PILASTER:                      A rectangular vertical member projecting only slightly from a wall, with abase and a capital as with a column.

PILLAR:                          Similar to pier but more slender than it, it also non-circular.

PITCH:                            The rate at which a roof or the other surface slopes.

 

PLAN:                             A plan simply a two-dimensional drawing of the size and a shape of a space usually with dimensions. It is an orthographic projection, usually top view of an object.

PODIUM:                       A raised platform derives from the poda for feet, also the platform on which building is constructed.

PORTICO:                      It is an entry porch or vestibule supported by columns.

QUION:                         A stone or a block reinforcing or accenting the corners of a building.

RENDERING:                The art or a various technique are used to make a drawing as realistic as possible or sometimes to make their art non-realistic as well in order to express their work effectively.

RIDGE:                           The top-most portion of the roof from which sides fall away.

RISE:                               The vertical distance from one stair tread to the next..

RISER:                            The vertical portion of a step.

ROSE WINDOW:          Decorative circular window.

RUBBLE:                         Masonry construction using stones of irregular shapes and size.

 

SECTION:                       it is representation of a solid object or a building as it would appear if cut by an intersecting plane, so that the internal configuration is clearly visible making it easier to read the drawing.

SHIKHARA:                    A spire like structure , conical or pyramidal in shape, erected above the shrines of Hindu temple.

SHINGLES:                     These are the wooden or clay tiles used for covering roof or cladding of walls.

SHUTTER:                       A movable cover of window used for protection from  weather and intruders.

SILL:                                 A horizontal piece forming a bottom frame of the window or door opening.

SKYLIGHT:                      A window on the roof to provide light to a loft or a room without other lighting.

SKIRTING:                     Protective tiling to on vertical plane at base of the  wall to protect wall from water while cleaning the floor.

STAMBHAS:                Free standing monumental pillars, characteristic of Buddhist architecture.

STILE:                          The vertical side of window sash.

STOREY:                     A horizontal division of building, from floor to the ceiling above it.

STRECHER:                 Long side of the brick faces out.

STUPA:                       Hemispherical structure of Buddhism, used for keeping relics or belonging of Buddhist teacher.

TERRAZO:                 A colorful flooring material made of cement and marble  chips or stones. After the floor hardened it is ground and polished to smooth and durable finish.

TOUNGH AND GROOVE:A type of wooden siding with the edge of other board fitting into the groove of the next:

TRANSOME:             The horizontal member separating adjacent window.

TREAD:                      The horizontal portion of step, on which feet lies to accent for next one.

TRUSS:                       A framework for supporting a roof. they are structural member to support the roof usually made in steel or wood.

VASTUSHASTRA:     Traditional Hindu system of Architecture.

VAULT:                      An arched covering/ a series of arches one behind the other.

VIHARA:                   A Buddhist monastery.

VERNACULAR:        Style or type of architecture or design philosophy peculiar to the culture or race or locality.

WASTE PIPE:           The name generally applied to all household drainage pipe.

Room layout and orientation

Orient rooms to take advantage of the sun when it’s wanted, but avoid overheating and glare.
On this page:
North-facing rooms
East-facing rooms
West-facing rooms
South-facing rooms
Air locks
In location, orientation and layout, we explained how building orientation can be used for passive heating and cooling. We also explained that rooms should be located to take best advantage of the sun – for example, by having living areas face north where they will receive all-day sun and service areas face south where they will receive little sun. This page provides more detail on ideal
solar
 orientation for different types of room.
As discussed in location, orientation and layout, solar orientation will have to be considered alongside other factors such as noise, views, privacy, and passive cooling features such as ventilation and shading.
For solar gain, it is also important to consider the thermal performance and solar heat gain efficiency of the glazing unit itself. In general, north-facing windows should be efficient at letting solar radiation into the building (see glazing and glazing units for more).
North-facing rooms
The main living spaces such as living, family and dining rooms should be north facing where possible. North-facing rooms:
have good daylight most of the day
have solar gain for most of the day throughout the year
may require horizontal shading to prevent overheating in summer
have good passive solar gain in winter.
East-facing rooms
East facing rooms are most suited as kitchen and breakfast areas as they can benefit from early morning solar gain throughout the year and will be cooler in the late afternoon when evening meal preparation takes place. They:
have good morning light
have solar gain in the morning throughout the year to provide initial warming
will be cooler in the late afternoon.
Bedrooms that face east will be cooler in the late afternoon and evening, making them more comfortable for summer sleeping. Early risers generally appreciate east sun in spaces they will use first thing in the morning such as breakfast bars.
West-facing rooms
As west-facing rooms get low-angle, late afternoon sun, they usually require some shading to prevent overheating and excessive glare, particularly during the summer. They:
have good afternoon daylight
can overheat in the late afternoon for much of the year
may require vertical shading to prevent excessive overheating and glare in the afternoon
provide good direct solar gain for thermal mass heating of living spaces in the evening.
A west-facing orientation is suitable as a living area in households where occupants are away from home during the day-time but at home in the evenings. It is not generally suitable as a kitchen as the heat from dinner preparation coincides with low-angled afternoon and evening sun, potentially causing glare and overheating.
South-facing rooms
South-facing rooms are not suitable for habitable spaces as they:
have lower levels of daylight during parts of the year
have little or no heat gain.
They are most suited for the location of the garage, laundry, bathroom, toilet, workroom and stairs, where people spend little time and/or use infrequently.
Outdoor living areas
In general, outdoor living areas should be north-facing so they receive the sun when they are in use. As discussed in location, orientation and layout, if the building is located towards the south of the site, this will provide a north-facing outdoor area.
Air locks
An additional design feature for both heat retention and heat exclusion is to include an air lock or space between the exterior and indoor living areas. An air lock needs to be able to be closed off from both the outside and the inside spaces and may be:
an entry lobby (which can usefully provide storage for coats, shoes and so on)
a laundry
a mud room
an attached garage - a garage with a large garage door that is very air leaky and that is often not insulated may not be the most effective airlock space.
The space should be sufficiently large to allow doors to be opened with ease, as insufficient space is likely to result in a door being left permanently open, defeating the purpose of the air lock. Sliding doors are not a satisfactory option as they tend to be draughty and are difficult to seal.

Shading
Shading should be designed to take into account the sun's path in summer and winter.
In general, midday summer sun is not difficult to exclude through windows that face within 20° of
solar
 north. The sun’s high angle means that it will not enter these windows during the summer months if shaded by eaves or external shades.
It is more difficult to shade east and west faces as they receive low morning and afternoon sun. Where low sun is a problem, keep east and west facing glazing to a minimum.
The following table recommends shading options for different situations.



GATE architecture paper 2011

GATE 2011 PAPER WITH ANSWER

Q.1 to  Q.25 one mark each.

Q.1 Capital town of Gandhinagar has been designed by

(A) Normal Foster  (B) B.V. Doshi  (C) H.K. MEWADA (D) Le Carbusier

Answer – (C)

Q.2 Rajiv Awas Yojana  of Ministry of Housing, Government of India addresses housing for

(A) Middle Income Group (B) Low income Group (C) H.I.G (D) Slum Development

Answer – (D)

Q.3 The triangle space formed by two consecutive arches is

(A) Tympanum (B) Spandrel (C) Regula (D) Extrados

Answer – (B)

Note:- A “spandrel, less often Spandril or Spoundrel, is the space between two arches or between an arch and a rectangle enclosure.”

Q.4 Rose Window is an iconic feature of

(A) Notre Dame , paris (b) Hagia Sofia, Istanbul (C) St. Peter’s Rome (D) Victoria Memorial , Kolkata

Answer – (A)

Q.5 Purity of colour is described by

(A) Hue (B) Value (C) Chroma (D) Tone

Answer – (C)

Note:-Saturation (also called Chroma) is a purity of color. High saturation colors look rich and full. Low saturation colors look dull and grayish.

Q.6 A slab simply supported on all its edge with a ratio of longer side to shorter side greater or equal to 2.0 is designed as

(A) One way slab (B) Two way slab (C) Flat Slab (D) Coffered Slab

Answer – (A)

Q.7 Entablature consist of

(A) Architrave, tenia, Cornice (B) Architrave, Frieze, Cornice (C) Frieze, Cornice, Triglyphs (D) Cornice, Guttae, Tympanum

Answer – (B)

Q.8 Town planned for ‘motor age’ refer to

(A) Toronto, ontalio (B) Nassan shores, Long island (C) Radburn, New Jersey (D) Green belt, Maryland

Answer – (C)

Q.9 The minimum road curb length required for parking 10 cars perpendicular to the road is

(A) 15 m (B) 25 m (C) 35 m (D) 40 m

Answer – (B)

Q.10 Which of the following generates heat island?

(A) Urban Area (B)Coastal area  (C) Wetlands  (D) Forest Area

Answer – (A)

Note:-Heat island refers to urban air and surface temperatures that are higher than nearby rural areas. many cities and suburbs have air temperature that are 2 to 10 degree Fahrenheit (1to 6 degree Celsius) warmer than the surrounding land cover.

Q.11 The most suitable earthquake resistant built up plan form

Answer- (C)

Q.12 Transfer of Development Right (TDR) is a tool used for

(A) Human development (B) Land development (C) Economic Development (D) Infrastructure development

Answer- (B)

Note:-Transfer of development right (TDR) is a way of controlling land use to complement zoning and strategic planning for more effective urban growth management and land conservation. TDR is as a creative innovative , and experimental form of development control.

Q.13 Dandaka form of settlement layout is basically a

(A)  Grid Iron pattern (B) Right radial pattern (C) radial pattern (D) informal pattern

Notes:-ancient’s India town planning layout

Q.14 Maximum horizontal angle form the speaker in a seating area of a lecture theatre should be

70* (B) 90* (C) 120* (D) 140*

Answer – (D)

Q.15 ‘U-value ‘ refers to

(A) Utility function for convective heat transfer

(B) Thermal transmittance of building component

(C) Energy transfer between thermal bridge

(D) Measure of area related heating and cooling loads

Answer – (B) Thermal transmittance. The U-Factor or U-value, is the overall heat transfer coefficient that describes how well a building element conducts heat or the rate of transfer of heat  (in Watts) through one square meter od a structure divided by the difference in temperature across the structure.

Q.16 Consistency of cement is measures by

(A) Pycometer 
(B) Slump cone
(C) Universal testing Machine
(D) Vicat’s apparatus

Answer – (D)

Q.17 The appropriate material for flooring of an external ramp of a building would be

(A) Polished granite

(B) Wax polished marble

(C) Glazed ceramic tile

(D) Rough finish sandstone

Answer – (D)

Q.18 Which of the following is NOT a member of a steel Truss?

(A) Gusset Plate

(B) Wall Plate

(C) Fish Plate

(D) Anchor Bolts

Answer – (C)

Q.19 Identify the odd among the following

(A) Security deposit

(B) Professional tax

(C) Performance bank guarantee

(D) Eastern money

Answer – (B)

Q.20 Weep hole is a term used to describe

(A) Performance in the cast iron pipe used for boring

(B) Holes in relating wall for draining water

(C) Holes in the cover plate of floor traps

(D) Holes dug in earth to recharge ground water

Answer – (B)

Note:-A Weep hole is a small opening in the brick or stone mortar joint that is designed to allow water to “Weep” from behind the Wall’s veneer. That’s right , the brick on your home is a veneer, a simple covering that hides the rough framing of the exterior walls of the home.

Q.21 Busway , Bus-duct and Raceway are component of

(A) Security System

(B) Air conditioning system

(C) Electrical system

(D) Water supply systems

Answer – (C)

Q.22 The difference between Wet Bulb Temperature and Dry Bulb Temperature is called

(A) Dry bulb depression

(B) Wet bulb depression

(C) Variable depression

(D) Atmospheric depression

Answer – (B)

Q.23 In India, one of the Improvement Initiatives is

(A) Special Residential Zone

(B) Valmiki Ambedkar Malin Basti Awas Yojana

(C) Indira Awas Yojana

(D) Eco Housing

Answer – (B)

Q.24 Suspended Floors a structure system used in

(A) Lloyeds Building, London

(B) Jin Mao Building, Shanghai

(C) Petronas Tower, kualalampur

(D) Hongkong Shanghai Bank, Hongkong

Answer – (D)

Q.25 Residual method of valuation is used to determine

(A) Public Private partnership Deal

(B) Rent

(C) Property Tax

(D) Selling Price

Answer – (A)

Q.26 to Q.55 carry two marks each.

Answer – (D)

Q.27

   

Answer – (B)

Note:- Room size = 5m x 3.5m x 5m (length x breath x height)

           Area of 5m long wall = 5x3 = 15mx2m = 30m2

          Area of 3.5 m wide wall = 3.5x3 = 10.5mx2 = 21m2

          Door opening area = 1mx2m = 2m2

          Window opening area = 1mx1m = 1m2

          Total area of interior wall excluding door and window = 30+21-3 = 48m

         The quantity of plaster require for interior walls is 48 sq m.(Because quantity of plaster is measured in sq m.)

Q.28 One cubic metre of ordinary Portland cement yields of M15 concrete in the range of

(A) 2 to 3 cum

(B) 4 to 5 cum

(C) 7 to 8 cum

(D)  8 to 9 cum

Answer – (B)

Q.29

 

Answer – (Marks to all)

Q. 30

Answer – (A)

Q.31

Answer – (Marks to all)

Q. 32

Answer – (C)    

Q.33

Answer – (B)

Q. 34

Answer – (A)

Note:- The Gestalt theorists were the 1^st group of psychologists to systematically perceptual organisation around the 1920’s , in Germany. Gestalt means when parts identified indivisually have different characteristics to the whole (Gestalt means “organised to whole”) e.g. describing a tree – its parts are trunk, branches, leaves, perhaps blossoms or fruit but when you look at an entire tree, you are not conscious of the parts, you are aware of whole object – the tree.

Q.35 A site in a map drawn to scale of 1:16000 measures 75 sqcm. The actual area of the site in hectares is

(A) 120

(B) 168

(C) 192

(D) 256

Answer – (C)

Q.36

Answer – (B)

Q. 37

Answer – (D)

Q. 38

Answer – (A)

Q.39

Answer – (B)

Q.40

Answer – (D)

Q.41

Answer – (B)

Q.42

Answer – (B)

Q.43

Answer – (A)

Q.44

Answer – (C)

Q.45

Answer – (B)

Q.46

Answer – (Mark to all)

Q.47

Answer – (A)

Common Data Questions

Questions 48 and 49

A beam of span L is simply supported at two ends. One half span of the beam weight W and the remaining half span weight 2W.

Q.48 Maximum shear force in the beam will be

(A) W (B) 1.25W (C) 1.75W (D) 3W

Q.49 Maximum bending moment will occur at

Answer – (C)

(A) L/16 from midpoint of the beam

(B) Midpoint of the beam

(C) L/7 from midpoint of the beam

(D) One of the endpoints of the beam

Answer – (A)

Common Data Questions

Questions 50 and 51:

Answer – (B) for 50 & (A) f0r 51

Linked Question Answers

Statement for Linked Answer Questions 52 and 53:

Answer –  (B) for 52 (C) for 53

Statement for Linked Answer Questions 54 and 55:

Answer – (A) for 54 & (B) for 55

General Aptitute Questions

Q.56 to 60.

Q.56 Choose the word from the options given below that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the given word:

Amalgamate

(A) merge

(B) split

(C) collect

(D) separate

Answer – (A)

Q57. Choose the most appropriate word from the options given below to comlplete the following sentences.

 If you are trying to make a strong impression on your audience, you connot do so by being understand , tentative or _____________.

(A)  Hyperbolic

(B) Restrained

(C) Argumentative

(D)Indifferent

Answer – (B)

Q.58 Choose the most appropriate word(s) from the option given below to complete the following sentence.

I completed __________________Singapore for my vacation but decided against it.

(A) To visit

(B) Having to visit

(C) Visiting

(D)For a visit

Answer – (C)

Q.59 

Answer – (B)

Q.60 Which of the following options is the closest in the meaning to the word below:

Inexplicable

(A)  Incomprehensive

(B) Indelible

(C) Inextricable

(D) Infallible

Answer – (A)

Q NO. 61 TO 65 CARRY TWO MARKS EACH


Q. 61

Answer – (D)

Q.62

Answer – (C)

Q.63

Answer – (A)

Q.64



Answer – (D)

Q.65

Answer – (C)