Lesson 1.1 History of Civil and Architectural

Lesson 1.1 Key Terms

Key Term / Definition
Aesthetics / The quality of an object that deals with art, beauty, and taste.
Arch / A curved structure for spanning an opening, designed to support a vertical load primarily by axial compression.
Architect / An individual trained in the art and science of designing and constructing buildings.
Balance / The pleasing or harmonious arrangement or proportion of parts or elements in a design or composition.
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.

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Civil Engineering and Architecture Lesson 1.1 History of Civil Engineering and Architectural Key Terms – Page 1