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The Words Architects Use
Architecture has a precise vocabulary that most of us half-know. These ten questions pin the words down.
About this topic
Architects talk to builders through drawings, and drawings need agreed conventions. A plan is a horizontal cut seen from above; a section is a vertical one; an elevation is a flat face drawn without perspective so that a measurement taken off it is true. None of these look like a photograph of the finished building, and that is the point — they are instructions, not pictures. The same is true of the words for the parts themselves. A cantilever, a curtain wall and a load-bearing wall behave in completely different ways, and confusing them is the difference between a building standing and not. This quiz covers the drawing conventions, the classical elements that keep reappearing, and a few terms that have drifted in meaning since they were coined.
Questions & answers
The Words Architects Use: all 10 questions and answers
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
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1In architectural drawings, what does an elevation show?
- A A cutaway through the interior
- B A view from directly above
- C A three-dimensional perspective sketch
- D A flat view of one face of a building Correct
Answer: D. A flat view of one face of a building
Why: A plan is the view from above and a section is the vertical cut. Elevations are drawn without perspective so that measurements taken off them stay true.
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2Which of the classical orders is identified by capitals carved with acanthus leaves?
- A Ionic
- B Tuscan
- C Corinthian Correct
- D Doric
Answer: C. Corinthian
Why: Doric capitals are plain and Ionic ones use paired scrolls. The Romans favoured the most elaborate order for public buildings meant to impress.
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3A cantilever is a structural element that does what?
- A Spreads a roof load down through a row of columns
- B Projects out from its support with nothing beneath the far end Correct
- C Carries load in tension between two towers
- D Rests on a ring of wedge-shaped stones
Answer: B. Projects out from its support with nothing beneath the far end
Why: Balconies and diving boards work the same way. The projecting part is held by the fixing at the anchored end, so the loads there are far higher than the visible span suggests.
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4What does a curtain wall do on a modern tower?
- A Encloses the building without carrying the floors above Correct
- B Carries the weight of the floors above
- C Holds the lift shaft in place
- D Supports the roof structure
Answer: A. Encloses the building without carrying the floors above
Why: The steel or concrete frame takes the load, which is why glass can run uninterrupted from floor to floor. The idea arrived with tall framed buildings in the late nineteenth century.
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5A portico is which part of a building?
- A A small internal courtyard
- B A projecting upper-floor window
- C A decorative band beneath the roof
- D A covered entrance porch with columns Correct
Answer: D. A covered entrance porch with columns
Why: The triangular gable often set above one is a pediment. The form comes from Greek temple fronts and was revived on banks, museums and courthouses across Europe and America.
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6In building terms, what is a vernacular building?
- A One built for government use
- B One protected as a heritage monument
- C One built in local traditions using local materials Correct
- D One designed by a named architect
Answer: C. One built in local traditions using local materials
Why: Barns, cottages and courtyard houses all qualify. Such buildings usually suit their climate closely, because the form was refined over generations by trial and error.
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7What is an atrium in a modern building?
- A The service corridor behind the lifts
- B A tall open space rising through several floors Correct
- C The basement level below the entrance
- D A roof terrace
Answer: B. A tall open space rising through several floors
Why: Roman houses used the word for a central court open to the sky. Modern versions are usually glazed over, and exist mainly to bring daylight deep into a large floor plate.
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8What does a floor plan represent?
- A A horizontal cut through a building seen from above Correct
- B The finished exterior appearance
- C The order in which construction work is carried out
- D The route of drainage beneath the site
Answer: A. A horizontal cut through a building seen from above
Why: The cut is conventionally taken about a metre above floor level, so doors and windows appear in it. Walls are shown filled in, which is why plans read as solid and void.
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9A mezzanine is best described as what?
- A The topmost floor of a building
- B A basement used for storage
- C A bridge linking two buildings
- D A partial floor set between two main storeys Correct
Answer: D. A partial floor set between two main storeys
Why: It usually overlooks the space below rather than enclosing it. The word comes from the Italian for middle.
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10What made it possible to build slender floors and long spans in concrete?
- A Air bubbles introduced during mixing
- B A surface coat of glazed tile
- C Steel bars set inside it before pouring Correct
- D Volcanic ash added to the mix
Answer: C. Steel bars set inside it before pouring
Why: Concrete is strong in compression and weak in tension, and the steel supplies the tension. Patented in the mid-nineteenth century, the technique had taken over construction within fifty years.
Frequently asked questions about The Words Architects Use
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The Words Architects Use has 10 questions and takes about 7 minutes to finish. It is rated Medium and sits in our Architecture & Design category.
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Each of the 10 correct answers adds 10 XP, up to 100 XP for a clean run. Wrong answers cost you nothing, and your full question-by-question review is shown at the end.
Are the answers to The Words Architects Use explained?
Yes. All 10 questions carry a written explanation of why the correct answer is right, so the quiz works as a study sheet as well as a test.
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Yes, as often as you like. The questions and the answer options are reshuffled on each run, and you can use Practice Mistakes afterwards to retry only the ones you missed. No account is needed to play.
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