Glossary
Building design terms, explained.
Plain-English definitions of the design, documentation and approval terms you will encounter on a residential project in New South Wales.
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Accent ColoursAccent colours are secondary colours used sparingly against a dominant palette to create emphasis, contrast and visual interest.
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Accent LightingAccent lighting is directional lighting used to highlight a specific object, surface or feature, creating contrast rather than general illumination.
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ArticulationArticulation is the way a building's form and surfaces are broken up, shaped and detailed so the massing reads as a series of distinct parts rather than one bulky volume.
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BespokeBespoke means designed and made specifically for one client and one site, rather than selected from a standard range or repeated from a existing plan.
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BriefThe brief is the written statement of what a project must achieve, covering the client's requirements, priorities, budget, timeframe and site constraints.
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Building EnvelopeBuilding envelope has two meanings: the physical skin separating the interior from the outdoors, and the three-dimensional planning volume within which a building must be contained.
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Building PermitA building permit is the approval required before building work may lawfully commence, confirming the proposed work complies with planning controls and building regulations.
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CantileverA cantilever is a structural element that projects horizontally beyond its support and is held at one end only, with no column or wall beneath its free end.
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Certificate of Final InspectionA Certificate of Final Inspection (CFI) is issued by the principal certifier at the end of building work, confirming the final inspection has been carried out and the work is complete and compliant.
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CharetteA charette (also spelled charrette) is an intensive, time-boxed collaborative design workshop where the design team and stakeholders work through a problem together and produce options quickly.
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ClientIn building design, the client is the person or organisation commissioning the work, who sets the brief, makes the decisions and holds the budget.
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ConceptA concept is the organising idea behind a design, the single clear intention that gives the plan, form and materials a reason to be as they are.
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Conceptual or Schematic DesignConceptual or schematic design is the first design stage, where the client brief and site analysis are translated into broad spatial arrangements, built form and an organising idea, before detail is resolved.
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ContemporaryContemporary describes design of the present moment, reflecting current materials, technologies and ways of living, as distinct from Modern, which refers to a specific historical movement.
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Contract PriceThe contract price is the agreed amount payable to the builder under the building contract for the scope of work described in the contract documents.
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ContractorA contractor is the party engaged under a building contract to carry out construction work, usually the licensed builder responsible for delivering the project on site.
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Contractor DocumentsContractor documents are the drawings, schedules and specifications issued to a builder to price and construct a project.
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CorniceA cornice is a moulding that covers the junction between a wall and a ceiling internally, or the projecting crowning element at the top of an external wall.
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CurvilinearCurvilinear describes a form made from curved lines and flowing surfaces rather than straight edges and right angles.
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DefectA defect is building work that does not comply with the contract, the approved documentation, the National Construction Code or the relevant Australian Standards.
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EclecticEclectic describes a design that deliberately draws on multiple styles, periods or sources, combined so the result reads as coherent rather than accidental.
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FacadeA facade is the exterior face of a building, most often referring to the principal elevation that addresses the street or the main approach.
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Feng ShuiFeng shui is a Chinese practice of arranging buildings and spaces to harmonise the flow of energy, or qi, through orientation, layout and the placement of elements.
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Final CertificateA final certificate is the document issued at the completion of building work confirming that the work has been carried out in accordance with the approval and the relevant standards.
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FinishA finish is the final surface treatment or material applied to an element of a building, determining how it looks, feels, performs and is maintained.
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HueHue is the pure colour attribute of a surface, its position on the colour wheel, independent of how light, dark or saturated it is.
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Interior WallAn interior wall is any wall inside the building envelope that divides or defines internal spaces, as distinct from an external wall that forms part of the building's weather-facing skin.
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J-BoxA J-box, or junction box, is an enclosure that houses electrical connections, protecting the joins between cables and keeping them accessible for inspection.
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Wow FactorWow factor is the memorable, emotive moment in a building, the point at which a space produces a genuine reaction rather than merely functioning correctly.