Glossary

Software used to manage room data on hospital projects — every room has a defined list of equipment from MRI machines to soap dispensers.

Private body certified to provide building control services.

The UK's statutory regulator of the architect profession.

Removes permitted development rights in a defined area.

Drawings produced after completion showing what was actually constructed, accounting for on-site changes.

Vertical member of a balustrade supporting a handrail.

Person responsible for checking compliance with Building Regulations.

Digital process for creating and managing building data.

A line on a site plan showing other land owned by the applicant nearby that is not part of the current application.

Widely used sustainability assessment for buildings.

The physical separator between the conditioned (heated) interior and the exterior — the building's 'shell'.

Software used to create drawings. In the UK usually refers to 2D drafting (e.g. AutoCAD), whereas BIM refers to 3D data-rich modelling.

Regulations imposing health and safety duties on clients, designers and contractors.

Professional body representing architectural technology.

A charge on new development to fund local infrastructure.

The horizontal member at the base of a window or door.

An additional outer layer on a building used for insulation or aesthetics (timber, metal, brick slips, etc.).

Localised area of higher heat loss through a building element.

Designated area of special architectural or historic interest.

The protective top course of a wall or parapet, shedding water.

A single horizontal layer of units, such as bricks or stones, in a wall.

Regular training architects must do to keep their skills current. RIBA chartered members typically need 35 hours per year.

Non-loadbearing external wall, usually framed and glazed.

The land immediately surrounding a house, including garden and outbuildings. Important for permitted development calculations.

Procurement route where the contractor takes over the design and hires their own consultants. Common in the UK.

Document accompanying major planning applications explaining design rationale.

Period (usually 12 months) after PC during which the contractor remedies defects.

Actual CO₂ emissions per m² per year for a proposed dwelling.

A window that projects vertically from a sloping roof, creating extra headspace and light in a loft.

Barrier preventing rising damp in masonry walls.

Sheet barrier preventing moisture rising through floors.

The edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall, designed to throw water clear of the building.

Rating of a building's energy efficiency from A to G.

The principal front of a building that faces onto a street or open space.

Vertical board fixed to the ends of rafters at the eaves.

Early-stage report (RIBA Stage 0–1) testing whether a project is viable — planning constraints, daylight, basic massing.

The arrangement, proportion and design of windows and doors in a building.

The level of the finished walking surface, including floor finishes.

The triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches.

Floor area measured to the external face of perimeter walls.

Floor area measured to the internal face of external walls.

The horizontal depth of a stair tread (nosing to nosing).

The previous standard for managing UK rail projects, split into Stages 1–8.

Open file format used to exchange BIM data.

Seen on title blocks (e.g. ISO A1). Sets standards for paper sizes, drawing layers and much more.

Publisher of standard form construction contracts in the UK.

A horizontal beam spanning the opening of a window or door to support the wall above.

Consent required to alter or extend a listed building.

The local council body responsible for determining planning applications.

Engineers who handle the 'guts' of the building — heating, ventilation, wiring, and plumbing.

The overall three-dimensional form, size and shape of a building.

Building services disciplines.

Vertical member separating window panes or openings.

Ventilation system that recovers heat from extract air.

UK system for writing construction specifications.

Optional minimum internal floor area standard for new homes in England.

Family of construction contracts used widely in public sector projects.

The principal post at the foot, head or turn of a stair.

Usable area excluding cores, columns and circulation.

England's overarching planning policy document setting out government policy.

The UK's national mapping agency.

Low wall extending above a roof edge to provide protection and conceal the roof.

The main builder in charge of the site and all the subcontractors.

Rights to extend or alter a building without a full planning application.

The quarterly logs Part 1 and Part 2 students complete to record practical experience toward the Part 3 exam.

The angle or slope of a roof or stair from horizontal.

A projecting base of a wall or column.

Systematic review of a building's performance once in use.

The finished mortar between bricks. When it weathers away a wall needs re-pointing to stay watertight.

Stage when works are complete enough for the client to take possession.

Linear thermal transmittance at a junction (W/mK).

The internal office process of checking drawings before they are issued to make sure there are no typos or missing dimensions.

The person who manages the project costs. They make sure the design doesn't outpace the budget.

The exact site border as registered with the Land Registry. Drawn as a solid red line on a site plan; anything outside it is not part of the application.

External plaster finish applied to walls. Can be smooth, textured or pebbledash.

The side of a window or door opening between the frame and the external wall face.

Contractor's formal query requesting design clarification.

Professional membership body for architects in Scotland.

Professional body for architects in the UK; publishes the RIBA Plan of Work.

The vertical height between consecutive stair treads.

A planning obligation under the Town and Country Planning Act used to mitigate development impacts.

UK methodology for calculating energy performance of dwellings.

Traditional British window made of one or more movable panels (sashes) that slide vertically.

Methodology for calculating non-domestic building energy performance.

A cement-based layer laid over a floor base to create a smooth, level surface for the final finish.

Application to vary a condition attached to a planning permission.

The process of marking the exact positions of walls and features on the ground so contractors know where to build.

Identifying and rectifying defects in a completed building.

The underside of an architectural element (e.g. eaves, beams).

The level of the top of the structural slab, before finishes.

The diagonal structural member supporting stair treads at the side.

Drainage strategy mimicking natural water management to reduce runoff.

Formal invitation for contractors to bid for construction work.

The maximum permitted CO₂ emission rate for the dwelling under Part L.

An order made by the council to protect specific trees. If a tree has a TPO, you usually can't touch it without special permission.

Horizontal member dividing a window or above a door.

Rate of heat transfer through a building element (W/m²K). Lower is better.

Thin membrane preventing moisture from internal air migrating into the wall build-up and causing rot.

20% UK tax — most new-build housing is zero-rated, alterations are usually standard-rated.

Architecture using local materials and traditional techniques — e.g. a Cotswold stone cottage.

An empty space or large opening between floors, often used to create a sense of height.