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NYC - Buildings terms Category: Architecture and Buildings > Buildings Date & country: 25/09/2013, USA Words: 222

Architect
An individual, partnership, corporation or other legal entity licensed to practice the profession of architecture under the education law of the State of New York.

Architrave
1. The lowest part of a classical entablature. 2. A molding enframing an opening such as a window or areaway or the open space between a rowhouse and the sidewalk, usually beside the stoop.

Armature
A metal structural support for a rigid projecting sign. The armature may support the bracket sign by means of one or two projecting arms.

Authorization to Proceed (ATP)
A letter from LPC notifying an applicant that the proposed HVAC (ONLY HVAC? OTHER WORK COVERED BY THIS?) installations have been found to be in conformance with the provisions of an approved Master Plan.

Awning
A metal frame clad with fabric attached over a window, door, porch opening or storefront to provide protection from the weather.

Baluster
One of a series of short vertical posts, often ornamental, used to support a rail.

Balustrade
A railing composed of balusters and a top rail running along the edge of a porch, balcony, roof, or stoop.

Banking Interior
The area of the designated interior historically used for banking operations and any associated interior spaces including, without limitation, entrance vestibules or mezzanines identified in the designation report as part of the designated interior.

Bay
A regularly repeating division of a façade, marked by fenestration.

Bay Window
A projecting form containing windows that rises from the ground or from some other support, such as a porch roof; see also oriel.

Block Plan
A drawing of a building’s foot print within an entire block in simplified, non-detailed form

Bracket
A projecting angled or curved form used as a support, found in conjunction with balconies, lintels, pediments, cornices, etc.

Bracket Sign
A rigid outdoor sign, with two display faces, installed perpendicular to a building facade and hanging from an armature, used as an announcement for an establishment in the building, consisting of the rigid display faces and all letters, words, numerals, illustrations, decorations, trademarks, emblems, symbols or their figures or characters associated with the name of the establishment that are applied to the faces. In addition, a bracket sign may consist solely of an outline of a shape and/or letters intended to act as a symbol or sign for the establishment.

Brick Molding
A milled wood trim piece covering the gap between the window frame and masonry, which can be rectilinear, curved, or composite-curved.

Building Plan
A drawing that shows a horizontal view

Building Streetwall
The predominant plane of the building facade at the level of the storefront.

Bulkhead
The part of a storefront that forms a base for one or more display windows

Came
A slender rod of cast lead, with or without grooves, used in casements and stained-glass windows to hold the panes or pieces of glass together

Canopy
A metal frame clad with fabric that projects from a building entrance over the sidewalk to the curb where it’s supported on vertical posts

Cap flashing
A waterproof sheet that seals the tops of cornices and walls.

Capital
The topmost member, usually decorated, of a column or pilaster.

Casement
A window sash that is hinged on the side.

Cast Iron
A type of iron, mass-produced in the nineteenth century, created by pouring molten iron into a mold; used for ornament, garden furniture, and building parts.

Clapboard Wood
Siding composed of horizontal, overlapping boards, the lower edges of which are usually thicker than the upper.

CNE
A Certificate of No Effect as defined by section 25-306 of the New York City Administrative Code.

Colonnade
A row of regularly spaced columns supporting an entablature.

Colonnette
A diminutive column which is usually either short or slender.

Color
The sensible perception of hue, value and saturation characteristics of surfaces of window components. In the event of disagreement, the Munsell system of color identification shall govern.

Column
A vertical, cylindrical support. In classical design it is composed of a base (except in the Greek Doric order), a long, gradually tapered shaft, and a capital.

Commission
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) as established by Section 3020 of the New York City Charter.

Commissioners
The 11 Commissioners, including the Chairman, as established by Section 3020 of the Charter. All are appointed by the Mayor.

Configuration
The number, shape, organization and relationship of panes (lights) of glass, sash, frame, muntins or tracery.

Console
A scroll-shaped projecting bracket that supports a horizontal member.

Coping
A protective cap, top, or cover of a wall parapet, commonly sloping to protect masonry from water

Corbel
An architectural member which projects upward and outward from a wall that supports a horizontal member.

Cornice
A projecting molding that tops the elements to which it is attached; used especially for a roof or the crowning member of an entablature, located above the frieze.

Cresting
A decorative element, frequently of iron, usually located at the peak or edge of a roof.

Crocket
An ornamental foliate form placed at regularly spaced intervals on the slopes and edges of the spires, pinnacles, gables, and similar elements of Gothic buildings.

Cupola
A small dome on a base crowning a roof

Day
Any day other than a Saturday or Sunday or legal holiday.

Decorative Masonry
Terra cotta, cast-stone or natural stone (such as limestone, marble, brownstone or granite) facade areas and/or any ornamental feature which is a component of the facade such as, belt courses, banding, water tables, cornices, corbelled brick work, medallions, enframements, and surrounds, and ornamental bonding patterns, e.g. tapestry brick or diaper patterns.

Demolition
Dismantling or razing of all or part of an existing improvement.

Dentil
A small, square, tooth-like block in a series beneath a cornice.

Details
The dimensions and contours of both the stationary and moveable portions of a window, and moldings.

Display Window
The large glazed portion of the storefront, and the associated framing, above the bulkhead and below the transom, extending from pier to pier. The display window is typically used for the display of goods and to provide daylight and visibility into the commercial space.

Doric
One of five classical orders, recognizable by its simple capital. The Greek Doric column has a fluted shaft and no base; the Roman Doric column may be fluted or smooth and rests on a molded base.

Dormer
A vertical structure, usually housing a window, that projects from a sloping roof and is covered by a separate roof structure.

Double hung
A type of window with two sash, each sliding on a vertical track.

Drip molding
A projecting molding around the head of a door or window frame, often extended horizontally at right angles to the sides of the frame, intended to channel rain away from the opening; also called a drip lintel.

Dunnage
Supports for air conditioning and other equipment above the roof of a building.

Eave
The overhanging edge of a roof.

Egg and dart
An ornamental band molding of egg forms alternating with dart forms.

Elevation
A drawing of a face of a building with all the features shown, as if in a single vertical plane

Enframement
A general term referring to any elements surrounding a window or door.

Engineer
Any individual, partnership, corporation or other legal entity licensed to practice the profession of engineering under the education law of the State of New York.

English bond
A pattern of brickwork with alternate courses of headers and stretchers.

Entablature
A major horizontal member carried by a column(s) or pilaster(s); it consists of an architrave, a frieze, and a cornice. The proportions and detailing are different for each order, and strictly prescribed.

Entrance recess
The recessed opening in the facade leading up to the doorway of a storefront or building entrance.

Establishment
A manufacturing, commercial or retail business or profession.

Existing windows
The windows existing at the time of designation or windows which have been changed subsequent to designation pursuant to a permit issued by the Commission.

Eyebrow dormer
A curved dormer with no sides, covered by a smooth protrusion from the sloping roof.

Façade
The main exterior face of a building, sometimes distinguished from the other faces by elaboration of architectural or ornamental details.

Fanlight
A semicircular or semielliptical window above a door, usually inset with radiating glazing bars.

Fascia
A horizontal, flat element often combined with a cornice and architrave.

Fenestration
The arrangement, proportioning and design of windows in a building.

Festoon
A carved ornament in the form of a band, loop, or wreath, suspended from two points; also called a `garland” or `swag”.

Finial
The crowning ornament of a pointed element, such as a spire.

Finish
The visual characteristics including color, texture and reflectivity of all exterior materials.

Fixture
An appliance or device attached to the facade (e.g., awning, sign, lighting fixture, conduit, or security gate).

Flashing
Strips of sheet metal bent to fit the angle between any two roof surfaces or between the roof and any projection, such as a chimney.

Flemish bond
A pattern of brickwork in which each course consists of headers and stretchers laid alternately; each header is centered between the stretcher above and the stretcher below it.

Floor Plan
A scaled drawing showing the horizontal arrangement of one level of the building that typically indicates walls, doors and dimensions

Foliate
Decorative leafage, often applied to capitals or moldings.

Frame
The stationary portion of a window unit that is affixed to the facade and holds the sash or other operable portions of the windows.

French door or French window
A tall casement window that reaches to the floor, usually arranged in two leaves as a double door.

Frieze
1. The middle horizontal member of a classical entablature, above the architrave and below the cornice. 2. A similar decorative band in a stringcourse, or near the top of an interior wall below the cornice.

Gable
The upper portion of an end wall formed by the slope of a roof.

Galvanized Iron
Iron that has been coated with zinc to inhibit rusting.

Glazing
The material, usually glass, that fills spaces between sash members (rails, stiles and muntins), commonly referred to as panes or lights.

Glazing Bar
See mullion.

Gothic Sash
A window sash pattern composed of mullions that cross to form pointed arches.

Grille
A decorative, openwork grating, usually of iron, used to protect a window, door, or other opening.

Gutter
A shallow channel of metal or wood set immediately below and along the eaves of a building to catch and carry off rainwater.

Head
The upper horizontal part of a window frame or window opening.

Header
A masonry wall unit of brick which is laid so that its short end is exposed.

Historic Appearance
The visual appearance of a structure or site at a specific point in time after it has undergone alterations or additions which enhance or contribute to the building or site’s special architectural, aesthetic, cultural, or historic character.

Historic Fabric
A building's original or significant historic façade construction material or ornament, or fragments thereof.

Historic windows
(1) windows installed at time of construction of the building; or (2) windows of a type installed at time of construction of similar buildings in similar periods and styles; or (3) windows installed at time of major facade alterations 30 or more years ago.

Hood
A projection that shelters an element such as a door or window.

HVAC Equipment
Window, through-wall and yard-mounted heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, including window louvers, wall-mounted grilles and stove, bathroom and/or dryer vents.

Improvement
Any building, structure, place, work of art, or other object constituting a physical betterment of real property, or any part of such betterment.

Ionic
One of the five classical orders, characterized by capitals with spiral elements called `volutes,” a fasciated entablature, continuous frieze, dentils in its cornice, and by its elegant detailing.

Jamb
The side parts of a window frame or window opening, as distinct from head and sill.

Jigsaw Carving
Wooden ornament cut with a thin narrow saw blade.

Joist
One of a series of parallel timber beams used to support floor and ceiling loads, and supported in turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls; the widest dimension is vertically oriented.

Key
A block, often used in a series, which projects beyond the edge of the enframement of an opening and is joined with the surrounding masonry. A block handled in such a manner is keyed to the masonry; see quoin.

Keystone
The central wedge-shaped member of a masonry arch; also used as a decorative element on arches in wood structures.

Landmarks Law
Refers to Section 3020 of the New York City Charter and Chapter 3 of Title 25 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York.

Landmarks Preservation Commission
The Commission acting in its agency capacity to implement the Landmarks Law.

Landscape improvement
A physical betterment of real property or any part thereof, consisting of natural or artificial landscaping, including but not limited to grade, terrace, body of water, stream, rock, hedge, plant, shrub, mature tree, path, walkway, road, plaza, wall, fence, step, fountain, or sculpture.