1) Architectural element 
• (n.) a court of entrance to, or an inclosed space before, a church; hence, a church porch; -- sometimes formerly used as place of meeting, as for lawyers.
In architecture, a French term for an enclosed space in front of a church, as formerly at St Paul's Cathedral, London. In England a room over a church porch is incorrectly called a parvise. ...
The room over a porch.
The room over a porch.