Space
elements of the physical environment that allow
-is a prime ingredient in the designer’s palette and
the quintessential element in interior design.
-inherits the sensual and aesthetic characteristics
of the elements in its field. Space is not a material
substance like stone and wood. It is inherently
formless and diffuse.
geometric elements—point, line, plane, and
volume
column
marks a point in space and makes it visible in
three dimensions.
Wall
An opaque plane, marks off a portion of
amorphous space and separates here from there.
Floor
defines a field of space with territorial boundaries.
Roof
provide shelter for the volume of space beneath it.
Structural Systems
• The superstructure is the vertical
extension of the foundation system and consists of
the columns, beams, and load-bearing walls that
support the floor and roof structures.
• The foundation system is the
substructure that forms the base of a building,
anchors it firmly to the ground, and supports the
building elements and spaces above.
Dead Loads: a static vertical load comprising the
weight of its structural and nonstructural
components, including any equipment
permanently attached to the structure.
Live Loads: How a building is used determines its
live load, which is a movable or moving load
comprising the weight of its occupants and any
mobile equipment and furnishings. In cold
climates, collected snow and water impose an
additional live load on a building.
Dynamic Loads: Where a building is located
determines its potential loading from the dynamic
forces of wind and earthquake.
accessibility A property of design describing
people with disabilities or special needs to use
them with safety and dignity.
active solar-heating system A heating system
that uses mechanical means to collect, store, and
distribute solar energy.
alternating current (AC) An electric current that
reverses direction at regularly recurring intervals.
ambient lighting Lighting designed to provide a
nondirectional, shadowless light level from all
sides.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) A federal
civil rights law addressing the accessible design
and construction of both public and private
facilities.
ampere A measure of the actual amount of
energy flow or current in an electric circuit.
axonometric projection A paraline drawing
having all lines parallel to the three principal axes
drawn to scale, but with diagonal and curved lines
distorted.
balance The pleasing or harmonious arrangement
or proportion of parts or elements in a design or
composition.
bariatric Relating to or specializing in the
treatment of obesity.
beam A rigid structural member designed to carry
and transfer transverse loads across space to
supporting elements.
brightness The sensation by which an observer is
able to discern how much light energy is reflected
by a surface.
building envelope The shell of a building,
consisting of its exterior walls, windows, doors,
and roof, which protect and shelter interior spaces
from the exterior environment.
building information modeling (BIM) A digital
representation of physical and functional
characteristics of a building that serves as a shared
knowledge resource.
chroma The degree by which a color differs from
a gray of the same lightness or brightness,
corresponding to saturation of the perceived color.
clerestory A portion of an interior rising above
adjacent rooftops, with windows admitting
daylight.
coefficient of absorption The percentage of
incident sound energy absorbed by a material,
divided by 100.
coffer A recessed, usually square or octagonal
panel in a ceiling, soffit, or vault.
color rendering index (CRI) A measure of a lamp’s
ability to render color accurately when compared
with a reference light source of similar color
temperature.
column A rigid, relatively slender structural
member designed primarily to support loads
applied at its ends along its axis.
complementary hues Those hues directly
opposite each other on a color wheel.
computer-aided design (CAD) The use of
computer technology for the process of design and
design documentation. contract
furnishings Furnishings purchased for commercial
office spaces under a furniture, furnishings, and
equipment (FF&E) contract.
cornice A continuous molding that crowns or
horizontally divides a wall.
cove (1) A concave surface at the edge of a ceiling
that eliminates the interior angle between the wall
and ceiling planes. (2) A concave molding or trim.
dado (1) A rectangular groove cut into a member
to receive the end of another piece of the joint. (2)
The part of a pedestal between its base and its
cap. (3) The lower portion of an interior wall, when
treated differently from the upper portion.
decibel (dB) A unit expressing the relative
pressure or intensity of sounds on a uniform scale
from 0 for the least perceptible sound to about
130 for the average threshold of pain.
direct current (DC) An electric current flowing in
one direction only.
ductile Capable of being drawn into wire or
hammered thin.
efficacy The measure of the efficiency of a light
source in lumens per watt.
elastomers Fibers capable of returning to their
original shape after being stretched.
embodied energy The total energy consumption
associated with a particular material, from raw
material acquisition and manufacturing through
transportation to point of use.
emphasis The stress or prominence given to an
element in a composition by means of contrast,
anomaly, or counterpoint.
ergonomics The application of human factors to
design.
evidence-based design An approach to design
that seeks to create better design outcomes by
basing decisions on credible research.
faux finishes Any of various techniques intended
to imitate natural materials, such as wood graining
and marbleizing; the term is often used for any
decorative painted finish.
fenestration The design and placement of
windows in a building.
Fibonacci series A progression of whole numbers
in which each term is the sum of the preceding
two.
Figure-ground The relationship between the
outline or exterior surface of a shape or form
(figure) and the receding part of a visual field
against which the figure is seen (ground).
floor plan A drawing representing a section
through a building or portion of a building after a
horizontal slice is made and the upper part
removed.
focal lighting Lighting that offers a contrast in
brightness that is directive and creates a sense of
depth.
footcandle A unit of illuminance derived from the
light produced by a candle at the distance of one
foot, equal to 1 lumen incident per square foot.
form The shape and structure of something, as
distinguished from its substance or material.
foundation The substructure that forms the base
of a building, anchors it to the ground, and
supports the building elements and spaces above.
furniture, furnishings, and equipment (FF&E) laminated glass Two or more plies of glass
Term used in commercial design for office bonded to an interlayer that retains the fragments
furnishings purchased under contract. if the glass is broken.

furring Wood strips or metal channels attached to lamp (1) A device that produces light; a bulb or
a wall to provide a base for lath or a finish tube within a lighting fixture. (2) Common name
material, or to add an air space to composite for a plug-in lighting fixture, such as a table lamp
construction. or floor lamp.

gable The triangular portion of wall enclosing the lateral force Any force acting horizontally on a
end of a pitched roof. structure.

galvanic corrosion Deterioration of a metal
caused by an electrical current flowing between
dissimilar metals through a liquid that conducts
electricity.
girder A large primary beam designed to support
concentrated loads at isolated points along its
length.
glazing The panes or sheets of glass or other
transparent material made to be set in frames, as
in windows, doors, or mirrors.
golden section Proportion between two unequal
parts of a whole in which the ratio between the
smaller and greater parts is equal to the ratio
between the greater part and the whole.
harmony The consonance or pleasing agreement
of elements or parts in a composition. header (1)
A framing member supporting the ends of joists,
studs, or rafters to transfer the load to parallel
joists, studs, or rafters. (2) A masonry unit laid
horizontally in a wall with its end parallel to the
surface.
high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp A lamp that
produces light by the discharge of electricity
through a metallic vapor in a sealed glass
enclosure.
hue The attribute by which we recognize and
describe a color, such as red or yellow.
lath Thin strips of wood or metal attached to
framing to provide a substructure for plaster.
lavatory A bowl or basin with running water for
washing the face and hands.
line A geometric element that conceptually has
only one dimension, length. A line’s length visually
dominates whatever thickness it must have to be
visible.
lintel An arch or a short beam that supports the
wall load above an opening and allows
compressive stresses to flow around the opening
to adjacent sections of the wall.
load-bearing wall A wall capable of supporting
an imposed load, as from a floor or roof.
lumen A measure of the amount of light emitted
by a light source or falling onto a surface,
regardless of directionality.
luminance A measure of brightness of a light
source or an illuminated surface.
motif A distinctive and recurring shape, form, or
color in a design.
Multi-view drawings A set of related
orthographic projections of an object or
construction, including plans, elevations, and
sections.

illuminance The quantity of light striking a

surface, measured in foot candles or lux.

infiltration The flow of outside air into an interior

space through cracks around windows and doors
or other openings in the envelope of a building.
interior elevation An orthographic projection of
any of the significant interior walls of a building.

joists A series of small, parallel beams for

supporting floors, ceilings, or flat roofs.