Jargon buster
A comprehensive dictionary of web, architecture, design and printing terms.

STOOP

In architecture, a stoop is a porch with steps at the entrance of a building. Since stoops are typically found in front of houses or apartment buildings, they act as an informal public space. Stoops are a great example of architecture playing an important cultural role.


SPIRE

A spire is the ornamental tip of a tower. Though they are typically associated with Gothic architecture and other older styles, spires are still used in contemporary buildings, especially skyscrapers.


SOLAR GAIN

Solar gain is the amount of sunlight that enters a building or hits a material. It is an important consideration in architecture because sunlight brings in natural light, but it also heats the building. Minimizing solar gain is often necessary to improve the cooling of a building.


SETBACK

In architecture, a setback is when a building is recessed back. This could refer to a setback on street level for a lawn or plaza between the building and the sidewalk. A setback could also refer to when a portion of a building is setback from the level below it. Many NYC towers include setbacks as they grow taller.


SECTION

A section is an important architectural drawing that allows us to cut through a building and see what it looks like inside. This drawing is important because it allows us a view what we could never have seen in real life and it allows us to understand the relationship between different programs.


SCREEN

In architecture, a screen is a façade element that is often partially transparent or porous. Screens can be a masonry wall of a special masonry unit, a rain screen system, or a similar screen-like system.


Style guide

A set of design standards for a specific brand to ensure complete consistency in the style and formatting of design assets. This often includes guidelines for colour schemes, typefaces and how logos are used and placed within an asset, among others.


Slab Serif

A typeface category characterized by thick, sturdy lines, often used for headlines.


Serif

Small lines projecting from the ends of character strokes in certain typefaces, such as Times New Roman or Garamond.


Script

A typeface resembling cursive handwriting, conveying varying degrees of formality or informality.


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