An Army veteran in Madison, Alabama, wonders about the use of the charrette (sometimes spelled with one R, charette) in the military to mean a gathering to workshop ideas and work through all potential solutions to a problem. The term seems to have...
performalism n.— «Grobman and Neuman call the new trend in architecture “performalism,” a term that is derived from the words “performance” (the way in which a building and urban planning in general function, and...
balloon-frame n.— «These dwellings are called balloon frames because of the light feel and voluminous space created by the vertical studs that run from the ground to the roof line. A balloon-frame house is one in which the exterior timber...
Neo-Mexiterranean n.— «There are front porches along the street, condominiums up above, even lofts designed to look like row houses shipped here from the East Coast. Much of the new stuff is generic Bay Area infill—”neo...
upcycling n.— «The final segment introduced me to a new word, “upcycling.” This is taking something that has outlived its useful life and finding a new and more important use for it. Architect David Hertz explains that a...
stretcher n.— «The bricks laid longways are called stretchers; the bricks laid crossways, so that you can only see one end, are called headers. In English bond, the courses of stretchers and headers alternate. In Flemish bond, each course...
