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...
Following up on our conversation about the many meanings of the word proud, Connie from Santee, California, writes to say that architects use proud to describe something that’s sticking out past something else — not flush, in other words...
While fishing from a jetty, Maria in San Antonio, Texas, wondered about this name for a structure extending from the shore out into the water. The word jetty comes to us via the French word jeter, meaning “to throw” (the dance step...
What’s the structure that projects out from a building over an entrance, such as at a hospital entrance where patients can be dropped off? Architects call it a port-cochere, or literally, “coach door.” This is part of a complete...
For all the Gothic architecture fans out there—hold onto the term ogival, which means “having the form of a pointed arch.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of ““Ogival” Means Shaped Like a Pointed Arch” Grant, how about the...
The part of a church known as a foyer, vestibule, or lobby is sometimes called the narthex. This word appears to go back to the ancient Greek term for “fennel,” although beyond that, its etymology is unclear. This is part of a complete...
