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...
rat-trap bond n.— «The southern and western walls of the building, which face the sun during the day, have been built using a type of masonry called the rat-trap bond. Popularised by the iconic architect Laurie Baker who died last week...
concretable n. a modular, portable building made of concrete. Editorial Note: A “concretable” is a type of “relocatable,” which is a modular, portable building made of any material. Etymological Note: concrete + portable...
facade-ectomy n.— «To be sure, shaving away everything but the facade of a building has been done before. In 1989, architects Moriyama & Teshima jammed a modern office building at 10 S. LaSalle St. with blue and lime green walls...