Architecture and Construction Terms
General Terms
Architect
A licensed professional who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of a building. The architect is generally responsible for coordinating the work of the engineers and other people involved in the design process. The architect is also responsible for putting together drawings for the contractor to use during construction
Types of Drawings
Engineer
The design professional responsible for advanced and specific aspects of a building, for example the HV/AC (mechanical), the structure, or the electrical.
Contractor
The person responsible for the building and construction part of a project. While the contractor can do the actual work on a project, it is also not uncommon (especially on larger projects) for the general contractor to do very little of the actual construction and focus primarily on coordinating all of the work being done by subcontractors who they hire.
Floor Plan
Please note this list is incomplete and will be added to and expanded regularly
This drawing shows the footprint and interior conditions of a building. It is used as the base for most of the other drawings and will generally have notes and references to specific materials, placement of things, or more detailed information
Reflected Ceiling Plan (RCP)
This drawing shows the layout of the ceiling. On architectural drawings lighting fixtures may be listed. The heights and materials of the ceiling are generally called out. As with the floor plan, there are frequently references to other drawings or details.
Elevations
Exterior elevations show the outside view of the building. They convey design intent and heights of different building elements. There can also be interior elevations, which are used to show more detailed that have specific mounted equipment or different material uses. like in a restroom.
References
“Glossary of Architecture.” 2020. Wikipedia. July 19, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_architecture.
Francis. 2024. Building Construction Illustrated. John Wiley & Sons.
Bradshaw, Vaughn. 2010. The Building Environment. John Wiley & Sons.
American Institute of Architects. 2014. The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley.
Segal, Paul. 2011. Professional Practice: A Guide to Turning Designs into Buildings. W. W. Norton & Company.