Adjacency Diagram: These diagrams indicate the relative importance of the relationships between individuals, groups, and departments to help in deciding where to locate them within the building; they identify the proximity requirements between major groups and departments.
Amenity: The components of a place or neighborhood that make it unique and comfortable for the community members to live, work, and play within a given environment; Example: Parks, schools, grocery, electricity, cable, movie theatre, etc.
Building Code: A set of rules that specify the minimum standards for buildings related to construction type and occupancy; their purpose is to protect public health, safety and general welfare.
Colloquial: Used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary
Community: A community is formed by shared experiences within a place, space or culture (i.e. the Saints; Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club; Broadmoor).
Culture: The consequence of persisting collective circumstances and immediate existing condition is the subtle adaptation of mental and physical processes in order to manage those conditions and adhere to the path of least resistance. Have students reflect on the culture of New Orleans by dissecting the cause-and-effect of space on the culture of other cities both similar and contrasting. Cities to think about: New York, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Tokyo, etc.
Demographics: Statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it. Can be viewed as the essential information about the population of a region and the culture of the people there. Commonly examined demographics include gender, age, ethnicity, knowledge of languages, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, and employment status. This type of information can provide important insight on the way certain groups experience specific things.
Density: The total population within a given area. Density has implications on the planning and politics of place and space. Students should find the densities in the neighborhoods researched and list the largest density from most to least and the total neighborhood area
Diagram/Infographic: A simplified drawing showing the appearance, structure, or workings of something; for these workshops, it could be how physical elements relate to one another or documentation.
Figure-Ground Diagram: A two-dimensional map of an urban space that shows the relationship between built and unbuilt space; typically, built space is filled in black, or poché. Have students search for an image of a figure-ground diagram.
Function: The designer’s intended use of a space
Massing: Refers to the general shape and size of a building
Material Palette: A list of materials from which the projects will be constructed; examples include: wood, stone, metal, glass, etc.
Neighborhood: A neighborhood is defined by the physical places and spaces that unify a group of people in a geographic location. Students should locate their all of the major New Orleans neighborhoods and give examples of the defining characteristics.
Parti: The Big Idea; The chief organizing thought or decision behind an architect’s design presented in the form of a basic diagram and/or a simple statement
Place: From the perspective of architecture and urban planning is a specific location defined by the objective physical and social parameters that by their very nature, shape the culture of a city, neighborhood, block, or organization. Students should describe the objective characteristics that shape their city, neighborhood, school, and one favorite space.
Precedent: An example or guide to be used as a reference for a current project
Program: The architectural rationalization of the intended function of a place or space. Have students compare and contrast the terms Function v. Use and give examples of the relationship between function and use.
Proximity: How close one thing is to another, in space or time.
Public Space: An area or place that is open and accessible to all citizens, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. One of the earliest examples of public spaces are commons. For example, no fees or paid tickets are required for entry, nor are the entrants discriminated based on background. Non-government-owned malls are examples of ‘private space’ with the appearance of being ‘public space.’
Qualitative: As in quality; they are properties that are observed and can generally not be measured with a numerical result such as colors, textures, smells, tastes, beauty. They are contrasted to...
Quantitative: As in quantity; deals with numbers; data which can be measured; includes length, height, area, volume, weight, speed, time, temperature, humidity, sound levels, cost, members, ages, etc.
Relatioship: Each component of a system and/or member of a community is mutually dependent on the other; interdependency
Representation: The people, places, and things that act as signifiers to reference a place. Have the students discuss the people, places, and things that represents New Orleans and why.
Scale: The proportion between the dimensions of an architectural drawing and the actual structure being designed; the relative size; ex: 1⁄4” = 1’-0”: 1’-0” in reality will be represented by 1⁄4” on the drawing.
Scalie: aka Entourage; Images of people included in architectural drawings, renderings, and models to the give them a sense of scale.
Setback: The distance a structure must be from the edge of a lot Qualitative: As in quality; deals with descriptions; data can be observed but not measured; includes colors, textures, smells, tastes, appearance, beauty, etc.
Site Plan: View of your building its surroundings from above. Imagine if you were in a airplane above the building and you were to look at it from a bird’s eye view
Space: Any place that is shaped by boundary, not only walls, but trees, sidewalks, columns, etc. Have students list and describe the qualities their favorite spaces in the city. How tall is the ceiling? How much light is in the space? What are the boundaries of the space made of? How do you know when you’re in a different space? How many people can fit in the space? Is it intimate or public?
Use: Have the students list and describe five places or spaces within the city that are used in a different manner that their intended function (i.e. use of the neutral ground, secondline on the streets, Final Four basketball in the Superdome)
Zoning: The practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones that separate one set of land uses from another; examples include commercial zone; residential zone; industrial zone