| Term | Explanation | 
        
            | abstraction 
 | the process of taking away or removing characteristics from something in order to reduce it to a set of essential characteristics 
 | 
        
            | active 
 | when used to refer to energy generation, active means the energy must change form to be used and energy is lost in this process e.g. burning wood 
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            | aesthetic 
 | refers to those principles governing the nature and appreciation of beauty in design 
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            | aims 
 | the objectives or goals 
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            | analyse | identify components and the relationship between them; draw out and relate implications 
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            | annotate 
 | to add brief notes to sketch or design giving explanation or comment 
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            | anthropometry 
 | the measurement of the human individual, these measurements are used to inform standard measurements in design 
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            | appraise 
 | assess the value or quality of appreciate make a judgement about the value of 
 | 
        
            | apply | use or employ knowledge and skills in a particular situation 
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            | architecture 
 | the art or practice of designing buildings 
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            | assess 
 | make a judgement about, to rate, weigh up, to form an opinion 
 | 
        
            | asymmetry 
 | a way of organising the parts of a design so that one side differs from the other without destroying the overall balance and harmony; also called informal balance 
 | 
        
            | balance 
 | an even distribution of visual weight 
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            | basic 
 | essential or elementary 
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            | bubble diagram 
 | simple architectural diagrams where bubbles are used to represent different spaces 
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            | built environment 
 | the human constructed surroundings that provide the setting for human activity 
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            | circulation 
 | the way people move through and interact with a building or space 
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            | clear 
 | easy to understand, fully intelligible, without ambiguity; explicit 
 | 
        
            | client 
 | a person, or group of people, for whom a design is being developed 
 | 
        
            | coherent 
 | orderly, logical and internally consistent relation of parts 
 | 
        
            | collaborative 
 | to work with another person or group in order to achieve or do | 
        
            | communicate | convey information about, clearly reveal or make known 
 | 
        
            | compare 
 | estimate, measure or note how things are similar or dissimilar 
 | 
        
            | concept 
 | an abstract idea, the start of a design 
 | 
        
            | concept sketch 
 | freehand drawings that are used by designers as a quick and simple way of exploring initial ideas for designs 
 | 
        
            | conflict resolution 
 | a way for two or more people to find a constructive solution to a difference of opinion 
 | 
        
            | consider 
 | formed after careful thought 
 | 
        
            | context 
 | the setting for a design, what is surrounding the site | 
        
            | contrast 
 | the arrangement of opposite elements (e.g. light vs. dark colours, rough vs. smooth textures, large vs. small shapes) in a design so as to create visual interest | 
        
            | critically | add a degree or level of accuracy, depth, knowledge and understanding, logic, questioning, reflection and quality to analysis/evaluation | 
        
            | describe | recount, comment on, and provide an account of characteristics or features | 
        
            | design 
 | a solution, the process of creating a solution 
 | 
        
            | design brief 
 | a written document for a design project specifying parameters 
 | 
        
            | detailed | meticulous, specific, precise 
 | 
        
            | develop 
 | construct, elaborate or expand on an opinion or idea 
 | 
        
            | direction | an element of design, all lines have direction - Horizontal, Vertical or Oblique | 
        
            | discuss | talk or write about a topic, taking into account different issues and ideas | 
        
            | document | to create a record of (something) through writing or record keeping | 
        
            | elements and principles of design | components that comprise a design, such as line, colour, shape, texture, form and space | 
        
            | elevation | a technical drawing of a particular side of a building | 
        
            | embodied energy | energy consumed by all of the processes associated with the production of a building | 
        
            | emphasis | a principle of design that refers to a way of combining elements to stress the differences between those elements | 
        
            | enterprise | a project or undertaking | 
        
            | environmental | relating to the natural world and the impact of human activity on its condition | 
        
            | ergonomic | designed for efficiency of movement and human comfort | 
        
            | evaluate | appraise, measure, examine and judge the merit, significance or value of something | 
        
            | exemplary | an outstanding example of practice | 
        
            | explain | provide additional information that demonstrates understanding and reasoning; present a meaning with clarity, precision, completeness, and with due regard to the order of statements in the explanation | 
        
            | floor plan | a technical drawing showing a visual of a room or building scaled and viewed from above | 
        
            | flow | this refers to the flow of foot traffic through and within a space | 
        
            | form | the visible shape or configuration of something | 
        
            | function | the purpose for which something is designed or exists | 
        
            | graphic | a drawing or picture used to illustrate | 
        
            | graphic organisers | tools to help to help people to organize ideas and communicate more effectively | 
        
            | harmony | harmony is the combination or adaptation of parts, elements or related things, so as to form a consistent and orderly whole | 
        
            | hierarchy | a principle of design which refers to the order in which the elements within a composition are viewed by the eye | 
        
            | identify | name, list and establish or indicate who or what something is | 
        
            | integrate | combine one thing with another to form a whole | 
        
            | interpret | explain the meaning of information or actions | 
        
            | innovative | introducing new ideas or being original and creative in thinking | 
        
            | investigate | carry out an inquiry to discover and examine facts | 
        
            | justify | support a conclusion or design decision | 
        
            | juxtaposition | to place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast | 
        
            | line | an element of design referring to linear marks which draw they eye along | 
        
            | mass | the visual weight or actual weight of an object | 
        
            | mind map | a diagram used to visually organize information | 
        
            | negotiation | communication between two or more people which is intended to reach a beneficial outcome | 
        
            | organise | systematically order and arrange | 
        
            | outline | give the main features or aspects of | 
        
            | passive | when used to refer to energy generation, passive means the energy is used in its’ original format e.g. breezes to cool a house down | 
        
            | passive solar design | using passive energy to cool or warm a home | 
        
            | pattern | a discernible regularity in the world or in a manmade design | 
        
            | perspective | system of representing three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface, giving the illusion of depth in space. Linear perspective deals with drawing, and atmospheric perspective attempts to use colour and value changes to get the effect of distance | 
        
            | precedent | using previous designs to inform another, these could be historical or exemplary designs | 
        
            | primary source | first hand testimony or direct evidence e.g. going to a primary source for a precedent would be visiting the design yourself | 
        
            | problem | a question proposed for solution | 
        
            | proportion | the relationship between a part in comparative relation to a whole | 
        
            | psychological | related to the mental wellbeing of people | 
        
            | range | a number of different things of the same general type; breadth | 
        
            | rationale | a set of reasons or a logical basis for an action | 
        
            | relevant | applicable and pertinent | 
        
            | repetition | repeating something e.g. part of a design in a pattern | 
        
            | research | investigation into and study of materials and sources | 
        
            | resolved | completed with a level of refinement and clarity of purpose/vision | 
        
            | rhythm | rhythm in design is created by the repetition of a design element | 
        
            | sample board | a board, manual or digital, used to show a style of a particular design. Often used to show interior design finishes or themes. | 
        
            | scaler | educing or enlarging an object whist maintain proportion and relationship of objects | 
        
            | scale sketch | sketching whist maintaining a representative scale. Scale sketches are often used in situations where relative size important but a full blown technical drawing is not required | 
        
            | section | a technical drawing which shows a building as if it has been cut through, these views show interior features | 
        
            | select | choose in preference to another or others | 
        
            | semiotics | the use of signs and symbols to make meaning | 
        
            | set back | the distance by which a building or part of a building is set back from the property line | 
        
            | shadow diagram | a drawing which shows the impact a building’s shadow may have on the surroundings | 
        
            | site plan | a site plan is a document that precisely maps out the area of the building site to scale. This is often used to show the position of a building relative to the whole site | 
        
            | social | relating to society | 
        
            | sociological | dealing with social questions or problems, especially focusing on cultural and environmental factors | 
        
            | solar geometry | the position of the sun relative to the earth. Solar geometry is important in passive solar design and in creating shadow diagrams | 
        
            | solution | the means of solving a problem, a design solution is a proposed solution to a design brief | 
        
            | space | the extent of area in two or three dimensions | 
        
            | summarise | express, concisely, the relevant details | 
        
            | sustainable | able to be maintained at a certain rate or level | 
        
            | sun angle | the angle of the sun in relation to the earth at a particular point in time. This is used in passive solar design. | 
        
            | symmetry | the quality of being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis | 
        
            | systems thinking | the use of various techniques to study systems of many kinds | 
        
            | synthesise | to combine so as to form a new, complex product | 
        
            | technological | relating to or using technology | 
        
            | temperate | relating to or denoting a region or climate characterised by mild temperatures | 
        
            | temperature | a measure of warmth or coldness | 
        
            | texture | element of design that refers to the perceived surface quality or “feel” of an object—its roughness, smoothness, softness, etc. this can refer to the actual physical texture of a surface or the illusion of texture | 
        
            | time management | management and organisation of available time and tasks to be completed | 
        
            | tropical | relating to or denoting a region within the tropics, the climate is characterized by hot, humid temperatures | 
        
            | tone | the lightness or darkness of a colour (value) | 
        
            | typologies | classification of (usually physical) characteristics commonly found in buildings and urban places | 
        
            | universal design | buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to all, including older people, people without disabilities, and people with disabilities | 
        
            | zoning | the ability to separate spaces for particular purposes e.g. heating |