If you are looking into the house design process, you may have come across a few terms or words which make no sense to you. Here we take a look at some common features covered off in house design:
Alcove – House design incorporates this architectural term for a recess in a room, often used for bookcases and display shelving for example. An alcove can often be a great way to use otherwise useless spaces.
Architrave – These are mouldings which surround doors & windows. In ancient times these were often ornamental and had carvings or exquisite details on them, but nowadays they tend to be of more classic stylings.
Bargeboard – These are often complimentary to the overall design, and are placed under the eave of a gable (see below) between your roof and wall. At times these are also decorative.
Gable – Depending on what sort of house you design, you may or may not have visible gables – These are the triangles formed at the front / side / back of a house by sloping roofs.
Prefabricated – Modern house design often allows for a home to be almost completely constructed in a factory and then transported to the site, this is called prefabrication. This method of building is also known as ‘prefab’.
Skirting Board – These are also another form of moulding which can be decorative or plain and cover the lowest part of a wall where it meets the flooring. Also commonly known as a kickboard, this serves the purpose of both decoration and to protect the wall from abrasions.
These are just some of the terms which you may hear during the house design process and there will be many more. It is because of this that it is important to feel comfortable enough with your architect of choice so that you can ask them any questions.
dsigna Concepts is a professional architectural design and draughting services company based in New Plymouth, Taranaki on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island.
We deliver services from architectural design to council permit drawings. With the use of computer-aided design programs, we not only offer 2D drawings, but also computer generated 3D images.
As well as servicing our local market with custom architectural house design services, we also offer a searchable online database of architecturally designed house/home plans, available to anyone in New Zealand.