Architecture Terms Trivia

1. In architectural terms, what is an apron?

From Quiz Architectural Terms

Answer: Concrete slab outside any much used entrance

The idea of this slab is to save wear and tear on the entrances to building grounds or passages where there is a lot of use by vehicle traffic, particularly that of turning. It saves damage being done to what is usually asphalt ground covering in those areas.

From Quiz Architectural Terms

Answer: The sharp terminating edge where two curved surfaces meet

An arris is formed wherever two curved surfaces meet in such a way as to form a sharp angle where they intersect - as opposed to any two flat surfaces meeting and being joined up. An example of this can be seen in any archway, where there is a combination of several surfaces joining to form the arch.

From Quiz Architectural Terminology

Answer: an ornamental feature shaped like a spiraled scroll

Volutes are a fundamental feature of the Ionic order and resemble a rolled-up scroll or a ram's horns. They are found on the capitals of Ionic and Corinthian columns.

From Quiz Architecture for Everybody

Answer: Chief builder

The original Greek term is 'arkhitekten', or, literally 'master builder'. Some 'master builders' of ancient Greece include Ictinus and Callicrates, who built the Parthenon, and Charos of Lindos, who built the colossus of Rhodes.

From Quiz Architectural Terms

Answer: A large even block of masonry with square edges

Something nice and simple for a change, with the hardest thing to remember being its name. One is inclined to wonder however why they're not called square blocks. An example of an ashlar can be seen in each individual block of masonry - an ashlar - which has been placed evenly beside another ashlar, and on and on, until all those individual ashlars form an external wall of a stone castle or cathedral.

From Quiz Architecture for Everybody

Answer: Bridge

There are many types of bridges, all used for different purposes. A swing bridge can literally be swung around to allow ships to pass through. A suspension bridge, for example the Golden Gate Bridge, requires a great many cables to maintain its structure. Suspension bridges are typically high enough for ships to pass under. A cantilever is a projecting beam that is only supported at one end (a diving board is a crude example.) The Queensboro Bridge in New York is one example of a cantilever bridge.

From Quiz Architectural Terminology

Answer: tympanum

The intrados, also called the soffit, is the concave underside of an arch. The spandrel is the triangular area between the curve of an arch and the rectangular frame which supports it. Atlantes are figures of men used as supporting columns; caryatids are their female counterpart.

From Quiz Architectural Terms

Answer: A board attached to gables projecting from a roof

The purpose of a bargeboard is not only to hide exposed joins of this feature, but also to give added strength and stability to the gables. Many of the bargeboards on early buildings featured beautiful carving work as well, so they enhanced the appearance of the gables even further.

From Quiz Architectural Terminology

Answer: on a Doric frieze

A metope is the space, either decorated or unadorned, in between triglyphs on a Doric frieze.

From Quiz Architecture for Everybody

Answer: Columns

Ionic, Doric and Corinthian are three of the five ancient orders of column that have come down to us from antiquity. The other two are Tuscan and Composite. The terms are named for periods of time and/or locations in Ancient Greece.

From Quiz Architectural Terms

Answer: A small oval window set horizontally in place

Bullseye windows can usually be seen on the upper floors of older buildings, where they are surrounded by lovely wood or stone work - or without the trimming, set above doors. Their utilitarian purpose is to allow more light to enter into darkened spaces, but because they add such a lovely touch to buildings, it is suspected that they came to be appreciated more for their visual appeal rather than their usefulness. A bullseye window is sometimes referred to as an ox-eye window.

From Quiz Architectural Terminology

Answer: a block on which a pedestal, column, or statue is placed

A post, often ornamental, at the bottom or at the landing of a staircase is called a newel-post. The horizontal beam over a door or window is called a lintel. A strip of wood or metal which separates and supports panes of glass in a window is called a muntin.

From Quiz Architectural Terms

Answer: A beam or external construction anchored at only one end

Minor examples of a cantilever are a flagpole jutting from the side of a building, or a diving board. On a larger scale, however, examples of cantilevers at work include some bridges without pylons, or the balcony on Frank Lloyd Wright's unique Fallingwater house, or those skywalks that jut out over sheer drops below, such as the one at the Grand Canyon. Cantilevers, they assure us, are perfectly safe, because the load they carry is forced back against the side of the building. Forced back against the side of the building is right where I'd be, believe me, physics or no physics.

From Quiz Architectural Terminology

Answer: between the capital of a column and the architrave

An ornamented abacus adds a lot to the décor.

From Quiz Architectural Terms

Answer: A sunken panel in a wall or ceiling

Coffers are usually designed with a square, rectangular or octagonal shape, and are normally seen inset into the walls or ceilings of huge structures, allowing their display to be fully appreciated. They can be as plain or as beautifully carved as the designers wish. Their only disadvantage, from a very practical point of view, is that they can accumulate dust and provide a haven for spiders or nest-building birds.

From Quiz Architecture for Everybody

Answer: Cellar

Clearly, if you were in the attic in this question, you were in the wrong place! The attic of a building is found on the underside of its roof. A vestibule is a small chamber or hall to be found just inside the outer door of a building. If you are walking along the veranda, you will be able to smell the open air. It's an open platform, with a roof, to be found on the outside of a house. The word 'cellar' comes from the Latin for 'storehouse', and will always be found under the ground level of a house.

From Quiz Architectural Terms

Answer: An entrance passage or avenue leading to a large building

This architectural feature can also be seen leading up to large tombs as well. In very olden times, in beehive tombs, a dromos leading to such a place was often filled in until the next ceremonial burial occurred. On a much larger scale, particularly in Egyptian and Roman architecture, each dromos was flanked all along either side leading to its destination by various statues.

From Quiz Architectural Terminology

Answer: a wedge-shaped block used in constructing an arch or vault

The central voussoir is called a keystone. Thanks for playing! I hope that you enjoyed the quiz. If you find any errors, please bring them to my attention.

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Last Updated Dec 13 2025 10:20 PM

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