History & Cultures

Building types across time, traditions, vernacular forms, and regional architectures worldwide.

60 Terms

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Adobe

A natural building material made from earth, clay, sand, and sometimes organic matter (straw), formed into bricks and dr…

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Apartment

A self-contained residential unit within a larger building. Apartments range from studio units to multi-bedroom dwelling…

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Baileo

The traditional communal meeting house of the indigenous Alifuru communities of Maluku (the Moluccas), used for village …

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Bale

An open or semi-open pavilion within a Balinese compound or temple, with a raised floor, a pitched roof, and no or minim…

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Basilica

Originally a Roman civic building type — a rectangular hall with a central nave, side aisles, and an apse at one end — u…

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Betang

The traditional communal longhouse of the Dayak people of Kalimantan (Borneo), raised on hardwood posts and housing an e…

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Bridge

A structure that spans a gap — over water, road, or valley — to allow passage. Bridges represent some of the most techni…

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Brothel

A building dedicated to prostitution, historically significant in many urban centers. Brothels were often architecturall…

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Brownstone

A narrow townhouse with a brownstone (reddish-brown sandstone) facade, typical of 19th-century urban residential archite…

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Castle

A fortified residence of a noble, featuring defensive walls, towers, and gateways. Castles combine residential, ceremoni…

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Cathedral

A cathedral is the principal church of a bishop's diocese — the building containing the cathedra (bishop's throne). Hist…

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Church

A building dedicated to Christian worship, ranging from modest chapels to grand cathedrals. Churches are central to comm…

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Cottage

A small, simple dwelling, typically in rural or suburban settings. Cottages emphasize coziness and often feature vernacu…

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Dalem

The innermost and most private part of a traditional Javanese house compound — the enclosed residential core, located be…

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Farmhouse

A house on agricultural land, typically designed for efficiency and connection to surrounding fields. Farmhouses often i…

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Feng Shui

A Chinese philosophical system that governs the orientation, layout, and design of buildings and cities in relation to t…

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Fortress

A large fortified structure designed for military defense, featuring walls, bastions, and gateways. Fortresses vary from…

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Gallery

A long, narrow passage or corridor, often with windows or openings along one side. In institutional contexts, a gallery …

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Gallery Space

An interior space designed for the display and viewing of art, with considerations for lighting, wall surfaces, circulat…

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Garden

A planned outdoor space for plants, recreation, and aesthetic appreciation. Gardens range from formal geometric gardens …

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Gazebo

An open-sided roof structure in a garden or park, providing shelter while maintaining visual connection to surroundings.…

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Hall

A large, open room or space, often used for public gathering, circulation, or display. Halls can be simple or ornately d…

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Hammam

A traditional Islamic bathhouse with a sequence of rooms at different temperatures — from a cold room (barid) through a …

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Hearth

The floor or base of a fireplace, typically made of heat-resistant material like brick or stone. Historically, the heart…

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Hermitage

A small, secluded dwelling or retreat, historically occupied by a hermit or religious recluse. Hermitages are typically …

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Honai

The traditional circular dwelling of the Dani and related highland peoples of Papua, with a conical grass-thatched roof …

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Hospital

A complex building typology designed for medical treatment, care, and often research. Hospital design is driven by infec…

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Housing

Buildings providing dwelling spaces for people — one of the oldest, most universal, and most socially critical building …

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Ingleside

The space beside a fireplace, often sheltered and intimate. Inglesides are cozy alcoves where people gather for warmth a…

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Inn

A small hotel or lodging establishment, historically providing shelter for travelers. Inns are often charming, smaller-s…

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Manor

The residence of a lord or significant landowner, typically rural and including agricultural land. Manors combine reside…

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Marae

A sacred communal gathering place central to Māori culture in New Zealand. The marae complex typically includes a wharen…

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Meru

A multi-tiered shrine tower found in Balinese Hindu temples (pura), with an odd number of thatched roofs stacked vertica…

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Monastery

A community of monks living according to religious vows, typically including a church, dormitory, refectory, and cloiste…

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Mosque

The principal building type of Islamic worship — a place of prayer oriented towards Mecca (the qibla direction). The key…

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Museum

A building for housing, preserving, and displaying collections of objects — art, natural history, science, or culture. M…

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Natah

The central open courtyard of a traditional Balinese house compound, around which all pavilions (bale) are arranged. The…

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Observatory

A building designed for astronomical observation, featuring domes, telescopes, and minimal internal structures. Observat…

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Pagoda

A multi-tiered tower of East Asian origin used as a Buddhist temple or monument. The pagoda evolved from the Indian stup…

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Pavilion

A small, often temporary building that stands separately from a main structure, used for shelter, display, or events. In…

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Pendopo

An open-sided pavilion that forms the front and most public part of a traditional Javanese compound — the space for rece…

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Pringgitan

The semi-public transitional space in a traditional Javanese house compound, located between the open pendopo at the fro…

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Pura

A Balinese Hindu temple compound organised around a series of progressively sacred courtyards separated by split gates (…

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Rammed Earth

A construction technique in which layers of moist earth — typically a mix of gravel, sand, silt, and clay — are compacte…

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Ruko

Rumah toko — a combined shop-house typology in which the ground floor operates as a commercial space and upper floors se…

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Rumah Adat

A generic term for traditional or customary houses built according to indigenous practices and governed by adat (customa…

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Rumah Bolon

The traditional house of the Batak people of North Sumatra, raised on heavy hardwood posts with a dramatically steep sad…

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Rumah Gadang

The traditional communal longhouse of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, recognisable by its dramatic upswept roof …

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Rumah Joglo

The most prestigious form of traditional Javanese house, characterised by a tall central roof supported by four main col…

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Rumah Panggung

A vernacular house type raised on stilts above the ground, found across the Indonesian archipelago from Kalimantan to Su…

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Sanggah

The family temple — a small sacred enclosure within a Balinese house compound, located at the most auspicious kaja-kangi…

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Shoji

A traditional Japanese sliding screen made of translucent paper (washi) stretched over a wooden lattice frame. Shoji scr…

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Skyscraper

A very tall multi-storey building, typically with a steel or reinforced concrete frame, made possible by the invention o…

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Stupa

A hemispherical Buddhist monument, originally built to house sacred relics. The stupa is one of the oldest architectural…

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Tower

A structure significantly taller than its plan footprint — built for defence, religious significance, communication, com…

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Townhouse

A narrow, multi-story residential building in urban settings, typically sharing walls with adjacent buildings. Townhouse…

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Vernacular

Architecture built by local communities using regional materials, traditional techniques, and common sense responses to …

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Vernacular Architecture

Architecture designed and built by communities using locally available materials and traditional methods, without the in…

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Villa Mairea

Villa Mairea is a modernist villa designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in 1939, located in Noormarkku, Finland. It …

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Warehouse

A large, utilitarian building for storage of goods. Warehouses emphasize clear spans, high ceilings, and efficient circu…

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