Glossary of Terms

Building Terms
The Language of Heritage Conservation
Common Heritage Terminology used in South Australia
Common Acronyms
Further Reading

Building Terms

Term	Definition
A \| B \| C \| D \| E \| F \| G \| H \| I \| J \| K \| L \| M \| N \| O \| P \| Q \| R \| S \| T \| U \| V \| W \| X \| Y \| Z
Architecture	The art and science of building.
Architrave	A moulding surrounding a door or window opening.
Balcony	A platform, enclosed by a railing or balustrade projecting from the face of either an inside or outside wall of a building (e.g. a gallery in a theatre).
Baluster	Small post used to support a handrail.
Balustrade	A series of balusters supporting a handrail.
Belfry	A tower in which a bell is hung.
Capital*	The head or crowning feature of a column.
Cavity Wall	A hollow wall, usually consisting of two brick walls erected a few inches apart and joined together with ties of metal.
Ceiling	The overhead internal lining of a room.
Ceiling Rose	A fitting from which a lamp may be suspended.
Cement (Portland)	Obtained by crushing and burning limestone in kilns, the resulting clinker being finely ground with gypsum and with the addition of various aggregates is used for many purposes (e.g. concrete, mortar).
Chimney	A structure, generally of brick or stone, containing a passage through which the smoke and waste gases from a fire or furnace may escape.
Concrete	A conglomerate artificial stone. It is made by mixing in certain proportions cement, water, sand and crushed stone, gravel or other inert material. The chemically active substance in the mixture is the cement, which unites physically and chemically with the water and, upon hardening, binds the aggregates together to form a solid mass resembling stone.
Cornice	a. Horizontal projection at the top of a wall. b. A mould placed at the junction of wall and ceiling.
Cul de Sac	An access street with a blind end usually in the form of a turning space for vehicles.
Eaves	The lower part of a roof that overhangs the walls.
Façade	The face or front wall of a building.
Fenestration	The arrangement of windows or openings in a building.
Gable	The triangular end of a house formed at the end of a pitched roof, from eaves level to apex.
Hip Roof	A roof with an end roughly pyramidal in shape, with surfaces sloping upwards from all three eaves.
Jambs	Side surfaces of an opening in a wall.
Lintel	A beam spanning an opening.
Mantel	A shelf over a fireplace.
Mortar	A composition of lime and/or cement and sand mixed with water in various proportions.
Pantry	A room for storing provisions.
Parapet	A low wall at the edge of a roof, balcony, bridge, or terrace.
Pediment*	A triangular or other geometrically shaped decoration above doors, windows, etc.
Pilaster	A rectangular pillar attached to a wall but treated as a column with a capital, shaft and base.
Pitch	The angle of inclination to the horizon of a roof of stair.
Plaster	Material of a mortar-like consistency used for covering walls and ceilings of buildings usually made of Portland mixed with sand and water.
Porch	A covered entrance to a building.
Quoins*	The corner stones at the angles of buildings.
Reveal	The thickness of wall from the wall face to the door or window frame. The remainder of the thickness of wall is known as the 'jamb'.
Sash	The framework in a window, into which the glass is fitted.
Skirting	The trim fixed on a wall at its junction with the floor.
Studs	The vertical members in the wall framework of a building.
Surveying	The science of measuring land.
Terrace Housing	A group of one or two storey dwellings separated by party walls. Also known as row housing.
Terrazzo	Material produced by setting irregular fragments of marble in a matrix of cement, and rubbing them down to a smooth surface.
Veneer	Thin slices of wood or other material for finishing purposes to cover an inferior piece of material.
Wall	An upright structure of definite dimensions for enclosing space constructed of stone, brick or other suitable building material.
Ashlar	A wall made from carefully hewn squared uniform blocks of stone laid in regular courses.
Rubble	Unhewn stones of varying sizes laid so as to fit between and against each other as well as possible. When stones are laid without any attempt to arrange them in courses they are known as 'random rubble'. When courses are made at regular intervals, the wall is said to be constructed of 'coursed rubble'.
Source: Excepting those with asterisks, these terms are derived from A Glossary of Building and Planning Terms (AGPS 1975).

The Language of Heritage Conservation (based on The Illustrated Burra Charter)

Term	Definition
To assist in being clear about what is being done to a structure some common words have been given specialised meanings when applied to heritage conservation. The following are taken from P Marquis-Kyle & M Walker The Illustrated Burra Charter (Australia ICOMOS, 2004). The Burra Charter, or to give its full title, the Australia ICOMOS Charter for the Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance, was first adopted at Burra in 1979. The current (1999) Charter is the 3rd version.
A \| B \| C \| D \| E \| F \| G \| H \| I \| J \| K \| L \| M \| N \| O \| P \| Q \| R \| S \| T \| U \| V \| W \| X \| Y \| Z
Adaptation	Modifying a place to suit new uses.
Associations	The connections that exist between people and a place.
Compatible Use	A use that involves minimal impact on the cultural significance of a place.
Conservation	All the processes of looking after a place in order to retain its cultural significance. Conservation activities include maintenance, preservation, restoration, adaptation, explaining and campaigning.
Cultural Significance	The aesthetic, historic, scientific or social value of a place.
Fabric	The physical material of the place, including building interiors, sub-surface material, contents, fixtures and objects associated with the place.
Interpretation	The ways in which the cultural significance of a place is presented. e.g. exhibitions and explanatory material.
Maintenance	The continuous protective care of the place.
Place	The site, area, landscape, or building together with associated contents and surrounds. Examples of a 'place' include a memorial, an industrial plant, a tree, the site of an historical event, a town or a road.
Preservation	Maintaining the place in its current state and slowing down its rate of deterioration.
Reconstruction	Returning a place to an earlier state by the introduction of new or old materials.
Related Object	An object that contributes to the cultural significance of a place but which is not at that place.
Related Place	A place that contributes to the cultural significance of another place. e.g. a place, which exists alongside another.
Restoration	Returning the place to an earlier state by the removal of additions, or reassembling existing features without the introduction of new material.
Setting	The area around a place e.g. the grounds of a building.
Use	The functions and activities occurring in a place.

Common Heritage Terminology used in South Australia

Term	Definition
Conservation Management Plan	A document that defines what is of heritage significance in a place and suggests appropriate policies to protect that significance in future use and development.
Contributory Item	A physical element of value that contributes to the built form or landscape qualities of an Historic (Conservation) Zone or Policy Area created under the Development Act 1993.
Historic (Conservation) Zone or Policy Area	An area demonstrating built form or landscape qualities, development patterns and character arising from particular historic, economic or social themes associated with that local area.
Local Heritage Place	A place designated as a place of local heritage value by a Development Plan under the Development Act 1993.
State Heritage Place	A place entered in the SA Heritage Register that meets one or more of the criteria for State significance set out in Section 16 of the Heritage Places Act 1993.

Common Acronyms

Term	Definition
AHC	Australian Heritage Council (replaced Australian Heritage Commission)
AMCORD	Australian Model Code for Residential Development
CHL	Commonwealth Heritage List
CMP	Conservation Management Plan
DAC	Development Assessment Commission
DEH	Department for Environment and Heritage
DPA	Development Plan Amendment (supersedes PAR)
DPAC	Development Policy Advisory Committee
EDALA	Electronic Development Application Lodgement and Assessment
EIA	Environmental Impact Assessment
EPBC	Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (Commonwealth)
GIS	Geographic Information System
GPS	Global Positioning System
HCZ	Historic (Conservation) Zone
HPA	Historic Policy Area
ICCM	Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material
ICOM	International Council on Museums
ICOMOS	International Council on Monuments and Sites
LOTS	Land Ownership and Tenure System [title and valuation data]
LTO	Land Titles Office
NHII	National Heritage Investment Initiative (Commonwealth)
NHL	National Heritage List
PAR	Plan Amendment Report (superseded by DPAs)
PIERS	Plan Index, Enquiry and Retrieval System
RNE	Register of the National Estate (Commonwealth)
SAHC	South Australian Heritage Council
SAHR	South Australian Heritage Register
SHA	State Heritage Authority (replaced by SA Heritage Council 17/11/05)
SHP	State Heritage Place
SHR	State Heritage Register (replaced by SA Heritage Register 17/11/05
SOE	State of the Environment
SRSA	State Records of South Australia
TATS	Torrens Automated Title System

Glossary of Terms

Building Terms

The Language of Heritage Conservation (based on The Illustrated Burra Charter)

Common Heritage Terminology used in South Australia

Common Acronyms

Further Reading