A | |
| Andesite | A dark igneous rock of the core of Cheviot used in some buildings at the North end of the National Park. |
| Atmospheric pollution | Pollutants in the atmosphere mainly gasses and light dust particles, affecting conditions of life on the planet. |
B | |
| Biomass | Living matter within an environmental area, for example plant material, vegetation, or agricultural waste used as a fuel or energy source. |
C | |
| Carboniferous | Geological strata in which coal is formed. |
| Casements | The hinged opening components of windows, usually side hung or top hung. |
| Cavity walls | Wall construction comprising inner and outer 'skins', of either brick or some form of block with space of about 2". |
| Chamfer | Sharp edge of stone or wood finished at 45° to reduce risk of damage. The chamfer is often stopped before a joint or corner. |
| Contemporary Architecture | The architecture of our own time. |
| Construction waste | Discarded material left over after a development is completed. |
D | |
| Design Guide | A document providing guidance on how development can be carried out in accordance with the design policies of a local authority or other organisation often with a view to retaining local distinctiveness. |
| Dormer windows | Projecting upright window above sloping roof. |
E | |
| Electro-magnetic interference | The disruption of one system of electrical transmission (e.g. telephone) by another (e.g. power) or by atmospheric condition. |
| Embodied energy pollution | The extent to which the production and transport of materials and components for building contribute towards environmental damage. |
| Energy efficient | Form of construction which in construction and in use actively or passively contributes to the saving of energy. |
F | |
| Fascia | Part of the face or elevation of a building, where the shop or occupier's name is usually displayed. |
| Flues | Chimneys and pipes conducting combustion gasses away from fireplaces and heating appliances to the outside air. |
| Fortified houses | In the troubled Border Country of the past, thick walled houses of stone construction designed to give protection against lawless and violent neighbours. |
G | |
| Geothermal | The transfer of energy from heat inside the Earth, usually carried to the surface by superheated water and steam. |
| Geological | Relating to the study and categorisation of the Earth's rock formations. |
| Gothic architecture | A style of architecture which predominated throughout Europe from 12th to early 16th centuries. Evolved from the Romanesque, it is characterised by the pointed arch, ribbed vaults and elaborate traceried window openings. Gothic architecture in England is usually broken down into three phases. Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular. |
| Granite | A coarse-grained igneous rock cooled and consolidated at a depth in the earth's crust. Polished granite is frequently chosen for headstones, and can provide unfortunate contrasts with indigenous building materials in historic churchyards. |
| Grey water | Rainwater or re-cycled washing water stored for use in irrigation and flushing W.Cs. |
H | |
| Harling | A form of roughcast widely used in Scotland and the North of England, in which a mixture of an aggregate (usually small even-sized pebbles) and a binding material (traditionally sand and lime, latterly Portland cement) is dashed, or hurled (harled) onto a masonry wall. Specially designed curved trowels are normally used by other implements including brooms have sometimes been employed. Harling can be distinguished from the more generic term 'render' by the fact that very basically, you would expect a render to be a smoother finish applied directly by trowel or float. In traditional harls the aggregate is in the mix (wet dash) in non-traditional 20th century harls the aggregate is dashed on separately (dry dash). It is generally assumed that this type of render was designed to withstand severe weather conditions. They are applied to all constructions, brick, clay, stone etc. and there are numerous instances of owners setting out to expose their stonework only to find a predominance of a different material. |
| Historic Environment | Term used to describe an environment in which old buildings and landscape contribute a dominant part to its character. |
| Horticultural glass | Thin glass used for greenhouses, often with imperfections unacceptable in domestic windows. |
I | |
| Inclusive design | Government jargon for 'ensuring that environments function for people of all ages and abilities'. |
J | |
| Jambs | The vertical sides to a window or door opening. Properly used, it only relates to those vertical parts which support the lintel. |
K | |
| Kneeler | The bottom stone each side of a gable slope which resists the tendency of the tabling or sloping stones to slide off. |
L | |
| Land form | The shape created by natural or human activity on the surface of the land. |
| Landscaping | The activity of creating new outdoor environment by the management of landform, water, vegetation and hard surfaces. |
| Local distinctiveness | The characteristics of one area or region that distinguish that area from another. |
M | |
| Masonry | The craft of building in stone. |
| Massing | The solid geometry of building design. |
| Micro-climate | The local climatic condition of an external space or area. |
| Micro Hydro | Small scale electricity generation from water power. |
| Micro wind | Small scale electricity generation from wind. |
| Mineral processing | The preparation of gravel, sand and stone from extraction to suit a specified end use. |
| Mitred joint | The junction of two components meeting at right angles by means of a 45o cut to each. |
P | |
| Photovoltaics | Conversion of solar radiation (the Sun's rays) to electricity by the effect of photons (tiny particles of light) on the electrons in a solar cell. For example a solar powered car or calculator. |
| Planning Permission | Formal approval sought from the Council (or Northumberland National Park), often granted with conditions, allowing a proposed development to proceed. Permission may be sought in principle through outline plans, or be sought in detail through full plans. |
| Profiled metal roof | Metal sheet roofing material rendered rigid in one direction by corrugation. |
Q | |
| Quoins | Stones, larger or better shaped than those of which a wall is composed, used to form the corners of walls or door and window openings. Laid in an arrangement of headers and stretchers on alternate courses, this gives strength to the build, and allows the face work of the walling to tooth into the corner. If quoins project they are described as raised, and ifprovided with chamfered angles, rusticated. Quoins are said to be squint when they are not at right angles. A squared stone, the same height as a quoin and immediately next to it can be referred to as a second quoin. |
R | |
| Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) | A strategy for how a region should look in 15-20 years time and possibly longer. It identifies the scale and distribution of new housing in the region, indicates areas for regeneration, expansion or sub-regional planning and specifies priorities for the environment, transport, infrastructure, economic development, agriculture, minerals and waste treatment and disposal. Most former Regional Planning Guidance is now considered RSS and forms part of the development plan. New RSS is being prepared by Regional Planning Bodies. |
| Render | A term used to describe any durable, protective coating to an external wall. Renders are not intended to be decorative as such, and should not be confused with plasters such as stucco which are applied with the intention of imitating stone. |
| Renewable energy | Energy which occurs naturally and repeatedly in the environment, for example from the sun, the wind and the fall of water. |
| Re-pointing | The raking out and replacement of weathered mortar between stone or brick. |
| Romanesque | Architectural style that dominated in Europe during 10th-12th centuries, preceded gothic. Characterised by the use of the round arch, and massive walls and piers. |
S | |
| Scotch slates | Small rough slates formerly quarried from Scottish sources, now largely worked out. |
| Screening | Land form and planting designed to reduce the visual impact of intrusive features – e.g. cars, or to protect from elements. |
| Settlement boundaries | The edges of village or town meeting the open countryside. |
| Silage clamps | Pits in which freshly cut grass is stored to form silage, fodder for cattle. |
| Solar panels | Panel and tube collectors mounted on roofs to transmit solar energy to heat water. |
| Stone plinth | Projecting course of stone at base of wall. |
| Surface water | Rainwater run off roofs and ground. |
| Sustainable development | Development that meets the need of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. |
| Swan-neck offset | Double bend in rainwater pipe in order to by-pass a masonry detail. |
T | |
| Technological innovation | The use of advances in technology to solve design problems in new ways, often to save cost or to allow greater freedom of structural expression and to reduce energy use. |
| Traditional buildings | Built in a continuing tradition of local skills working on local materials or an established palette of materials. |
V | |
| Ventilation | Natural (and artificially induced) movement of air through a building to remove excessive moisture of smells, and to introduce fresh air. |
W | |
| Wearing surfaces | Hard surfaces in landscape suitable for vehicular traffic, e.g. tarmacadam, concrete pavings etc. |
| Whin Sill | Geological formation of an intrusive igneous rock forced between beds of Northumbrian Coal Measures (sandstone). As a harder rock the Whin Sill has resisted subsequent weathering and forms the distinctive escarpment landscape of the Roman Wall. |
