Attic Ventilators
In houses, screened openings provided to ventilate an attic space.
Austrian Shade (Austrian Pouf or Austrian Valance)
A poufed fabric shade with permanently shirred scallops that draw up from the bottom.
Attenuation
Reduction in sound level.
Aumbry
- Recess to hold sacred vessels; typically in a chapel.
Attic access
An opening that is placed in the dry walled ceiling of a home providing access to the attic.
Atrium
An opening or skylighted lobby through two or more floor levels other than an enclosed stairway, elevator, etc.
Astylar
- Facade without columns or pilasters
Attic insulation
- Terms refers to insulation put in the attic. This is usually either batt insulation or blown insulation. The thickness will vary depending on the “R†value that is specified in the plans.
Authority control
Authority control in the context of the Guide pertains to entities with proper names, i.e., people/corporate bodies, subjects/built works, and geographic locations. One of the major functions of authority control is to govern the form and content of proper names in order to ensure that all references to a given person or subject are collocated. An authority record may contain not only the preferred name, but all other names for the person or subject. An expanded authority record can also include contextual information, e.g., biographical or corporate histories.
Attic
The unfinished space between the ceiling joists of the top story and the roof rafters.
Area
- Unit of measure of length times width expressed in square inches.
Area Median Income (AMI)
A term of art used by some federal programs to describe published income standards for various areas of the country that are used as benchmarks for determining households’ eligibility for federally funded programs. For example, homebuyers assisted with HOME or CDBG funds generally must have incomes at or below 80% of area median income. AMIs are calculated and published annually by HUD. “Median” means that half of all households in the area are estimated to have more than this amount of income. https://healthymaterialslab.org/tool-guides/hml-resources
Architrave
The lowest part of a classical entablature running from column to column
Architectural, Industrial and Framing
are the most common appearance classifications. Premium appearance beams are available as custom orders.
Architectural work
Any subject or built work. It can be a study or a design of a structure, or the representation of a design as depicted on a drawing, model, print, or other medium.
Armor Plate
A door protection plate extending a sufficient distance up from the bottom of a door so that carts, gurneys, etc. will contact the plate when pushed against the door. 36" and 427 heights are typical.
Argon Gas
An odorless, colorless, tasteless, nontoxic gas which is six times denser than air. It is used to insulate better and reduce heat transfer.
Areaway
An open subsurface space adjacent to a building used to admit light or air or as a means of access to a basement.
Area wells
Corrugated metal or concrete barrier walls installed around a basement window to hold back the earth
Area Separation Wall
Residential fire walls, usually with a 2- to 4-hour rating, designed to prevent spread of fire from an adjoining occupancy; extends from foundationGlossFoundation.1041 to or through the roof. Identified by codes as either "fire wall", "party wall" or "townhouse separation wall."