aluminimum Maximum threshold for bauxite-related materials.
alsoppy Having maudlin sense of own heroism after a few drinks; anything related to the Will Alsop industry.
autobarn Unique home in rural location equipped for home/office use, suit early retirers; barn conversion designed by local architect to 'blend in' with neighbouring converted barns.
blouson d'être Capacious shirt worn by successful architect to proclaim his or her commitment to epic space.
blurbanism Synthesis of urban theory and interesting taxi rides; a vision of cities properly serviced by blue collar types in affordable housing; inferred community events, interactive green experiences, public sculpture, ordinary people engaging with architecture (aerial view).
boa contractor Ruthless agent of developer, charged with squeezing costs.
cadswallop Impactful yet meaningless elements of computer aided design, showing how powerful multi-media tools can create surreal and challenging architectural collages.
capitalism Bankable form of Classical architecture.
carbonhate To denigrate motorists and the non-insulated.
channelfourmalism Excessive observance of TV programmes made by independent producers exploring cutting-edge architecture and 'urban lifestyle' issues eg rational toasters, spindly furniture; or studio flats designed with media contacts in mind.
cladiator Manly designer with a fetish for architectural cladding; arena stylist who believes a building's exterior should also be a brutal spectacle.
contxt Ill-considered environmental surroundings of a proposed new building; misleading text message suggesting everything's OK.
corbital Theoretical path of those trapped in Modernism's gravitas.
cupola soup Poorly executed detailing at the top of a building.
cyclopath Environmental campaigner suffering from a behavioural disorder on two wheels.
declassicist Architect shunned by the Classical community for her vulgar opinions.
denscity Urban density; thickness of those trying to tell people where to live.
designosaur Architect who uses a drawing board instead of a computer.
designosaurus rex Royal Family member with 20th Century views.
draughtproof Undrawable; fantasy building committed to memory and talked through at dinner parties.
emission statement Outpouring of carbon dioxide on subject of same.
end user Homophobic taunt directed at community architects by members of a residents' association.
endgabble Complicated drivel at the end of a stylised terrace.
fascial Cosmetic shop makeover.
fosterich Well-off acolyte of Norman Foster who refuses to listen to criticism.
gazeboo Exclamatory summer house; in Scotland, a "shootooterie".
glazebasted Free-range building, glistening with windows.
half-timbered State of intoxication legitimised by informal seminars on Tudor architecture, as in "half-timbered by teatime"
infillosophy School of thought which argues for brownfield development, particularly in people's back gardens.
islingtundra A vast mental plain of cool minimalism; the natural habitat of childless urban spacemakers making their mark with similar interiors for childless urban clients; a space to think and be; vague notions involving wooden floors, glass walls, occasional dwarf vegetation and something obscure in contoured rubber from Germany.
joined-up drawing Architectural version of 'joined-up thinking'; conceptual sketch illustrating prescribed conclusion; a drawing which shows how it has been arrived at logically. And organically. And democratically.
minimally mandy Girlish minimalist of either sex in £400 spectacles.
nichework Decorative marbling etc in a wall recess; highly specialised consultancy work, if you can get it.
perpendiculite An English style of Gothic architecture characterised by vertical window tracery, depressed arches, fan vaulting and panelled walls, hinted at in a family pub dining area.
pedimentalistHack designer drafted in by a housing association to make a rented home look more like a mortgaged property by putting lightweight triangular structures above the front door.
pomo sapiens An authority on post-Modernism.
porsch Posh porch.
prefabulous Guaranteed to be brilliant, as the commission is about to be given to an architectural genius; one-bedroomed flats built with prefabricated parts and cheap construction methods to acheive economy of scale, then sold for a fortune.
quasisemiotic Half-hearted attempt to signify a mystical portal between interior and exterior worlds in north London.
refurbanism A counter-argument to urbanism which says more money should be spent on the repair and remodelling of existing buildings, and less on the creation of new buildings that look crap.
rogers and philistine Cleverness and apathy, in built form.
snuburbanism Stubborn non-compliance with 'urban life' by living elsewhere.
spacecraft The alchemic mystery of architecture; its power to transform a room, back garden or public square into a 'space'.
sustainagility The ability to deliver loud, impromptu lectures in a restaurant on such diverse issues as the Kyoto Protocol, domestic windmills and the correct use of trees.
wocks What architecture does during Architecture Week, according to the Arts Council,e.g "visit a lobster hatchery in Cornwall or take part in Yurt Day at the Dulwich Picture Gallery". Wock on!
stucco homo Latin: 'behold the stubborn conservationist'.
visitorcentric Orientation of restored national treasure to showcase National Trust tea towels and heritage toffee.
wrongtrousers Term of endearment among architects, cf sillybollocks. Inspired by architects' famously inappropriate legwear. Example: 'Oh dear, no. He's gone a bit wrongtrousers with his detailing there...'
ziggurette A mini-ziggurat, often untipped.
