A
Access
Refers to a defined, unobstructed, and compliant path of travel through a site or building, including approaches, entries, circulation routes, and connections between spaces. It encompasses requirements for width, gradient, surface, clearances, kerb ramps, landings and door thresholds, particularly those specified in accessibility legislation and codes.
Architect
A person who is registered with the relevant Architects Registration Board (or equivalent) in their state or territory.
Australian standards (as | as/nzs)
Australian Standards are voluntary technical documents that specify procedures, requirements, and guidance to ensure that products, systems and services (including buildings) are safe, reliable, and consistent. Although voluntary by default, they can become mandatory when referenced in legislation or by the NCC.
B
Bim
BIM is a generic term for the process of creating and maintaining buildings with the help of software and technology. The term BIM often gets confused as it can describe different things:
- BIM as Building Information Model (this refers to a computer model with associated data)
- BIM as Building Information Modelling (the task)
- BIM as Building Information Management (this is the process)
Brief
A document provided by the client that describes the client's requirements for a project including accommodation, cost and program.
Building classification
The grouping of buildings as they are referred to in the NCC. Building classifications are labelled ‘Class 1’ through to ‘Class 10’. Some classifications also have sub-classifications, referred to by a letter after the number (e.g. Class 1a).
Building code of australia (bca)
The BCA is a core component of the NCC. It comprises of Volumes One and Two, which set the technical design and construction requirements for buildings in Australia.
Bushfire attack level (bal)
A standardised measure of a building site's potential exposure to bushfire hazards. It is used throughout Australia to determine the construction requirements need to improve a building's resistance to bushfire conditions.
C
Circulation
Describes the planned patterns of movement within and around a building, incorporating horizontal and vertical routes such as corridors, lobbies, stairs, ramps, and lift cores. It maps how occupants flow through spaces, how they transition from one zone to another, and how spatial relationships support efficient, intuitive navigation.
Client
A person who engages an architect to provide architectural services.
Consultant
A person who is consulted for paid, expert advice and related services.
Contingency sum
A sum of money included in a building contract or preserved outside it for expenditure, if necessary, on matters unforeseen at the time that the contract price was calculated.
Contingency sum – design
A sum of money allowed in the project budget to cover the cost of matters that are unknown or unresolved at the time the budget is established. The design contingency will typically be proportionally high early in the design process and reduce as the design develops.
Contract documents
Contract documents include: a particular written contract, including the agreement between the owner and the contractor, any special conditions, the drawings and specifications, and any other relevant documents.
Contract price
The total amount including GST paid or to be paid by the owner to the contractor.
Contractor
A builder or other trade who carries out the construction work under a construction contract. A contractor can be a head contractor or a subcontractor.
Cost of building work
The actual net cost of the works excluding any amounts for GST.
D
datum line
A fixed reference line or level used to establish consistent heights, alignments, or measurements throughout a design or set of drawings. It provides a stable point of comparison for elements such as floor levels, facade lines, openings, and structural grids
demographic study
The structured analysis of the characteristics of a population. This can include age distribution, household composition, income levels, cultural background, growth trends, and socioeconomic indicators. Data is used to inform architectural planning and design.
detail
A detail is a technical drawing that shows exactly how building components intersect and connect, such as flashing junctions, sill assemblies, insulation layers, fixings, and waterproofing elements. Details communicate buildability, performance, and construction sequencing.
E
Egress
Exit from a site or building, particularly in emergency conditions. Egress refers to regulated escape routes, door hardware, exit widths, travel distances, and discharge points.
Elevation
A view of a building’s exterior, or an interior wall, showing openings, materials, heights, and architectural composition without perspective distortion. It presents the external appearance and spatial ordering of the envelope.
Envelope
The complete physical separation between the internal environment and external conditions, including walls, roofs, floors, windows, doors, sealants, and insulation layers. It regulates heat flow, air movement, moisture, and acoustics.
Estimate
A judgement or forecast of the cost of a project based on knowledge, experience and available information.
F
fabric
The whole built, physical components of a building including the building envelope. The fabric is the material body of the building, excluding services, furniture and loose fittings.
fabrication
Refers to the manufacture and assembly of building elements or components, often off‑site, including structural steelwork, façade panels, joinery, and prefabricated modules. It is the physical production stage prior to installation.
fit-out
Describes the interior construction and installation works completed within a base building, including partitions, finishes, ceilings, joinery, floor coverings, lighting fixtures, and services modifications. It transforms a shell or tenancy area into a functional, occupied environment.
G
Graduate of architecture
A person who has completed a recognised architectural qualification, but who is not registered as an architect under the relevant Architects Registration Board (or equivalent) in their state or territory.
GST
Goods and services tax levied under the GST Act - A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999.
H
Hold point
Usually defined as an opportunity to witness an activity or item for which the contractor is required to give notice. The contractor must not proceed further without the approval of the architect.
I
ingress
A point or route of entry into a building or site, including doors, ramps, driveways, and controlled access points.
interstital space
A service zone or cavity between major building layers, such as between ceilings and floors or within wall assemblies, used to house mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic systems.
insulation
A material layer that resists heat, sound, or moisture transfer through the building fabric, used in walls, roofs, floors, and services to improve environmental performance.
J
K
L
Landing
A level platform between flights of stairs or at the top or bottom of a stair run, providing rest, change of direction, or transition between levels.
Latent condition
A physical condition on, underlying or adjacent to the site which a reasonable contractor would not have anticipated if the contractor had examined the site information and inspected the site before starting/commencing works.
Lightwell
A vertical open-to-sky or skylight that brings natural light and sometimes ventilation into the interior of a deep building plan.
Lintel
A horizontal structural element placed over an opening such as a window or door, supporting the load of the wall above and transferring it to the adjacent structure.
Load path
The route through which structural forces travel from the point of load application down to the foundations, including beams, columns, slabs, and walls.
Louver
A slatted or angled assembly (fixed or operable) used to control airflow, light, privacy, or weather while allowing ventilation. Often part of façades, plant enclosures, and shading systems.
M
massing
The overall three‑dimensional form and volume of a building, defined by its size, shape, and arrangement of major components before finer detail is applied.
membrane
A thin protective layer used for waterproofing, vapour control, or air‑barrier functions in roofs, walls, or substructures.
mezzanine
A partial intermediate floor placed between main levels of a building, typically open to the space below and not counted as a full storey.
modular building
A modular building is a structure composed of prefabricated units constructed off‑site in controlled factory conditions, fully or partially fitted out, and then transported to site for assembly. Each module forms part of the building’s final structure and enclosure, allowing the building to be installed rapidly through stacking, joining, and connecting services.
mullion
A vertical framing element dividing sections of glazing or curtain wall panels. It supports glass, provides and structural stiffness.
N
National construction code (ncc)
The NCC is Australia's primary set of technical design and construction provisions for buildings. It establishes minimum requirements for safety, health, accessibility, amenity, and sustainability in new building work across the country.
Novation
An agreement between parties to a contract, to substitute one of the original parties (the outgoing party) with a new party (the incoming party) and at least one party continues on under the contract (the continuing party). The original contract ends and a new contract is formed on the same terms between the incoming party and the continuing party. Typically, the owner is the outgoing party, the architect is the continuing party and the owner’s head contract is the incoming party.
O
On account
Payments made 'on account' are payments that are provisional as a partial advance payment to the final price. In the construction context, a payment made 'on account' does not signify that the person paying the amount accepts the work or services the invoice relates to. This leaves it open for the principal, or the head consultant, paying the invoice to later claim defects in the work or a shortfall in the standard of the services.
Owner
Usually, the owner of the land. However, in some building contracts such as for a tenancy fit-out, one party is called 'the owner' but they do not own the land. Instead they own the works as a leaseholder or tenant or a licensee of the land owner. In every case the owner has legally enforceable rights in connection with use of the land or a building on it.
P
Particular person
An individual or company selected by the owner and specifically identified in the building contract as the subcontractor whom the owner wants to perform work or services or to supply and/or install an item forming part of the works under the building contract.
Plan
A horizontal cut drawing showing room layouts, structural grids, doors, fixtures, circulation routes, and spatial organisation in two dimensions. Plan drawings are typically taken about one metre above the finished floor level.
Plumbing code of australia (pca)
The PCA forms Volume Three of the NCC. It sets the minimum technical requirements for the design, construction, installation, replacement, repair, alteration, and maintenance of plumbing and drainage systems in all buildings in Australia.
Premises standards
The Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings) Standards 2010, commonly referred to as the Premises Standards, are a legislative amendment made under the Disabilities Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA).
Primary consultant
A consultant, often the architect, whose responsibilities include direction and coordination of the work of specialist consultants. The primary consultant is in contract with the client.
Prime cost sum
A sum included in the contract for a foreseeable 'off the shelf' item, the precise identity of which was not known or had not been decided at the date of the contract.
procurement
The act or process of bringing about or bringing into existence buildings. Procurement may also refer to the acquiring and engagement of architectural services.
Professional indemnity (pi)
Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance is a mandatory form of insurance for architects in Australia that provides financial protection against claims arising from errors, omissions, negligence, or breach of professional duty in the course of architectural services.
Program
Program (or programming) refers to the functional requirements and intended uses of a building, expressed as a set of spaces, activities, relationships, sizes, and performance needs. It defines what the building must do and how each space supports broader organisational, operational, or experiential goals.
Progress payment
A progress payment is a payment under a contract or client-architect agreement for work partly completed.
Project budget
An amount established by the client which represents the total available funds for the project including building costs, provisional sums, escalation, contingency sums, consultant's fees, GST, furniture and equipment, approval costs and any other cost, allowance or item defined by the client.
Provisional sum
A sum included in the contract for foreseeable work, which could not be fully described at the date of the contract, because some details were unknown.
Q
quantity surveyor (qs)
A construction cost professional responsible for managing, estimating, analysing, and controlling costs and contracts throughout a building project's lifecycle.
R
REQUEST for information (rfi)
An RFI is a formal document used to seek clarification when project information is unclear, missing, or conflicting. It is submitted by one project participant (often a contractor or subcontractor) to another (often the architect) to obtain the correct details needed to proceed with works.
REturn
A continuation of a wall, surface, roof, or detail that wraps around a corner or extends back from a primary plane, used to complete the form or conceal junctions.
S
Secondary consultant
A consultant whose work is subject to the direction and coordination of the primary consultant. The secondary consultant is in contract with the client.
Section
A vertical cut drawing through a building, illustrating interior volumes, heights, levels, floor plates, roof forms, voids, structure, and relationships between spaces. It reveals aspects not visible in plan, such as headroom, daylight penetration, slab steps, and material layering.
Separate contractor
A separate contractor is an individual or company who contracts with the owner to perform some aspect of the works under a building contract. A separate contractor is not a subcontractor to the (head) contractor.
Specialist consultant
A consultant who is a specialist in a particular field. Such consultants contribute to parts of the design but generally not the whole design. When engaged, the specialist consultant will become either a secondary consultant or a subconsultant.
STUDENT OF ARCHITECTURE
A student enrolled and studying a Bachelor of Architecture with a pathway to a Master of Architecture or currently studying a Master of Architecture.
Subconsultant
A consultant whose work is subject to the direction and coordination of the primary consultant. The subconsultant is in contract with the primary consultant.
Subcontractor
An individual or company (under contract to the head contractor) who performs work or services or supplies and/or installs an item forming part of the works under the contract. The (head) contractor is responsible for the selection, engagement, supervision, performance and payment of all subcontractors in accordance with the contract. Subcontractors do not include any individuals or companies directly engaged and paid by the owner for work outside the contract. These are separate contractors.
T
Tender
An offer to perform work and/or supply goods at a given price, usually made in writing.
Thermal mass
The capacity of a material to absorb, store, and release heat, found in materials like concrete, brick, and stone. It moderates temperature fluctuations and supports passive environmental design.
U
u-value
A measure of thermal transmittance through a building element. It indicates how much heat passes through a wall, roof, window, or floor; lower U‑values mean better insulation and thermal performance.
universal design
A design that aims to create spaces usable by the widest range of people, regardless of age, ability, or sensory or cognitive differences, without requiring adaption or specialised solutions.
V
Variation
A change in the scope of works, the order of precedence of the contract documents, or to dimensions, levels, materials, details, workmanship or quality of any part of the works.
Verification point
Usually defined as an activity or item for which the contractor is required to comply with requirements and confirm and record compliance or to identify and rectify a default or non-compliance before proceeding.
Void
A vertical space open through one or more levels of a building, such as a double‑height living space or atrium. It creates spatial volume and allows light and sightlines to penetrate multiple storeys.
W
Warranty
A warranty is an undertaking that one's work or product attains a certain standard. If the subject of the warranty is found to be other than as warranted, liability may be either expressed or implied. A warranty involves two parties and applies to the warrantor’s own work or goods.
Witness point
Usually defined as an opportunity to witness an activity or item for which the contractor is required to give notice, but which involves no obligation of the architect to witness (i.e. after the period for notice, the contractor may proceed with the activity or item).
Work
The activities, labour or processes involved in construction of the works.
Works
The completed construction as set out in the contract documents. Generally works can be seen as the product of the work carried out under the contract.
X
Y
Z
zero-carbon
A building designed and operated so that its greenhouse emissions are reduced to zero through efficiency measures and renewable energy generation. Zero-carbon may refer to embodied carbon, operational carbon, or both.