9 basic architectural concepts you should know

If you are not an architect, but you are about to build or renovate your new home, this is of interest to you! As in any other professional sector, in architecture there are several basic concepts that you will hear frequently and that we want you to understand so that everything will be easier for you. This will help you to better understand each phase of the project and, in addition, you will feel more confident about the process you are about to start.

Once we start your architectural project, we become a team and as such, we must speak the same language, don’t you think?

Here are the 9 basic architectural concepts you should know:

  • Building permitBuilding permit: it is a permit granted by the Town Hall that allows you to execute the work in a specific plot. This authorization must be requested in order to comply and follow the urban planning regulations of the General Urban Development Plan of your municipality. Depending on the type of work and the city, you must apply for a license or another. Our team will take care of all the paperwork so that you don’t have to worry about anything.

  • Finishes: these refer to the final characteristics of an architectural element or object, both in terms of its appearance and the treatment given to it and the materials used. Here not only the final aesthetics, such as color or texture, but also its functionality should be taken into account. That is to say, not all finishes are equally suitable for a kitchen or a bathroom, depending on the characteristics of the material used, one or the other will have to be applied.

 

  • Enclosures: are all the elements that will serve to delimit or close a space. This includes elements that close an opening, such as windows or doors, preventing the entry of light, water and ventilation. They also refer to those enclosures that delimit several spaces without completely isolating them, such as a partial enclosure between the kitchen and the dining room or between the bedroom and the bathroom.

 

  • Distribution: it is the organization with which the different rooms of your home will be ordered and separated. This would include the general plan of the project, where all those ideas and mental map that, as a client, you have in mind and that our architects will capture on paper and then, they will make reality. In general terms, the distribution can be centralized or linear and divided into public and private areas.

  • Energy efficiency: in construction, energy-efficient architecture aims to optimize the energy consumption of housing. In this way, a minimum impact on the environment is prioritized, thus improving its sustainability.

  • Program: this is one of the first steps in any architectural project, where your needs and requirements and the hierarchy of the rooms will be set. This will be vital when translating the needs of the project into the architectural design. Although there is a basic program for most of the rooms, depending on the house and your needs, a starting program will be defined for each room of the house.

  • Thermal bridge: refers to those areas or points of the building where, due to its technical characteristics, there is no thermal insulation.

  • Wet areas: these are areas where there is continuous contact with water, such as the kitchen, bathroom or laundry room. In these spaces it is necessary to install plumbing and sanitation. In many cases, the proximity between both spaces allows sharing certain parts of the installations, thus reducing the materials required.

  • Surface area (built vs. usable): the built surface area is that which is delimited by the exterior façade of the building, while the usable surface area is that which can be occupied and which is free of any construction element and/or installations.

Now that you know these 9 basic concepts of architecture, your renovation or new construction will be much easier. If you want to get started with your architectural project, do not hesitate to contact us through our our websiteor by calling us at 877 60 40 06 or writing to us at the following e-mail address vadecasa@vadecasa.cat . I si quieres hacernos una visita y hablarlo en persona, do not hesitate to visit our office in Tarragona. We will be happy to assist you and offer you a customized quote, without obligation!