GATE AR key terms

The ratio of a building's total floor area to the area of the plot on which it stands. It controls built density and is fixed by local development control regulations.

The percentage of a plot area that may be covered by a building footprint at ground level. It regulates open space and is specified separately from FAR in zoning rules.

The mandatory open distance between a building line and the plot boundary. Setbacks ensure light, ventilation, fire access, and privacy, and vary with road width and building height.

Legally binding local regulations governing construction, covering setbacks, heights, exits, fire safety, structural requirements, and occupancy. Compliance is mandatory before a building permit is granted.

A statutory long-range plan that guides land use, transport, and infrastructure development across a city or region, typically with a horizon of twenty years and periodic revisions.

The division of land into zones with permitted and prohibited uses, densities, and heights. Zoning translates master plan policy into enforceable development controls on individual plots.

Classification of land into categories such as residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational, specifying what activities are permitted in each area and under what conditions.

Unplanned, low-density outward expansion of a city into surrounding rural land. It increases infrastructure costs, car dependence, and loss of agricultural land.

A designated belt of open or agricultural land around an urban area where development is restricted. It is used to contain sprawl and preserve environmental quality.

A planning approach that concentrates compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development within walking distance of public transport stations, reducing car dependence and supporting ridership.

A development combining two or more land uses, such as housing, retail, and offices, in the same building or neighbourhood. It supports walkability and efficient use of infrastructure.

A digital process that creates and manages a shared three-dimensional model of a building, integrating geometry, materials, cost, and scheduling data across the project lifecycle.

A BIM coordination process that automatically identifies physical or spatial conflicts between building elements, such as ducts intersecting structural beams, before construction begins.

A framework describing how much geometric detail and information a BIM element contains at a given project stage, ranging from conceptual massing to as-built representation.

Design strategies that use climate, orientation, form, and building envelope to achieve comfort with minimal mechanical energy, including shading, insulation, and natural ventilation.

The placement and rotation of a building relative to the sun's path to control solar gain and daylight. In the northern hemisphere, long facades typically face south for winter sun.

The ratio of internal illuminance at a point to simultaneous external illuminance under an unobstructed overcast sky, expressed as a percentage. It is used to assess daylight availability.

The overall thermal transmittance of a building element, measured in watts per square metre per kelvin. Lower values indicate better insulation and reduced heat loss.

The ability of a material to absorb, store, and release heat, moderating internal temperature swings. Heavy materials such as concrete and masonry provide high thermal mass.

A structural system in which horizontal beams (lintels) are supported on vertical posts. It carries loads primarily in bending and was fundamental to trabeated architecture.

A curved structural form that transfers loads to supports mainly through compression. Arch types include semicircular, segmental, pointed, and horseshoe forms.

An arched structural covering, usually of masonry, forming a ceiling or roof over a space. Examples include barrel, groin, and rib vaults.

A hemispherical or curved roof structure spanning a space without intermediate supports. Domes carry loads in compression and often require a tension ring at the base.

A horizontal structural member fixed at one end and free at the other, carrying loads through bending and shear. It is used for balconies, canopies, and overhanging slabs.

A framework of straight members connected at joints to form triangles, carrying loads primarily through axial tension and compression. Trusses are efficient for long spans.

A composite material in which steel reinforcement resists tension while concrete resists compression, overcoming concrete's weakness in tension and enabling frames, slabs, and long spans.

Concrete in which steel tendons are tensioned before or after casting to compress the concrete, improving its resistance to cracking and allowing longer spans or thinner sections.

A rigid, lightweight three-dimensional truss made of interconnected members forming a triangulated network, used to cover large spans with minimal supports.

A structure that carries loads through tension in cables or fabric membranes rather than compression, enabling lightweight roofs over large areas, such as stadium and canopy roofs.

A vertical reinforced concrete or masonry wall designed to resist lateral forces from wind and earthquakes, transferring them to the foundation and limiting building drift.

A structural frame of beams and columns connected by rigid joints that resist bending moments, providing lateral stiffness and ductility against earthquake and wind loads.

A seismic protection technique that places flexible bearings between a building and its foundation, decoupling the structure from ground motion and reducing transmitted earthquake forces.

A traditional Indian system of architecture and spatial planning that prescribes orientation, proportions, and placement of rooms and elements based on cosmological principles and directional significance.

A geometric diagram, often a square subdivided into a grid, used in Indian temple planning to order sacred space and align the building with cosmic order.

The tower or superstructure above the sanctum of a North Indian Hindu temple, typically curvilinear and tapering, symbolising a mountain and marking the temple's most sacred point.

A monumental, often pyramidal gateway tower at the entrance of a South Indian temple complex, typically richly carved and marking the boundary between secular and sacred space.

A small, domed pavilion resting on pillars, used in Indian architecture as a decorative roof element, memorial canopy, or corner feature on palaces and temples.

A perforated stone or lattice screen used in Indian architecture for ventilation, daylight control, privacy, and decorative effect, often carved with geometric or floral patterns.

A traditional Chinese practice of positioning buildings, rooms, and objects to harmonise with the surrounding environment and energy flow, influencing orientation and layout decisions.