One of the biggest challenges facing a self-builder is understanding all this complicated language and what it all really means.
Not to worry, AC Architects is here to give you a handy guide to some common self-build acronyms and phrases you’ll find on our website and in the self-build industry.
Hear a term and you don’t know what it means? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list!
ACS – Allan Corfield Structures Ltd. Our sister company providing structural engineering services to all our clients.
Amendment of Warrant - An amendment form filled out if the project cannot be carried out exactly to the approved plans. Work included in this application should not be completed on-site until the amendment has been approved.
Air Source Heat Pump - An ASHP takes the heat energy out of the air, multiplies it, and transfers it to your heating system or hot water. This process is driven by electricity.
Airtightness - The focus of eliminating any and all unintended cracks and gaps in the external envelope of a building.
ARB – Architects Registration Board. An independent professional regulator, established by Parliament as a statutory body, through the Architects Act, in 1997.
Architectural Assistant – An entry-level employee within the architecture industry. They assist with architectural projects as they work their way to becoming a fully qualified architect themselves.
Architectural Salvage - Disused building materials or accessories that can be repurposed for use in a new space.
Arrears Mortgage - In the context of self-build, this mortgage releases funds after the completion of each stage in the process.
Balustrade – A row of small columns topped by a rail. This is generally what we say when we’re talking about a supported handrail on a stair or the guardrail on a balcony.
Bespoke – An overly used term we use to describe the process of creating custom-made structures or buildings to meet the specific needs and requirements of our clients.
BIMx – Building Information Modelling software. Used to present 3D models of our designs to our colleagues and clients.
Break Ground - The transition from the planning and designing phase into the building phase of a project.
Buildability - The ability with which a project can be built efficiently in terms of quality, time and cost.
Building Control – The process of ensuring that a building project complies with building regulations and safety standards.
Building Envelope – The physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment of a building, including the resistance to air, water, heat & light.
Building Warrant – The legal permission required to begin building work.
Buttress – A structure of stone or brick built against a wall to strengthen or support it. Commonly found in cathedrals.
CAD – Computer Aided Design. Our team use this to digitally create 2D drawings and 3D models of our designs before any construction begins.
Cantilever – A beam that’s only supported at one end, with the load carried over the overhang.
Cavity - The gap between the external and internal walls of the home, often filled with insulating material.
CDM – Construction Design Management 2015. Regulations created to improve health and safety in the built environment and to protect all those involved in building projects.
Chartered – Someone who is registered on both the ARB and the RIBA, and is therefore legally permitted to call themselves an ‘architect’.
CIAT - The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists. A global membership qualifying body for Architectural Technology.
Cladding - The application of one material over another to provide a layer. Used in self-build to provide thermal insulation, weather resistance or to improve appearance.
CML – A Certificate granted when the consultant has supervised the building of the property and confirms that it has been built following the plans and to a certain standard.
Contractor – contractors will carry out the work on-site, following the drawings and specifications to deliver what has been designed. They are usually split into main or sub-contractors. The main contractor can oversee all the other sub-contractors on site and will either report back to the client or the project manager.
CPD – Continued Professional Development. We are big advocates of CPD at ACS and we use it to expand our knowledge and skillset.
DER - Dwelling Emission Rate.
Design Team - The group of designers working on your project. Most consist of an architect and structural engineer, but could also contain an interior designer, landscape architect, Passive House designer etc.
Drawings – The term used for our sketches, plans, schematics and diagrams that communicate detailed information about our design.
Dwelling – A building that is occupied – together with any garden, ancillary buildings, and accessories belonging to it – and used as accommodation comprising one or more household spaces.
Eaves – The edges of a roof which overhang the face of a wall and project beyond the side of a building.
EnerPHit – Altering or adding a component or feature not fitted during original manufacture or when first constructed, while following Passivhaus principles.
EPC – Energy Performance Certificate. Offers information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs.
Existing Building Survey – A detailed and accurate survey of an existing building that provides information about its size, shape, layout, and features.
Fabric – The main structural elements that contribute towards the thermal performance of the building. Fabric First Principles therefore focus on improving all these elements to a level that will reduce the heating demand on a dwelling.
Form – The shape and configuration of a building.
Form Factor – Measured as the ratio of the thermal envelope surface area to the treated floor area.
Gable – The top end of the wall of a building, usually in the shape of a triangle, where it meets the sloping parts of the roof.
Glazing – The process of fitting windows with glass. The process should aim to maximise the solar gain in the winter and minimise it in the summer.
Ground Source Heat Pump - GSHPs use buried pipes filled with a mixture of water and antifreeze, which absorb heat from the ground and relocate it indoors. This heat is usually transferred to a hot water cylinder.
HEPA - A high-efficiency particulate air (filter). Composed of a fibre mat that removes any airborne particles smaller than 0.3 microns (µm).
HLFF - Heat Loss Form Factor.
HVAC - Heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
ICF – Insulated Concrete Formwork. Consists of hollow polystyrene blocks, interlocking together to create a mould into which ready-mixed concrete is poured.
Insulation – Material used in a building to reduce the flow of thermal energy. Commonly found in lofts and walls.
Joist – A horizontal structural member used in framing to span an open space, often between beams that subsequently transfer loads to vertical members.
Landscape Designer - An individual who designs your outdoor space, including your garden layout.
Land Surveyor – Provides essential information about the land and its boundaries. This includes a topographical survey, boundary identification, and potentially an existing building survey.
Leaf – A common term used for a cavity wall.
Lintels – A horizontal structural element that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces.
Load-Bearing – Supporting much of the weight of the overlying parts of a building or other structure (especially of a wall).
Longevity - Construction methods that are designed to stand the test of time, providing durability, structural integrity and adaptability.
MMC – Modern methods of construction.
MVHR – Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. Stale air is taken away from ‘wet’ rooms in the home through a combination of hidden ducts. This air passes through a heat exchanger in the unit of the main system, which is installed discreetly in an attic or cupboard.
NaCSBA – National Custom and Self Build Association
Net-Zero – The amount of greenhouse gas emissions we put into the atmosphere and the amount we’re able to take out are perfectly balanced.
NSBRC – The National Self Build & Renovation Centre. Located in Swindon, and home to our other office.
Off-Site – Components built at a different location than the location of the site. Commonly used in the context of building materials.
Parapet – A barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure.
Party Wall – The Party Wall Act 1996. Not as fun as it sounds, unfortunately. Under the terms of the Act, your neighbour has a right to be compensated for any loss or damage caused by your relevant works.
Passive House – A building that is designed and constructed to a strict set of criteria to ensure maximum comfort with minimum overall energy consumption. These buildings must adhere to the Passivhaus standard.
Pergola - An outdoor feature used to form a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area. Made up of vertical posts that support cross-beams and an open lattice.
PHPP – Passivhaus Planning Package. A tool that allows us to test the design against the performance criteria.
PI Insurance - Professional Indemnity Insurance. All architects are expected to hold adequate insurance under Standard 8 of the Architects Code of Conduct.
Planning Permission – An application that results in a decision on the detailed proposals of how a site can be developed. If planning permission is granted, no further engagement with the local planning authority is required to proceed with the development granted permission.
PM – Project Manager. The individual overseeing the construction project.
Pre-Commencement Planning Conditions - Imposed when planning permission is granted and which must be complied with before any building begins.
Pre-Fab - The fabrication of your build components where completed off-site.
Psi-Value – A measurement of linear thermal heat transmittance through the junctions of a building.
QS – Quantity Surveyor. They ensure our self-build clients that their budget and cost estimations are as accurate as possible, providing security and peace of mind.
Regs – Short for Building Regulations.
Render Board – A material used for external walls, ideal for the application of renders.
Retaining Wall – Rigid walls used for supporting soil laterally so that it can be retained at different levels on the two sides.
Retrofit – Altering or adding a component or feature not fitted during original manufacture or when first constructed. It is often used concerning the installation of new building systems to an existing building fabric, such as retrofitting insulation or double glazing.
Revit – A common building information modelling software used at ACS. Allows its users to design a structure and its components in 3D and access building information from the building models database.
RIAS – Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. Promotes the importance of well-designed buildings and places.
RIBA – Royal Institute of British Architects. Provides resources, education and exhibitions to aid British architects in their endeavours.
Robust – The ability for something to remain functional under disturbances. Commonly used when describing cost plans & budgeting.
R-Value – A measure of thermal resistance. The higher the R-value, the more thermally resistant the structure is.
SAP – Standard Assessment Procedure. A calculation of a home’s energy performance.
SBH – Self Build Hour. Our new monthly webinar where self-builders can directly access advice from subject matter experts. You can register here. Yes, shameless plug.
Self-Build – The creation of an individual home for oneself through a variety of methods. The self-builder can participate in the design and construction of the building, working in conjunction with hired professionals.
SIPS – Structural Insulated Panels. A popular method of construction that is typically composed through layering insulations material between two outer boards.
Site Investigation – The process for examining and obtaining information on the ground and groundwater conditions beneath the site.
Site Orientation – How a building is positioned concerning the sun’s paths in different seasons, as well as prevailing wind patterns.
Snagging Visit - A site visit with the purpose of ensuring the structure and kit have been erected correctly before it is covered up with the cladding and interior finishes.
Soakaway – A drainage system to assist surface rainwater that doesn’t naturally drain from your property. Used to prevent flooding and to protect a building structure from excess water.
Structural Engineering – The practice of designing the strength and stability of a structure, such as a building or a bridge.
Structural Warranty – A warranty that covers defects in the design, workmanship, materials and components of your housing unit and protects the homeowner in the event the property suffers physical damage, or the risk of physical damage.
SUDS – Sustainable Drainage Systems. The practice of designing draining systems that mimic natural drainage and promote infiltration.
Sustainability – The ability to maintain or support a process continuously over time without depleting resources or harming the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Technician – Our (architectural) technicians work closely with our architects on the design process of building projects. They prepare technical information to plan our projects and collect technical data from the project site.
Technologist – Our (architectural) technologists oversee and manage a project and will typically be heavily involved in the detailed design and construction stages. They can develop fully detailed technical drawings packs, specifications, models and schedules.
Tender - The process of requesting a price for a specific scope of work.
Thermal Envelope – Everything about the house that serves to shield the living space from the outdoors. This includes the wall and roof assemblies, insulation, windows, and any weatherstripping.
Thermal Mass – The measure of your Self Build’s capacity to store and regulate heat internally.
Timber Frame – One of the most popular self-build construction methods. The timber acts as a superstructure, which supports your self-build home entirely.
Toolbox Talk - A consultation from an architect or technologist intended to make everybody aware of the different safety aspects and dangers at the work site.
Turnkey – A construction contract under which a contractor is employed to plan, design and build a project or an infrastructure and do any other necessary development to make it functional.
Underfloor Heating - A heating system that evenly distributes heat throughout a room by radiating heat from the floor upwards.
U-Value – The rate of transfer of heat through a structure, divided by the difference in temperature across the structure. Measured in W/m²K.
VAT – Value Added Tax.
VOCs - Volatile Organic Compounds
VR – Virtual Reality. Used at ACA to help our clients view and walk through a rendering of their design.
We hope this handy jargon buster makes your self-build journey a little bit smoother.
If you want to chat through any of the info above or talk about undertaking a project, get in touch with our team or sign up for a free consultation!
