Glossary

A horizontal cantilevered projection including a handrail or balustrade to serve as passage or sitting out place

Habitable room/ rooms on the roof of building with or without toilet and kitchen.

The maximum number of passenger cars that can pass at a given point, in a lane or on a road during one hour

 Pesticide made from biological sources, that is from toxins which occur naturally.

 Architectural process for specific climate conditions that aims to improve human thermal comfort by use of conventional energy, by appropriate building form, orientation, materials and openings, reducing or eliminating artificial conditioning. 

A bio-geographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans.

 Gas or liquid fuel made from plant material. Includes wood, wood waste, wood liquors, peat, railroad ties, wood sludge, spent sulfite liquors, agricultural waste, straw, tires, fish oils, tall oil, sludge waste, waste alcohol, municipal solid waste, landfill gases, other waste, and ethanol blended into motor gasoline. 

Includes genetic resources, organisms of parts thereof, populations, or any other biotic component of ecosystems with actual or potential use of value for humanity Source: Convention on Biodiversity (CBD)

All organic matter that derives from the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy.(Source: European Commission,CUB)

A territory defined by a combination of biological, social, and geographic criteria, rather than geopolitical considerations; generally, a system of related, interconnected ecosystems. (Source: Global Biodiversity Assessment, GBA)

The zone occupied by living organism at the common boundary of earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere,

Blackwater: household wastewater that contains solid waste i.e. toilet discharge.

 Boom(ing) (su)burb. Areas that have the population density of a city with the ugly buildings of the suburbs.

 Border crossing: The physical act of crossing a border either at an established check point or elsewhere along the border. See also border, border control, border officials, checkpoint.

 Potentially contaminated former commercial or industrial land, which your real estate developer client will insist on referring to as “opportune”.

 The act of plonking modern high-rises in the middle of cities with no regard for its context. The name derives from the fact that the city of Brussels did it a lot.

The region near the border of a protected area; a transition zone between areas managed for different objectives.

Any structure for whatsoever purpose and of whatsoever material constructed and every part thereof, whether used as human habitation or not and includes foundation, plinth walls, roofs, chimneys,1790 plumbing and building services, fixed platforms, verandahs, balcony, cornice or projection part of building or any thing affixed thereto or any wall enclosing or indenting to enclose land or space and signs and outdoor display structure, monuments, memorials or any contrivance of permanent nature, built under or over ground.

A building is generally a single structure on the ground. Sometimes it is made up of two or more component units which are used or likely to be used as dwellings (residence) or establishments such as shops, business houses, offices, factories, worksheds, schools, places of entertainment, places of worship, godowns, stores, etc. It is also possible that buildings that have component units may be used for a combination of purposes such as shop-cum-residence, workshop-cum-residence, office-cum-residence etc.

A body of legislative regulations or bye-laws that provides minimum standards to safeguard life or limbs, health, property and public welfare by quality of material, use and occupancy, loation and maintenance1790 of all building and structures within the city and certain equipment specifically regulated therein.

The line upto which the plinth of a building adjoining a street or an extension of a street or on a future street may lawfully extend. It includes the lines prescribed in the Delhi Master Plan or specially1790 indicated in any scheme or layout plan or in the bylaws.

 Manmade habitats, encompassing regional, urban, local and building design scales.