A floor is the bottom surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many layered surfaces made with modern technology. Floors may be stone, wood, bamboo, metal or any other material that can support the expected load.
The levels of a building are often referred to as floors, although sometimes referred to as storeys.
A dais or daïs (/ˈdeɪ.əs/ or /ˈdeɪs/, US also /ˈdaɪ.əs/ but sometimes considered nonstandard) is a raised platform at the front of a room or hall, usually for one or more speakers or honored guests.
Historically, the dais was a part of the floor at the end of a medieval hall, raised a step above the rest of the room. On this, the master of the household or assembly (e.g. the lord of the manor) dined with his senior associates and friends at the high table, while the other guests occupied the lower area of the room. In medieval halls, there was generally a deeply recessed bay window at one or both ends of the dais, which provided retirement or greater privacy than the open hall. The dais area often had its own doorway for admission from the master's chambers, whereas most of the guests entered through a doorway leading into the main area of the hall.
A mat is a hard or soft floor covering that generally is placed on a floor or other flat surface. Mats serve a range of purposes including:
A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or serves a decorative purpose. There are various types of walls, including border barriers between countries, brick walls, defensive walls in fortifications, and retaining walls that hold back dirt, stone, water, or noise. Walls can also be found in buildings, where they support roofs, floors, and ceilings, enclose spaces, and provide shelter and security.
The construction of walls can be categorized into framed walls and mass-walls. Framed walls transfer the load to the foundation through posts, columns, or studs and typically consist of structural elements, insulation, and finish elements. Mass-walls are made of solid materials such as masonry, concrete, adobe, or rammed earth. Walls may also house utilities like electrical wiring or plumbing and must conform to local building and fire codes.
A shelf (pl.: shelves) is a flat, horizontal or sloping plane used for items that are displayed or stored in a home, business, store, or elsewhere. It is raised off the floor and often anchored to a wall, supported on its shorter length sides by brackets, or otherwise anchored to cabinetry by brackets, dowels, screws, or nails. It can also be held up by columns or pillars. A shelf is also known as a counter, ledge, mantel, or rack. Tables designed to be placed against a wall, possibly mounted, are known as console tables, and are similar to individual shelves.
A stalagmite (UK: /ˈstæləɡˌmaɪt/, US: /stəˈlæɡmaɪt/; from Greek σταλαγμίτης (stalagmítēs); from Ancient Greek σταλαγμίας (stalagmías) 'dropping, trickling' and -ίτης (-ítēs) 'one connected to, a member of')is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically composed of calcium carbonate, but may consist of lava, mud, peat, pitch, sand, sinter, and amberat (crystallized urine of pack rats).
The corresponding formation hanging down from the ceiling of a cave is a stalactite.
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan is a technical or diagrammatic drawing that illustrates the horizontal relationships of interior spaces or features to one another at one level of a structure. They are typically drawn to-scale and in orthographic projection to represent relationships without distortion. They are usually drawn approximately 4 ft (1.2 m) above the finished floor and indicate the direction of north.
The level of detail included on a floor plan is directly tied to its intended use and phase of design. For instance, a plan produced in the schematic design phase may show only major divisions of space and approximate square footages while one produced for construction may indicate the construction types of various walls. Floor plans may indicate specific dimensions or square footages for particular rooms and/or walls. They may also include details of fixtures (sinks, water heaters, furnaces, etc), notes to specify finishes, construction methods, or symbols for electrical items. They may be rendered or drafted.
A canopy is a type of overhead roof or else a structure over which a fabric or metal covering is attached, able to provide shade or shelter from weather conditions such as sun, hail, snow and rain. They are frequently found at bus shelters and train station platforms. A canopy can also be a tent, generally without a floor.The word comes from the ancient Greek κωνώπειον (konópeion, "cover to keep insects off"), from κώνωψ (kónops, "cone-face"), which is a bahuvrihi compound meaning "mosquito". The first 'o' changing into 'a' may be due to influence from the place name Canopus, Egypt thought of as a place of luxuries.
Architectural canopies include projections giving protection from the weather, or merely decoration. Such canopies are supported by the building to which they are attached and often also by a ground mounting provided by not less than two stanchions, or upright support posts.
A storey (Commonwealth English) or story (American English), is any level part of a building with a floor that could be used by people (for living, work, storage, recreation, etc.). Plurals for the word are storeys (UK, CAN) and stories (US).
The terms floor, level, or deck are used in similar ways as storey (e.g., "the 16th floor", "double-decker"). However, when referring to an entire building, it is more usual to use storey or story (e.g., "a 16-storey building"). The floor at ground or street level is called the ground floor (i.e. it needs no number); the floor below ground is called basement, and the floor above ground is called "first" in many regions. However, in some regions, like the US, ground floor is synonymous with first floor, leading to differing numberings of floors, depending on region – even between different national varieties of English.