Architecture and engineering terms every project owner hears in Jordan: setback, building ratio, construction drawings

The distance a building must keep from each boundary of the plot.

A setback is the empty strip between the plot boundary and the nearest wall of the building, on the street side, the sides and the rear. The distances depend on the residential zoning: a plot zoned A needs wider setbacks than one zoned D. I check them on the zoning site plan before drawing anything, because they decide the shape the mass can take and where the garage and entrance go. A plot in Dabouq zoned A keeps a wide strip around the villa for the garden, while a plot in Jubaiha zoned C lets the mass sit closer to the street. The final figures come from the municipality.

Villa design · Residential building design · Building permit drawings

The percentage of the plot area that one floor of the building may cover.

The building ratio is the percentage of the plot area that one floor of the building may cover. It is set by the residential zoning category. On a plot of 1000 square metres, the ratio tells you how many square metres a floor's footprint may occupy, and the number of permitted floors gives the total. The basement and the roof floor have their own counting rules. I check the ratio on the zoning site plan before the design session, because it decides how many apartments a building can hold or how large a villa can be. The exact ratio for each area comes from the municipality.

Residential building design · Villa design · Architectural consultation

The classification of residential land in Jordan into categories that differ in plot size, building ratio and setbacks.

Residential zoning is how Greater Amman Municipality and the municipalities classify residential land into four categories: A, B, C and D. They differ in minimum plot size, building ratio, setbacks and number of floors; category A covers large, low-density plots and category D the smaller, denser ones. In Amman you find zone A in areas such as Dabouq and Abdoun, and zones C and D in denser neighbourhoods. The category is the first thing I ask about, because it decides whether a plot suits a villa or an apartment building. It appears on the zoning site plan, and the municipality is the final reference.

Residential building design · Villa design · Architectural consultation

The official drawing of the plot from the Department of Lands and Survey, showing its boundaries, dimensions and neighbours.

The land plan is the official drawing of the plot issued by the Department of Lands and Survey. It shows the plot and basin numbers, the village name, the boundary lengths, the neighbouring plots and the surrounding streets. It usually comes with a zoning site plan from the municipality showing the zoning category, setbacks and street width. I ask for both before the first meeting, because the plot's dimensions and shape and the position of the street decide where the entrance, garage and villa can sit. A corner plot in Shafa Badran, for example, has two front setbacks, and that shows on the plan before any drawing starts.

Building permit drawings · Villa design · Architectural consultation

The official ownership document of the plot, and the first paper a building permit file asks for.

The title deed is the ownership document issued by the Department of Lands and Survey. It names the owner or owners and their shares, gives the plot and basin numbers and the area, and records restrictions such as a mortgage or a lien. The municipality requires it in the permit file, in the applicant's name or with a power of attorney. I ask for a copy at the start to check that the registered area matches the land plan, because any difference delays the permit. If the plot belongs to several heirs, the file needs all their consents or a power of attorney, arranged before the design, not after.

Building permit drawings · Architectural consultation

The drawing that places the building inside the plot and shows entrances, garage, garden and levels.

The site layout places the building inside the plot. It shows the boundaries and setbacks, the position of the mass, the main and car entrances, the garage, garden and paths, and the existing and proposed ground levels. It is the first drawing I show you in the preliminary design, because it answers questions a floor plan cannot: where the car comes in, where the private garden sits, and how the villa handles the slope. On a sloping plot in Marj Al-Hamam, for example, the site layout decides whether the basement opens onto the garden on the lower side. The permit file always includes it.

Villa design · Landscape and garden design · Building permit drawings

The drawing of a floor seen from above, showing rooms, walls, doors, windows and stairs.

A floor plan shows one level as if seen from above after the walls are cut at a set height. It gives the rooms and their dimensions, walls, doors and windows, the staircase, bathrooms and kitchen, and the direction each door swings. Every level has its own plan: basement, ground, typical floor, roof. It is the drawing you spend the longest reviewing, because it fixes daily life: whether guests are kept away from the bedrooms, whether the kitchen is near the back entrance, and where the morning sun comes in. In an Amman apartment, for example, I separate the guest wing from the family wing with a single corridor.

Apartment design and layout · Villa design · Interior design and furniture layout

A flat drawing of one of the building's four sides showing openings, stone pattern and heights.

An elevation is a flat drawing of one of the building's four sides as you see it standing in front of it. It shows windows, doors and balconies, the stone cutting pattern, cornices, the level of each floor and the total height. The front elevation is what neighbours and buyers see, but the side and rear ones matter as much for daylight and privacy. I draw all four after the floor plans are approved, then present them with the 3D visualization so you can decide on the stone and openings. In an apartment building in Khalda, the elevation places balconies so none looks straight into a neighbour's bedroom.

Architectural facade design · Construction drawings

A drawing of the building cut vertically, showing floor heights, stairs and how the basement meets the street.

A section is a drawing of the building cut vertically, as if you opened it from top to bottom to see inside. It shows the height of each floor, slab thicknesses, the staircase and its steps, the natural ground around the building and how the basement relates to the street. I draw at least two sections, lengthwise and across, and add one at every complex spot such as a double-height space or the stair. The section reveals whether a basement on a sloping plot in Abdoun will get daylight or stay buried. The contractor needs it for casting levels, and the municipality requires it in the permit file.

Construction drawings · Building permit drawings

The complete set with dimensions, details and schedules that the contractor prices and builds from.

Construction drawings are the complete set the contractor prices and builds from. They include fully dimensioned floor plans, elevations with the stone cutting pattern, sections, enlarged details of stairs, windows, insulation and roofs, and schedules of doors, windows and finishes. They go further than permit drawings, which cover only what the municipality asks for. A contractor with a full set prices accurately and there are fewer disputes on site, because every decision is drawn rather than improvised. I coordinate the set with the structural and MEP drawings so no column lands on a door and no pipe crosses a beam, and deliver it as PDF and AutoCAD files.

Construction drawings · Construction supervision · Quantity take-off and cost estimation

The first proposal of layout and mass after the needs session, approved before any detailed drawing.

The preliminary design is the first proposal after the needs session and the plot study. It includes the site layout, floor plans with approximate dimensions and the outer mass. Its purpose is to agree on the layout: the number and position of rooms, the relation between guest and family areas, and where the stair and garage go. I present it and usually revise it over two rounds before approval. It is not valid for a permit or pricing, since it has no structural details or schedules. Moving a wall now takes minutes; after the construction drawings it means redrawing a full set, so take your time here.

Villa design · Residential building design · Architectural consultation

The municipality's authorisation to start construction according to approved, checked drawings.

A building permit is the municipality's authorisation to start construction on approved drawings. The file holds the title deed, the land plan, the zoning site plan, the architectural, structural and MEP drawings checked by the Jordan Engineers Association, and the fees. A licensed engineering office submits it; I prepare the architectural drawings with that office and follow up on the municipality's comments until the permit is issued. Building without a permit, or against the licensed drawings, exposes the owner to fines or demolition and blocks the occupancy permit. A permit has a validity period and must be renewed if construction overruns it.

Building permit drawings · Architectural consultation

A document issued after construction confirming the building matches the permit and licensed drawings.

An occupancy permit is issued by the municipality after construction is complete, confirming that the building matches the building permit and the licensed drawings. The owner applies when the work is finished; the inspecting engineer visits and compares what was built with the drawings: setbacks, number of floors, facades and parking. Any violation blocks the permit until it is corrected or settled. Without it you usually cannot complete the permanent utility connections or subdivide the apartments and sell them with separate deeds. That is why I advise sticking to the drawings during construction and routing any change through the licensed engineering office as a formal amendment, not an on-site improvisation.

Construction supervision · Building permit drawings

An office registered with the engineers association that stamps drawings, submits the permit file and handles official supervision.

A licensed engineering office is registered with the Jordan Engineers Association and classified to practise engineering, submit permit files and carry out supervision. In Jordan the municipality accepts a permit file only through such an office, which stamps the drawings and takes professional responsibility for them. I work as the architect on the design and drawings; the licensed office submits the file and handles official supervision in coordination with me. This arrangement is common and regulated, and it does not mean another office redesigns your project. When you ask me about permits I explain which part I do and which part the office does, so you know who signs what.

Building permit drawings · Construction supervision

The body that registers engineers, classifies offices and checks drawings before they reach the municipality.

The Jordan Engineers Association registers engineers in Jordan, classifies engineering offices and checks drawings before they go to the municipality. Any practising engineer must be a member, and every building permit file passes through its review first to confirm the drawings are complete and follow the codes. The association also publishes a reference fee schedule for design and supervision that acts as a minimum. When you choose an architect in Amman, ask for the membership number; it is the simplest check you can make. My drawings go through the association's review as part of the licensed engineering office's file before they reach the municipality.

Building permit drawings · Architectural consultation

The floor fully or partly below street level, often opening onto the garden on sloping plots.

The basement, often called the lower ground floor, sits fully or partly below street level. In Amman, where most plots slope, it is buried on the street side and open to the garden on the lower side. It usually holds the garage, storage and a service room, and in villas it often becomes a family lounge or a separate apartment if it gets light and air. Its area counts towards the building ratio under special rules, and the municipality is the reference. In design I watch its floor level, the position of the light well and the waterproofing against soil, because a damp basement becomes space nobody uses.

Villa design · Residential building design

The top floor built over part of the roof slab, with the rest left as an open terrace.

The roof floor is the top level built over part of the roof slab, with the rest left as an open terrace. In Amman apartment buildings it is usually sold with the apartment below as a duplex, or as a separate unit with a large terrace. Regulations limit its area in relation to the floor below and its setback from the facade. In design I turn the terrace away from the western sun, cover part of it with a pergola, and plan the water tanks and solar heaters so they do not take the side with the view. It raises the value of the apartment below.

Residential building design · Apartment design and layout

An apartment building built for sale, usually with a basement, ground floor, typical floors and a roof floor.

In Jordan, an iskan is an apartment building built for sale, usually by a housing company or an investor. It has a basement, a ground floor, typical floors and a roof floor, with one or two apartments per floor. The number and size of the apartments is set by the zoning, the building ratio and the permitted floors, not by the investor's wish. When I design one in Amman I balance apartments that sell easily, a stone facade that stands out on its street, and a construction set that keeps the cost under control. The garden apartment and the roof unit sell the project, so I start from them.

Residential building design · Apartment design and layout · Architectural facade design

A ground or basement level apartment with a private garden and often its own entrance.

A garden apartment is a unit on the ground or basement level with a private garden inside the building's setbacks, often with its own entrance. In Amman it is one of the most requested units, because it gives a family the feel of a house at the price of an apartment. A good design solves three problems: privacy from the street and the balconies above, the level difference between apartment and garden, and rainwater drainage away from the walls. I open the living room and kitchen onto the garden and keep the bedrooms away from the street. On a sloping plot the garden may belong to the basement.

Apartment design and layout · Residential building design · Landscape and garden design

The natural limestone from Jordan's quarries, the material that clads the facades of Amman.

Jordanian stone is the natural limestone quarried in Jordan, usually named after its region: Ma'an, Ajloun, Ruwaished and others. Each type differs in colour, from white through beige to yellow, and in hardness and workability. It is the material that gives Amman its character, and municipal regulations require stone on facades in most residential zones. It comes in finishes such as rough-hewn, chiselled and hammered, and each reads differently under the sun. In the construction drawings I specify the stone type, finish, thickness and fixing method, and I advise visiting the quarry or a stone showroom before approval, because a picture never carries the true colour.

Architectural facade design · Villa design

The facade drawing divided into courses and stone pieces of set sizes that the mason builds from.

The stone cutting pattern is a facade drawing that divides the surface into courses (horizontal rows) and stone pieces of set sizes, with the projecting pieces, cornices and corners. It is the difference between an ordered stone facade and one that looks random, because the stonemason builds what he sees, not what he imagines. In a classical facade the course heights vary and cornices show; in a modern facade the courses are equal and the joints precise. I draw it for every elevation in the construction set and estimate the stone quantity from it. In a villa in Dabouq it decides where the stone ends and the glass begins.

Architectural facade design · Construction drawings

The outer layer that covers the walls, gives the facade its look and protects it from the weather.

Cladding is the outer layer that covers the walls, gives the facade its look and protects it from the weather. In Jordan the most common cladding is natural stone, built with the wall or fixed with metal anchors as thinner slabs. Other claddings follow the building type: aluminium composite panels on commercial buildings, wood or exposed concrete on parts of modern villas. The choice sets the wall thickness, where the insulation sits, how the windows are fixed and the maintenance cost. I settle it at the facade stage, draw the fixing details in the construction set, and check the municipality's stone requirement before proposing any alternative.

Architectural facade design · Commercial building design

Building a digital model of the project and producing images that show form and materials before construction.

3D architectural visualization is the building of a digital model and the production of images showing form, materials and light as they will be after construction. It serves three purposes: approving the design before building, presenting the project to a buyer, and testing stone and colour alternatives quickly. A visualization is an image of a design, not a photograph of a finished building, so I label it as such on this site. A good one is built on the drawings the building will be constructed from, so dimensions and heights are correct, not flattered. For villas and apartment buildings I provide at least two exterior angles.

3D architectural visualization · Architectural facade design

The single image produced from the 3D model once materials and lighting are added.

A render is the single image produced from the 3D model once materials, lighting, sky and surroundings are added. Visualization is the whole process; the render is its output, and every angle becomes a separate render. Its quality depends on the accuracy of the model, the realism of the materials and the camera angle more than on the software. I keep renders at eye level, not from the air, and show the stone in its true colour under the sun of Amman, not studio lighting. When you ask to change the stone colour or the window shape, I re-render the same view so you can compare and decide.

3D architectural visualization · Interior design and furniture layout

A table listing every work item with its unit and quantity so contractors price on the same basis.

A bill of quantities lists every item of work with its unit and quantity, leaving a price column for the contractor to fill. Its items run from excavation and foundations, through concrete, reinforcement, masonry, stone and insulation, to finishes, doors, windows, electrical and plumbing. Every contractor prices the same items at the same quantities, so you compare offers fairly instead of lump sums you cannot see behind. It is prepared from the completed construction drawings, not from the preliminary design. In an apartment building in Amman, a clear bill shows whether an offer is cheap because the contractor dropped the insulation or thinned the stone.

Quantity take-off and cost estimation · Construction drawings

Measuring the quantity of every material and work item from the drawings to build the bill of quantities and cost estimate.

Quantity take-off is the measuring of every material and work item from the drawings: cubic metres of excavation, tonnes of reinforcement, square metres of stone, number of doors. The result is the bill of quantities, and from it the cost estimate is built before tendering. An accurate take-off needs complete construction and structural drawings; one made from a preliminary design gives only a rough figure. I offer it as a separate service for owners who have drawings and want the estimated cost before starting, or who want to check a contractor's invoice. An owner in Irbid with villa drawings can learn whether the budget is enough before excavation.

Quantity take-off and cost estimation · Construction drawings

Following the work on site to make sure the contractor builds according to the drawings and specifications.

Construction supervision is the follow-up on site to make sure the contractor builds to the drawings and specifications. It includes visits at the key stages: checking foundations before casting, inspecting slab reinforcement, reviewing stone and finish samples, and resolving any conflict on site. In Jordan official supervision runs through a licensed engineering office that signs off each stage, and I carry out the architectural supervision in coordination with it. The benefit is that the small daily decisions, a step level or a window detail, follow the drawings rather than guesswork. After every visit I send a short report with photos, notes and what the contractor must do next.

Construction supervision · Construction drawings

The structural engineer's drawings of the building frame: foundations, columns, beams, slabs and reinforcement.

Structural drawings are prepared by the structural engineer for the skeleton of the building: foundations, columns, beams, slabs, retaining walls and the reinforcement of each element. They follow the architectural drawings and a soil report that decides the type of foundation. The municipality requires them in the permit file alongside the architectural set, and the contractor builds the frame from them before any wall goes up. I coordinate with the structural engineer so columns fall where they do not block the layout and no low beam cuts across a living room. On sloping plots in Amman the structural set defines the basement retaining walls, a significant cost item.

Construction drawings · Building permit drawings

The electrical, water, drainage, heating and cooling drawings, required in the permit file.

MEP drawings are the electrical and mechanical drawings of a building: lighting points, sockets and distribution boards, water supply and drainage, heating, cooling and ventilation, and in commercial buildings fire fighting and alarm systems. An electrical engineer and a mechanical engineer prepare them from the architectural drawings, and the permit file requires them. I coordinate with them early because shafts, extract fans, tanks and ducts affect the architecture: the shaft position decides where bathrooms can go, and the false ceiling height decides the duct route. In a clinic or restaurant in Amman these drawings are a core part of the approvals, not a detail left to the electrician.

Construction drawings · Clinic and medical center design · Restaurant and cafe design

An insulating layer in external walls and roofs that reduces heat transfer and cuts heating and cooling bills.

Thermal insulation is a layer in external walls and roofs that reduces heat transfer, so the house stays comfortable and the energy bills drop. Jordan's building codes require it, and the layer appears in the wall sections of the permit file. In the traditional Jordanian stone wall the insulation sits between the stone and the inner block; on the top roof it goes over the concrete and under the waterproofing. A common mistake is to insulate the walls and forget the roof or the window surrounds. I specify the type, thickness and position in the construction details and check it during supervision, because it disappears behind the finishes.

Construction drawings · Villa design

The protective barrier along stairs and around balconies and terraces, with height and gaps set by code.

A balustrade is the barrier along a staircase and around balconies, terraces and roofs. Its first job is safety, so building codes set a minimum height and a maximum gap so a child cannot pass through. It is made of wrought iron, stainless steel, glass, stone or wood: glass keeps the view from a roof terrace in Amman, stone suits classical facades, and simple black steel suits modern villas. In the construction drawings I detail it with its dimensions and its fixing into the slab, because one left to the ironworker usually ends up out of step with the facade. Choose its material together with the stone and windows.

Construction drawings · Architectural facade design · Interior design and furniture layout

An open roof of beams that shades a garden, terrace or roof floor without enclosing it.

A pergola is an open roof of wooden, metal or concrete beams that shades part of a garden, terrace or roof floor without enclosing it. In Amman's climate it makes a terrace usable at midday and adds a horizontal line that ties the building to the garden. It is made of treated wood, wood-coloured aluminium or stone-clad concrete. An open pergola is treated differently from an enclosed room; closed with walls or a permanent roof it becomes an addition that needs a permit, and the municipality is the reference. I draw it in the site layout and the construction details so it is built to set dimensions, not by eye.

Landscape and garden design · Villa design · Chalet and farmhouse design