HEAD START CENTER DESIGN GUIDE

1.5 Glossary of Terms

Following is a glossary of terms used in this guide. Appendix A offers readers a list of terms commonly used in the construction business. Head Start staff planning facilities may wish to become familiar with this vocabulary.

Access - A means of approach, e.g., a road, street, or walk.

Actual Floor Area (AFA) - The space required as measured from the inside of partitions, doors, and glazing. AFA includes the area required for built-in case goods, fixtures, and equipment.

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) - The organization that develops standards and provides information on characteristics and performance of materials, products, systems, and services.

Architect - A person trained and experienced in the design of buildings and coordination and supervision of all aspects of the construction of buildings.

Architect-Engineer (A/E)- An individual or firm offering professional services as both architect and engineer.

Architectural (or facility) Program - A written and sometimes graphic document specifying the architectural requirements that the building design must satisfy.

Capacity - The total number of children that may be in care at any one time as specified by the license or letter of compliance.

Center - A Head Start center operated by a grantee or delegate.

Classrooms - The architecturally defined areas that contain each group of children. Classrooms may be separated by full partitions or by partial barriers that also allow controlled visual or acoustical connections to other groups.

Contractor - One who undertakes responsibility for the performance of construction work, including the provision of labor and materials, in accordance with plans and specifications and under a contract specifying cost and schedule for completion of the work; the person or organization responsible for performing the work and identified as such in the owner-contractor agreement.

Dead End Corridor - A portion of the corridor that does not lead to an exit and which would require an occupant to retrace his or her steps to reach safe exit in an emergency. The maximum allowable length is regulated by codes.

Design - Verb: To compose a plan for a building. Noun: The architectural concept of a building as represented by plans, elevations, renderings, and other drawings.

Gross Floor Area (GFA) - The total area of all floors of a building, including main building lobbies, elevator shafts, egress stairwells, and exterior partitions measured to the exterior side of the exterior wall.

GSA - The U.S. General Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Government, which, among other responsibilities, provides and manages building space occupied by federal agencies.

Infant - A child under 1 year of age.

Net Usable Floor Area (NUFA) - The amount of space that must be leased to accomodate a space requirement. It is comprised of occipiable area plus any additional space, such as corridor spaces.

Occupiable Floor Area (OFA) - The portion of the building occipied by a tenant; the amount of space for whice agencies are charged rent.

Proposal - A document prepared by an applicant for a contract and used to evaluate the professional capabilities of a business, agency, or individual against a set of criteria that may include previous working experience. The content of the proposal may be weighted on a numerical scale using a set of questions that allows the person or persons choosing the contractor to determine the best business, agency, or individual to hire for a specific job. Preference can be given to local or in-state businesses. The proposal also includes the qualifications of the lead professional and team that will be working on the project. Normally, a proposal does not include the cost of services. Cost is generally a negotiated amount after the competing proposals have been evaluated and ranked.

Self-contained Classroom or Area - A room separated by permanent walls or an area separated by permanent or portable partitions or dividers acting as a visual barrier.

Teachers - Individuals providing direct care services to children. The term, as used in the guide, does not denote level of education, training, or staff status. Teachers include head teachers, assistant teachers, caregivers, aides, and all others who interact with children on a routine basis for a major part of each day.

Toddler - A child between the ages of 1 and 3. Children between 1 and 2 years of age may be classified as younger toddlers, and children between 2 and 3 years of age may be classified as older toddlers.

Zoning - The control by a municipality of the use of land and buildings, the height and bulk of the buildings, the density of population, the relation of a lot's building coverage to open space, size and location of yards and setbacks, and the provision of any ancillary facilities.