The digital Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture and Building Construction is a comprehensive compilation of key construction terminology – all fully explained and illustrated in Finnish and English. It contains nearly 43,000 entries, of which 13,000 are furnished with stylish line-illustrations.
Construction as a subject is not limited to the simple erection of buildings; it also involves the disciplines of architectural, structural, geotechnical and electrical design, and telecommunications, heating, ventilation, water and drainage, and fire safety design, as well as building inspection, urban and traffic planning, and project financing and cost-efficiency. The digital book includes established concepts and their meanings in both Finnish and English, making it an invaluable tool for learning and understanding.
The material has been compiled from professional literature and well-established sources, with a reference list of over 1,200 works. Content was assimilated between 1992 and 2005, and the main part of the manuscript was ready for publication before the first Wikipedia article was ever written. Much of the material was collected before the internet gained its reputation as “the source of all knowledge” – which it still cannot claim to be.
The bilingual nature of the work influenced both the format of the articles and the choice of entries. For someone unfamiliar with the field, or foreign-language terms, it can be difficult to determine whether a term – though linguistically correct – is suitable for official documents or only for use on a construction site. English adds complexity because it is spoken worldwide. A term common in the UK may not carry the same meaning in the US or Australia. For this reason, the book also includes synonyms and colloquial expressions that would normally be excluded from monolingual dictionaries as non-standard.
The book explains what construction terms mean and provides their English equivalents. Due to cultural differences, not all words have exact translations. For example, piha (yard) and kesämökki (summer cottage) do not have identical counterparts in English. A Finnish speaker might use “summer cottage” without realizing that an English listener imagines a small stone building when hearing “cottage,” and is left wondering why the discussion involves a wooden or log building.
The book includes an extensive vocabulary from classical architecture, and a well-structured, thematically organized illustration section spanning over 250 pages. Clear and detailed floor plans, sections, elevations, and axonometric drawings depict building types, materials, tools, and accessories, illustrating both traditional and modern construction techniques, urban and traffic planning concepts, and historical styles and decorations.
All information requires source-critical thinking – especially in comparison to what can generally be found online. Many assume that a term found on the internet is a correct translation. Upon closer inspection, these terms often originate outside the English-speaking world. A compound word originating in Tampere, Thebes or Tibet does not become an English concept simply because it appears on an English-language website. Using correct terms in search engines quickly leads users to find the information they are looking for. In this respect, we hope the dictionary will assist internet users and website creators – since Finnish construction terms, their explanations, and translations are rarely found online.
Due to its encyclopedic nature, the book is suitable not only for construction professionals and students but also for laypeople interested in architecture and construction, as well as teachers and enthusiasts of art history, visual arts, and languages. It is an excellent tool for non-native speakers: English translations help clarify meanings, while native readers can check established Finnish terms for familiar words.
Illustrated building dictionary Finnish-English-Finnish (Digital Edition)
Authors: Erkki Jokiniemi and Nikolas Davies
Publisher: Rakennustieto Oy, 2023
ISBN: 978-952-267-477-7
- Article in Finnish: Luota ainutlaatuiseen "Kuvitettu rakennussanakirja suomi–englanti–suomi" -digikirjaan – älä Google-käännöksiin
- Order the digital book here
- The digital book is also part of Rakennustieto’s digital bookshelf “Ohjeet,” which you can order here
- Want to ask more about the digital book? Contact sales: rakennustieto.fi/yhteystiedot
