(pronounced ar-keh-TEK-cheh-rehl ER-ee-ah)

There are all sorts of types of area take-offs that are used for a variety of purposes. Architectural area, which is considered the total floor area of a building and is used mainly for construction cost estimates, is calculated from the exterior surfaces of the building and from the center line of the common walls between two buildings. To get picky, the calcs usually exclude open verandas completely, and covered areas like porches or connecting walkways are counted as half of the actual floor area.