Exactly what did Roman architects do for us? Can you identify a voussoir or a vault? What is "architecture of the veil?" Are you able to articulate on Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles? And who was the father of the skyscraper? This set of 50 explanations of the innovations, theories, styles, and developments in architecture will equip you with all the answers and provide a rock-solid grounding in the essentials of the built environment from ancient tomb to urban icon.

30-Second Architecture presents you with the foundations of architectural knowledge, explaining each idea, no matter how complex, using 300 words and one picture: all easily digested in a spare half minute. Expert authors are challenged to define and describe both the principles upon which architects depend, and the styles with which they put those principles into practice. So, if you want to know your arch from your elevation, and your Baroque from your Byzantine, or you wish to end your next dinner party with a stirring speech on biomimetics, this is the quickest way to construct your argument.