Facade

Origin

French façade, from Italian facciata, from faccia face, from Vulgar Latin facia

• 1681

Definitions

• 1: the front of a building; also : any face of a building given special architectural treatment <a museum's east facade>
• 2: a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect

Description

A facade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face".

In architecture, the facade of a building is often the most important from a design standpoint, as it sets the tone for the rest of the building. Many facades are historic, and local zoning regulations or other laws greatly restrict or even forbid their alteration.[1]