noun

tectonics

The structural arrangement of buildings or works of art.

Exposed beams make the building's tectonics easy to understand.

Etymology

The builder-word underlies the term. Architectural tectonics concerns how constructed parts are arranged and made into a coherent structure.

More examples

The sculpture's tectonics depend on a delicate balance of interlocking pieces.
Students study the tectonics of the museum's vaulted roof.
The architect uses visible joints to emphasize the house's tectonics.

tectonics

tectonic adjective — Relating to structural design in architecture.

structure: Structure refers more broadly to how any whole is organized.
composition: Composition emphasizes the visual arrangement of elements rather than structural organization.