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We have a bit of wall sticking out of a flat wall

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I have always called it the sticky outy bit of the wall and everyone knew what I meant. My boss told me I need to find out the proper name for a bit of wall that sticks out because it is a point of reference in a document. I can't keep on calling it the sticky-outy bit that I've called it for the last 3 years.

I've been looking at https://www.house-design-coffee.com/architectural-dictionary.html. There is the word architrave but it is for a horizontal section below the roof.

There is also pilaster but all the examples I've seen have fancy decorations on it. A sort of fake column. Can it be called a pilaster if there are no decorations?

The other alternative is protrusion - can this be used for something that sticks out from ceiling to floor or just a bit of wall.

Edit

To answer @Fred's query - it is about 1ft (30cm wide) and about 4" (10cm) deep. It stretches from ceiling to floor. I've got no idea what it is for. Sorry, I cannot supply a photograph - it is in one of those restricted areas where cameras aren't allowed.

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  • $\begingroup$ Pillar or buttress come to mind. $\endgroup$
    – Solar Mike
    Aug 2, 2021 at 14:31
  • $\begingroup$ you could call it a rib $\endgroup$
    – jsotola
    Aug 2, 2021 at 15:35
  • $\begingroup$ Some questions. Is it on an internal or external wall? What are the dimensions? What is it being used for, or what can it be used for? Could you add a photograph of it? $\endgroup$
    – Fred
    Aug 2, 2021 at 16:30
  • $\begingroup$ Support beam protrusion. $\endgroup$
    – StainlessSteelRat
    Aug 2, 2021 at 18:29
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ A rectangular protruberance =D $\endgroup$
    – Pete W
    Aug 2, 2021 at 19:05

1 Answer 1

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If both the wall and the bump-out are made of masonry/bricks, it is usually called a pilaster, which was built integrally with the wall.

If the bump-out is concrete, it is called a column.

Both have structural significance in carrying gravity loads and resisting lateral loads.

However, if it is made of drywall material, then it is usually a decorative column, or to hide the steel column behind.

Note, you can check whether there is a horizontal beam, at the upper end, lays perpendicular to the bump-out to determine if this is a structural column, or decorative protrusion.

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    $\begingroup$ Bump-out is the first thing that came to mind as an all-encompassing term. Other terms are related to purpose, which we don't know. $\endgroup$
    – Phil Sweet
    Aug 2, 2021 at 21:15
  • $\begingroup$ I had a look a pictures of pilasters. Finally found one that does not have any decoration which looks like my sticky outy bit. $\endgroup$
    – cup
    Aug 2, 2021 at 21:32

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