Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

bajo cubierta / desván / planta cubierta

English translation:

roof space / attic or loft / roof (plan)

Added to glossary by Nikki Graham
Apr 11, 2006 10:05
18 yrs ago
19 viewers *
Spanish term

BAJO CUBIERTA

Spanish to English Tech/Engineering Construction / Civil Engineering
I am actually confused about three terms:

Bajo cubierta
Desvan
Planta cubierta

In a list of buiding specifications

Thanks!!
Change log

Apr 11, 2006 10:07: Tony M changed "Language pair" from "French to English" to "Spanish to English"

Discussion

Paul Morris (asker) Apr 11, 2006:
thanks! Thanks Dusty - no, I am just spacing out today :) I did realise it was Spanish at least.
Tony M Apr 11, 2006:
Paul, I've changed the language pair for you --- don't know if that was the source of the confusion? If I'm wrong, apologies, and I'll change it back if you let me know!

Proposed translations

+1
2 days 2 hrs
Selected

roof space / attic or loft / roof (plan)

They do not all mean the same thing.

From bottom to top:

the planta cubierta is the "floor" the roof is on. If you look at these examples in Spanish:

http://homepages.mty.itesm.mx/al777807/mi_proyecto_en_autoca...

http://www.arquitectonia.com/viviboadilla/viviendaboadilla.h...

http://www.grupomirador.com/valle_planos.htm

what you will see is a plan/drawing of the roof itself and not the space underneath it. You can say "roof floor plan", see this example:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/msp/fp_roof.html

However, as you can also see from the above example, the "roof floor" is actually the roof, and this is what we normally use in Engliah. So the above examples would more usually be termed "roof plans". Obviously you haven't given a lot of context. This could be referring to the roof plan, but if in doubt, play it safe and say roof.

desván.
(Del ant. desvanar, der. de vano).
1. m. Parte más alta de la casa, inmediatamente debajo del tejado, que suele destinarse a guardar objetos inútiles o en desuso. (DRAE)

Desvan is indeed the attic/loft as dicitonaries state. According to the penguin dicitonary of building, an attic is a habitable room in the roof space. And a loft is a store room in the roof space which can be converted into an attic.

Which brings me to the bajo cubierta (which is not in the DRAE as far as I can see). According to another dicitonary I have (LID construccion e inmobiliario) this is "definido por el espacio que media entre la cubierta y el ultimo forjado". Sounds pretty much like the roof space referred to above, described in Penguin as: cavity inside a roof, above the top-storey ceiling, either empty apart from services or containing an attic or loft.

HTH
Peer comment(s):

agree Patrick Bones : mota
508 days
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thanks for that great explanation!!"
45 mins

attic, loft, roof space

they all mean the same thing, just that architects or estate agents use different terms

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Note added at 49 mins (2006-04-11 10:54:30 GMT)
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or sometimes just roof, see .... http://www.grupomirador.com/valle_planos.htm
Peer comment(s):

neutral Nikki Graham : sorry, just realised we quoted the same ref. Didn't copy honest! I think the planta cubierta is the roof and definitely not the roof space, which is the bajo cubierta
2 days 1 hr
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49 mins

low roof

"Desvan" is usually "attic" or "loft" (the latter sounds more chic nowadays). "Planta cubierta" is probably a "covered floor", but it would be useful to see what they are describing.
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