'建筑' (jiàn zhù) is a noun meaning both 'architecture'—as the art and science of designing buildings—and 'building'—as a physical structure. The first character 建 (jiàn) means 'to build' or 'to establish', while 筑 (zhù) originally meant 'to pound earth to construct walls' and now broadly signifies 'construction'. Together, they form a compound emphasizing purposeful, skilled construction—not just any structure, but one with design intent or cultural significance. It’s commonly used in formal or descriptive contexts, such as discussing urban development, historical sites, or academic disciplines.

This word appears frequently in news reports about city planning, heritage preservation, and university programs (e.g., architecture school). Unlike the more colloquial term 楼 (lóu, 'building' or 'tower'), 建筑 carries a sense of intentionality and aesthetic or functional design. It can be modified by adjectives like 传统 (traditional), 现代 (modern), or 古老 (ancient), and often appears in compounds like 建筑风格 (architectural style) or 建筑师 (architect).