Briar Jones Architecture Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Study Guide

The central longitudinal space from the entrance toward the altar is the nave. It’s the main body of the church where the congregation sits, running along the central axis and typically flanked by side aisles separated by columns. The area near the altar, used for the sanctuary and choir, is the chancel, a distinct end of the building. The transept forms the cross arm that intersects the nave in many floor plans, while an aisle is simply a side passage alongside the nave. So the term for that central, longitudinal space is the nave.