A decorative screen or latticed panel used in architecture and interior design, often made of wood or metal to create privacy or filter light.
From French 'brise' meaning 'broken' or 'breeze,' derived from the verb 'briser' (to break). The term evolved to describe architectural elements that break up or filter views and light.
The word 'brise' captures something beautiful about design philosophy: the idea that sometimes breaking something up—whether light, views, or spaces—creates something more interesting than leaving it whole. You see brises in modern architecture all the time without knowing the fancy term for them.
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