In my study of Cretan Neopalatial architecture I soon realised that to understand the material involved one must start with a description of the architectural remains of the buildings that is methodical, consistent and comprehensive and can fulfil a double aim: first, to create a reliable database of every architectural element, which would then allow the analysis to concentrate on developing this information further, in order to restore as far as possible the ancient reality of the building and put forward interpretations; and second, to make it possible for the reader to retrieve easily the information on any specific feature and to assess the validity of the interpretations offered in the analysis. To develop such a description, I followed the principle used for other types of material. This entails breaking down the building into spaces or rooms and cataloguing separately each of their component parts — i.e. walls, floor, opening(s) and built-in furniture.