Balcony vs. Soffit — What's the Difference?

A balcony (from Italian: balcone, "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor.

A soffit is an exterior or interior architectural feature, generally the horizontal, aloft underside of any construction element. Its archetypal form, sometimes incorporating or implying the projection of beams, is the underside of eaves (to connect a retaining wall to projecting edge(s) of the roof).

A platform that projects from the wall of a building and is surrounded by a railing, balustrade, or parapet.

The underside of an architectural structure such as an arch, a balcony, or overhanging eaves.

A gallery that projects over the main floor in a theater or auditorium.

The underside of a structural component, such as a beam, arch, staircase, or cornice.

(architectural element) An accessible structure extending from a building, especially outside a window.

(architectural element) The visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element.

An accessible structure overlooking a stage or the like.

(pipe technology) The top point of the inside open section of a pipe or box conduit.

A platform projecting from the wall of a building, usually resting on brackets or consoles, and inclosed by a parapet; as, a balcony in front of a window. Also, a projecting gallery in places of amusement; as, the balcony in a theater.

The under side of the subordinate parts and members of buildings, such as staircases, entablatures, archways, cornices, or the like. See Illust. of Lintel.

A projecting gallery once common at the stern of large ships.

The underside of a part of a building (such as an arch or overhang or beam etc.)

An upper floor projecting from the rear over the main floor in an auditorium

A platform projecting from the wall of a building and surrounded by a balustrade or railing or parapet