Buildings

Word

Definition

Example

building

a structure that has a roof and walls

There used to be a field behind my house but now it's covered in buildings

architecture

the practise of designing buildings; the style in which buildings are made

Paulo studied architecture at university before joining the family building business.

architect

a person who designs buildings

Tammy's friends laughed when she said she wanted to design houses when she left school but she grew up to be an award-winning architect.

feature

a distinctive attribute or aspect of something

The best feature of the new church in our town is the stunning, modern spire.

façade

the front of a building, especially a large or attractive building

The British Museum in London is famous for its grand Classical façade.

landmark

an object or building that is easily seen and recognized from a distance, especially one that enables someone to establish their location

The Eiffel Tower is probably the best-loved landmark in Paris.

heritage

things, such as buildings and traditions, that are important to a nation's history

Some people complain that large historic houses cost a lot to maintain but they are part of our heritage and should be preserved.

building material

any material which is used for construction purposes

The house would look fabulous when it was finished but at the moment it was little more than a pile of building materials.

brick

a small rectangular block typically made of fired or sun-dried clay, used in building

They decided to build their house with bricks rather than concrete blocks.

concrete

is a very popular building material because it is strong and can be moulded into different shapes.

Concrete is a very popular building material because it is strong and can be moulded into different shapes.

reinforced concrete

concrete with metal bars or wire embedded in to increase its strength

Reinforced concrete is the perfect material for constructing large structures such as tower blocks and bridges

steel

a strong hard metal that is made of a mixture of iron and carbon

Modern architects such as Zaha Hadid use steel to create stunning Futuristic designs rather than just using it to form the hidden framework of a building.

timber

wood that is prepared for use in building

In Sweden, timber is a popular building material because they have lots of forests.

stone

a hard, solid substance found in the ground, used for building

Stone has been used as a building material for centuries.

glass

a hard, brittle, man-made material that you can see through

These days, they can make glass that is so strong that you can have whole walls made out of it

marble

a type of hard stone, often with a beautiful lined pattern going through it, that can be highly polished

The Taj Mahal is the most famous building in the world made from marble.

manor house

a large country house surrounded by land that belongs to it

It's so nice to see the old manor house being renovated after the previous owners let it fall into disrepair

castle

a strong building, often large, built in the past by a ruler or important person to protect the people inside from attack

Most castles were built on a hill so that the occupants could see the enemy approaching.

sky-scraper

a very tall building

With the development of stronger building materials, they are able to build skyscrapers higher and higher.

office block

a building made up of many different offices, often of different companies

Many old buildings in the city are being demolished to make way for smart new office blocks.

warehouse

large building built for the storage of raw materials or manufactured goods before they are distributed for sale

There is a real trend for converting old warehouses into fashionable apartments.

public building

a building owned by the state or local government and used by the public, e.g. townhall, library, museum, leisure centre

Many public buildings are quite old and cost a lot of money to maintain

commercial building

buildings that are used for commercial purposes, such as, office blocks, shops and warehouses

Most of my architect friends design houses but I much prefer working on commercial buildings.

prefabricated building (prefab)

buildings that are made in sections in a factory and can be put together quickly

Prefabs were popular after the war when many new homes had to be built quickly but are coming back into fashion with new technology and modern designs.

historic building

an old building that is important to history

We are fortunate in my country to have many magnificent historic buildings.

a ruin

a building reduced to a state of decay and collapse

One of the most visited historic sites in the world is the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu in Peru.

monument

a statue, building, or other structure erected to commemorate a notable person or event, often of historical importance

India gate is one of the most recognisable monuments in India.

column

large, upright pillar, typically cylindrical, supporting the upper part of a building

The huge columns of many ruined Greek temples are still standing today.

arch

a curved symmetrical structure spanning an opening and typically supporting the weight of a bridge, roof, or wall above it

Old churches are one of the best places to see impressive arches.

steeple

a tall pointed roof, usually on a church

The church steeple could be seen for many miles away from the town.

spire

similar to a steeple but usually a narrower structure

Skyscrapers such as the Shanghai World Finance Center often have a spire built on top to make them taller and thus increase their prestige.

tower

a tall, narrow building, either free-standing or forming part of a large building such as a church or castle

There was an amazing view over the city from the top of the tower.

dome

a rounded roof

The dome of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of the most recognisable domes in the world.

balcony

a platform enclosed by a wall or bars on the outside of a building, with access from an upper-floor window or door

My dream home would have a balcony overlooking the sea.

elegant

graceful and stylish in appearance

Amira loved the elegant lines of the building's Art Deco façade.

stunning

extremely impressive or attractive

Igor had doubts about the Futuristic design of the new library building but had to admit that it looked absolutely stunning when finished.

eye-catching

very attractive or noticeable

She found the carved stone pillars particularly eye-catching.

ornate

covered with a lot of decoration, especially complicated designs

It's common for grand manor houses to have ornate ceilings

a radical design

extreme

Pilau liked his buildings to stand out and was well-known for his radical designs.

controversial

something that people have strong opinions about; something that people either love or hate

The design of the new town hall was certainly controversial and strongly opposed by many people.

iconic

in architecture, a design that is 'ground-breaking' and sets new standards or a building that represents a particular style of architecture

The Sydney Opera House is Australia's most iconic building.

state of the art

incorporating the newest ideas and features

The new hospital was state of the art and medical professionals from across the country were eager to work there.

spacious

having lots of space for people to move around in

Older properties tend to have more spacious rooms than modern homes.

geometric

patterns or shapes consisting of regular shapes or lines

Many styles of architecture incorporate geometric designs both for strength as well for decoration.

symmetrical

where one side is the same as the other

If you cut a symmetrical design in half, one side is the mirror image of the other.

ugly / unsightly

unpleasant to look at; not attractive

I think that the houses being built on many new housing estates are really ugly.

monstrosity

a thing, especially a building, which is very large and unsightly

The civic centre in our town, of typical 1960's design, is a total monstrosity and I wish they'd demolish it to build something more attractive.

eyesore

a building that is not attractive

The cinema used to be a beautiful building but has become a bit of an eyesore since it fell into disrepair.

past its heyday

no longer at the peak of popularity or success

Although Victorian architecture is past its heyday, Victorian townhouses are still very popular as they make spacious family homes.

derelict

in very poor condition as a result of disuse and neglect

Some canals and river navigations have consequently become derelict, or are only maintained with difficulty and in imperfect condition.

demolish

completely destroy a building

They are going to demolish the derelict buildings down at the docks to make way for a development of new waterside apartments.

preserve

to keep looking the same

The National Trust is a charity in the UK that is dedicated to restoring and preserving historical buildings.

transform

to change something completely, usually to improve it

The new owners transformed the derelict manor house into a stunning country hotel.

maintain

keep something in a good condition by checking and repairing it regularly

Old buildings generally cost more to maintain than ones built with modern materials.

energy efficient

using little electricity, gas, etc.

These days, one of the most important considerations in building design and the choice of building materials is energy efficiency.

insulation

material used to stop heat escaping

In cold climates, it's important for buildings to be well insulated and glass fibre is often used as roof insulation.

double glazing

windows which have two layers of glass with a space between them, designed to reduce the loss of heat and exclude noise

The first thing they did to improve the old property was to put in double glazed windows.

eco-friendly

not harmful to the environment

Installing solar panels to cut down on the use of fossil fuels is one of the best ways to make your home eco-friendly.

wheelchair friendly

meets the needs of people who use a wheelchair in terms of access and internal services

Historic houses that are open to the public are required to make alterations to ensure that they are as wheelchair friendly as is practically possible.

exterior

the outside of something, especially a building

The exterior of the pretty little cottage was painted pink.

interior

the inside of something, especially a building

The cottage had small windows, making the interior quite dark.

ceiling

the top inside surface of a room

A popular feature of Georgian properties is their high ceilings which make rooms feel really spacious.

floor

the lower surface of a room that people walk on

Bare floorboards are very popular in the homes of today but I prefer carpet as it makes floors warmer to walk on.

stairs

a long set of steps inside a building joining the different levels

The children were told not to leave their toys on the landing in case someone tripped over them and fell down the stairs.

storey

a level of a building

The three-storey house with an extra bedroom in the attic was perfect for Milek, Edyta and their four children.

fireplace

a space in the wall at the base of a chimney for a fire to burn

When people renovate Victorian properties they often remove the old fireplaces but some keep them as decorative features.

design

a plan or drawing produced to show the look of something, e.g. a building, before it is created

Rahul worked closely with his clients to create a design that perfectly matched their idea of their dream home

planning permission

formal permission from a local authority for the erection or alteration of a building

It's very difficult to get planning permission to make alterations to a historic building.

building site

an area of land on which a building or a group of buildings is in the process of being built or altered

It was fascinating watching the muddy building site gradually transformed into a smart new housing estate.

to construct

to build something or put together different parts to form something whole

It took five years to construct the Buri Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai.

to put up

to build

They are putting up an ugly office block on the site of the lovely old theatre.