housing and architecture ielts essay

IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic: Newly built houses should follow the style of old houses in the local areas

Updated On Dec 04, 2023

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The Essay Writing section of the IELTS Writing Module can be a difficult task for many IELTS Aspirants. Thus, it is vital that you polish your essay writing skills before attempting the IELTS.

Below is a sample IELTS Essay for the IELTS Essay topic:

Some people think that newly built houses should follow the style of old houses in the local areas. Others think that people should have the freedom to build houses of their own style. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Discussion essay

Introduction

Paraphrase the topic of the essay.

State what could be expected in the essay, i.e. Both the viewpoints and your opinion as is asked in the question.

Paragraph 1- On the one hand, there are some who argue that it is essential to welcome change and allow individuals to have the right to live in a house with a modern style, if they so wish, irrespective of the locality. They also tend to dismiss traditional ideas on the grounds of building costs.

Paragraph 2- In terms of the tangible cultural heritage of a small town or village, traditional houses possess character, and they give a strong sense of identity to the locality. Buildings that have historical significance provide a link to our roots, while a modem estate designed by property developers is certain to be incompatible with historical connections.

Conclude the essay by putting forth an underlying idea of your opinion.

While some people believe that new houses should be constructed in the same style as the more traditional houses in the locality, others contend that everyone should be free to choose their own style for a house. I agree with the view that new buildings should be built with traditional style to preserve their culture.

On the one hand, there are some who argue that it is essential to welcome change and allow individuals to have the right to live in a house with a modern style, if they so wish, irrespective of the locality. They also tend to dismiss traditional ideas on the grounds of building costs. Traditional construction materials, like natural stones from local quarries, are difficult to obtain and very expensive even if they are available, whereas new houses are built using more affordable materials. The maintenance costs of houses constructed in the old way also tend to be higher compared with their modern counterparts. Wood, for example, is nowadays commonly replaced by aluminium or plastic materials in house construction.

On the other hand, there are strong arguments that new houses should adopt the existing architectural style of a local area. In terms of the tangible cultural heritage of a small town or village, traditional houses possess character, and they give a strong sense of identity to the locality. Buildings that have historical significance provide a link to our roots, while a modem estate designed by property developers is certain to be incompatible with historical connections. From an architectural perspective, modem houses alongside traditional dwellings are an eyesore. They fail to blend in with the housing which has grown organically, perhaps during centuries.

In conclusion, though it may be more costly, the traditional architecture of localities should be respected by modem housing developments.

Vocabulary :

Traditional versus modern :.

to welcome change

Meaning: to accept change with enthusiasm Example: While it is important to welcome change, the public must try to preserve all that is worthwhile from the past.

to dismiss traditional ideas

Meaning: to decide that traditional ideas are not important and not worth considering anymore. Example: Although the views of older people may sometimes seem unhelpful in today’s world, we should not dismiss all traditional ideas as irrelevant.

to possess character

Meaning: to have an interesting or unusual quality. Example: Whereas most modem buildings look similar, the architecture that has survived from the past possesses character.

a strong sense of identity

Meaning: the feelings or customs of people which distinguish them from others. Example: Small village communities often have a strong sense of identity, due to their shared customs and beliefs.

to provide a link to our roots

Meaning: to connect with previous generations or traditions. Example: Traditional skills provide a link to our roots, and they are part of our shared heritage.

to be incompatible with

Meaning: not able to exist/be next to another thing or person because of basic differences. Example: The way of life of indigenous people is incompatible with modern cultures.

Housing and Architecture :

traditional construction materials

Meaning: materials like stone or wood that have been used for building purposes for hundreds of years. Example: The new theatre was built using traditional construction materials in order to blend in with the architecture of the old part of the city.

maintenance costs

Meaning: the costs associated with keeping a building in good condition by regularly repairing it. Example: The maintenance costs of old houses are comparatively very high.

modern counterparts

Meaning: modem buildings that have the same function as the older ones that they replace. Example: Old buildings are gradually being replaced by their modern counterparts in the centre of London.

tangible cultural heritage

Meaning: refers to physical objects produced and maintained for generations within society. Example: Tangible cultural heritage includes buildings and historic places, monuments, craft objects etc which are worth preserving for the future.

to have historical significance

Meaning: to be important in terms of history. Example: Although new buildings may not have historical significance, they are important to meet housing or business needs.

property developers

Meaning: people who buy land or buildings, and then make improvements in order to sell them for more money. Example: City planning cannot be left in the hands of property developers, who are only interested in making money.

to be an eyesore

Meaning: to be ugly to look at. Example: The new multi-storey car park in the city centre is a real eyesore.

to blend in with

Meaning: to be similar to or to match the things around. Example: The traditional architecture of the art gallery in the park blends in with the peaceful greenery which surrounds it.

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In the modern world, there has always been contrasting ideas to the way one lives, and housing patterns is one of the primary subsets of it. While some people opine that housing patterns should have a traditional tinge, significant others propound it to be a subjective and individual choice. In the forthcoming sections, I shall be discussing both aspects and would be putting my viewpoint.

The world we see today is an organic superimposition and amalgamation of various cultures, customs and legacies. It has substantially evolved to the yield of the constituents over the years to be what it is today. The people who propagate the idea of traditional and customary houses to be the option for housing pattern majorly do so with respect to the rich heritage that we have. They fear that building the houses in the pattern otherwise could possibly lacerate our historical hereditaments. Generally, the whole idea of cultural paraphernalia en routes us to the golden cord of lineage that we have been transfigured from.

The other segment that champions the building of the houses to be a subject of choice and taste puts the liberty and entitlement of people in the mainstream, and I somehow second with the opinion. There are various dynamics and reasons for it. The cost of traditional houses, as a matter of fact, is way too heightened as compared to the prices of the new age houses comparatively. Where the elements and ingredients used for traditional ones are quite expensive including stones and the baselines of the houses, new style houses are pretty affordable. Secondly, the old-customed houses are much spacious and follow the horizontal setup, and keeping in mind the growing population, it perhaps wouldn’t be a very good alternative to go for such establishments as it wouldn’t be able to accommodate the comfortable space for all the people to live in given the fact that one building would be occupying a larger space and hence exacerbating the spaces issue. And most importantly, nothing could be more essential than one’s prerogative to lead one’s life the way one wants and hence every dynamic zero in on the “Right To Live” underline that subjugates and supersedes every argument.

Conclusively, it could be said that the housing patterns and the architectural design should be left to the discretion of the people who would reside.

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