2018.03.10 Academic Task 2 Sample Essay

Q: Some people believe that when designing a building, the most important thing to be considered is the function rather than the outward appearance. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some individuals opine that the most vital aspect while designing a building is its function rather than its outer aesthetics. I somewhat agree with this viewpoint as although a good-looking building enhances the beauty of its surroundings, without meeting its basic function, it would be a waste.

Firstly, a building that has an appealing appearance may be a source of beautification of its locality that may be able to promote people to visit it as it may serve as an incentive for tourism, leisure or work. For example, the bath houses of Brighton are well-known for their bright and colourful designs and promote tourism in the state of Victoria. Similarly, attractive university campuses and office spaces deem to be popular study and work destinations among young adults.

However, the function of the building is of pivotal importance when considering its design. A building needs to accommodate the needs of its owners, residents and patrons. Specifically, one basic necessity of any building is safety, that is, it needs to be sturdy and durable. However, nowadays, there are many fashionable styles of buildings that compromise their stability and safety. For example, in India, an architectural firm gained popularity for its one of a kind designs and, a few years later the designs were claimed as unsafe when many of the buildings collapsed during a minor earthquake. As a result, several resources were wasted and many lives were endangered in light of the importance given to outward appearance of the buildings over their basic functionality.

In conclusion, I agree to some extent that the purpose of a building is of utmost importance instead of the external aspects when designing it, as without serving the prime functions, a building would be a waste of essential resources and even risky.

[Vocabulary]

• aesthetics:

n. 美学，审美学

e.g.: How important are things like aesthetics, art, culture, and music?

• meet basic function:

满足基本的功能

• appealing appearance:

appealing: adj. 吸引人的，动人的，有吸引力的

appearance: n. 外貌，外观

e.g.: Notice how the italic font style has a more flowing and visually appealing appearance than the oblique font style.

• beautification:

n. 美化，装饰

e.g.: The money also has been used on beautification projects, multiple billboards that herald the special celebration and infrastructure improvements.

• incentive:

n. 动机，刺激

e.g.: If they have a direct incentive to do so they will think about it.

• deem to:

认为，视为

e.g.: We reserve the right not to print anything on the cake that we deem to be inappropriate.

• pivotal:

adj. 关键的，核心的

e.g.: It is a pivotal point that ensures the film is both poignant (辛酸的，令人伤心的) and relevant.

• accommodate the needs:

适应需求

e.g.: Organizers tried to accommodate the needs of all the conference participants.

• patron:

n. 赞助人，顾客

e.g.: Few patrons of a high-priced hotel can be led to expect anything other than luxury service.

• basic necessity:

基本需要

e.g.: Food is a basic necessity for humanity.

• compromise:

Vt. 妥协，让步，折中

e.g.: The new regime was prepared to compromise on the oil dispute.

• in light of:

根据，鉴于，按照

e.g.: However, in light of ongoing state budget and sequestration cuts, mental health services continue to erode.

• utmost importance:

utmost: adj. 极度的，最大可能

e.g.: I have the utmost respect for her accomplishments.

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