¬ Describe a building or structure, then discuss pros and

cons of its design and suggest ideas for improving it ¬

Have in mind the following details for your writing:

Audienc Classmates/peers
e
Context A description of a location, building, or structure with regards to its
design.
Purpose To evaluate and express opinions about the pros and cons of the
design of a building or structure and ways to improve it.

BRAINSTORM:
a. Read the text about an interesting building. Highlight the transitions the writer
used for adding opposing ideas. Underline the non-defining relative clauses.
The new Shankman Sports Complex, which was completed in March 2012, is a
brand new sport facility. The complex is 3.000 meters squared. It has several floors
and includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a hockey rink, basketball and
volleyball courts, and a weight-training room with a wide range of modern exercise
equipment. The exterior of the building is all brick with a traditional rectangular
shape and design. The entrance includes some welcoming decorative features,
such as a fountain and a statue of the founder, Tom Shankman, who was a minor-
league baseball player. While the new complex offers lots of state-of-the-art
equipment inside, the exterior appears too traditional and rather uninteresting, in
my opinion. If I were the architect, I would have added a few interestingly-shaped
windows, a dome-roof, and I´d have used more modern-looking building materials.
The complex has plenty of indoor space for athletics. However, there are no
facilities for sports such as soccer or baseball, which are best played outdoors.
Part of the problem is the location. City planners chose the site of the old Denby
Elementary School. Although this is a convenient location, it did not allow outdoor
facilities nor enough parking space. Despite these minor design issues, the
Shankman Sports Complex is certain to be a bust place year round.
b. Think of interesting buildings or structures or engineering projects, such as a
bridge, monument, or park, anywhere in the world.
Option 1. Ventura Shopping Center
Option 2. Municipal Stadium of Soacha
Option 3. Sua Theater

PLAN
a. After you have chosen the building or structure. Make some notes about what
you like and dislike about it. Think about the following aspects in relation to its
design:
Name Ventura Shopping Center
Appearance It is modern
Size  Little
Shape Rectangular
Location Easy access
Purpose and Commercial character for the inhabitants of the sector, it is
functionality easily accessible for pedestrians, although not for
vehicles. The offices located within the shopping center
facilitate some procedures for the surrounding population.
Any relevant The spaces inside and outside the Shopping Center are very
design features spacious with excellent lighting.
Advantages (Pros)  Visitors can move around and enjoy good spaces in common
of design areas and enjoy the comfort of spacious premises.
Disadvantages It is located away from the main roads and near tall buildings
(Cons) of design that impede the visibility of the Shopping Center.
Ways to improve Extend the height of the building and place the name of
the design the Shopping Center visible to passers-by in the sector.

MAKE A DRAFT
1. Write some ideas to be included in TWO paragraphs about the building or
structure.
 In the first paragraph, describe the building or structure in detail
Write some ideas to include in the first paragraph. Start your paragraph with the
topic sentence.
Topic sentence paragraph 1: Ventura Shopping Center is one of the most modern
and most visited shopping centers in the city
Ideas to include:
 - It is not easily accessible by vehicles         
- Wide spaces         
- New finishes         
- Variety in commercial premises 

 In the second paragraph, discuss pros and cons of its design, and
suggest ideas for improving it.
Write some ideas to include in the second paragraph. Start your paragraph with the
topic sentence.
Topic sentence paragraph 2: If the limitation of access by car, although evident due
to its location and the lack of visibility of the building, were not presented, the Ventura
Shopping Center would be the most visited in the city

Ideas to include:

- It is wide

- It's New
- The finishes are modern

Before you write the final version of your text, please have in mind the following
recommendations:
Study skills
 Focus on the assignment or question
 Clarify your core points - the aim for each
paragraph
 Add supporting details in each paragraph.
 Stick to your plan. Keep looking back to your
own ideas in the planning and drafting stages.

WRITE
Based on the previous steps, use the space below to write 2 well-developed
paragraphs about the building or structure you chose. Use connectors and
vocabulary for introducing opposing ideas and non-defining relative clauses.
(Check lesson)
Each paragraph should be AT LEAST 100 words long.
The Ventura Shopping Center is one of the most modern and visited shopping
centers in the city, despite the location conditions that do not allow easy access
by car; Even so presenting these limitations, visitors are not insufficient, showing
a large influx of visiting public, which makes it more noticeable. Also, holidays
and weekends in which families, especially those who live nearby, enjoy the
beauty of the shopping center building, and the pleasant atmosphere that the
building offers inside with its details of space, modernity, and complexity. Not
only do the people nearby enjoy the facility but also other people in the city that
do not have the building nearby, they take wheater public transport or their cars
to go and enjoy the commercial locals offer like the movie theater or just
restaurants.

Even though the building have limitation of access by car, although evident due
to its location and the lack of visibility of the building, were not presented, the
Ventura Shopping Center would be the most visited in the city, due to its warm
atmosphere provided by its wide spaces, beautiful designs, new finishes and
excellent interior and exterior lighting, which allows the extension of its premises
to be evident and enjoyed, at the service of financial entities in which visitors
access to carry out procedures of interest without leaving the city, Even so, it is
very certain that these spaces would be more visited and of greater commercial
development, if they built high floors in the building, which allow them to improve
the visibility of the same and therefore the clarity of the name of the shopping
center, by locating the company name on the higher floors, allowing a larger
visiting public to enjoy a pleasant and comforting time during the visit.

REVISE AND EDIT

Check the following chart and identify if your text has accomplished the minimum
requirements, then revise and edit.
Yes No Editing Checklist
x Did I follow writing steps and used the writing format properly?
x Did I include the ideas suggested in each paragraph?
x Did I include transitions for opposing ideas and non-defining relative
clauses?
x Did I use vocabulary and grammar studied in the Academic Unit?
x Did I evidence writing skills and contents studied in the Lesson?
>> DO NOT SUBMIT UNLESS ALL ANSWERS ARE AFFIRMATIVE<<

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