Материалы для самостоятельной работы обучающего Модуль 1 history of building and architecture

Task 1

The theme: From the history of building and architecture.

Aim: to develop students’ speaking activity

Form: Presentation

Example

1.Present the history of building.

Many thousands of years ago there were no houses such as people live in today. In hot countries people sometimes made their homes in the trees and used leaves to protect themselves from rain or sun. In colder countries they dwelt in caves. Later people left their caves and trees and began to build houses of different materials such as mud, wood or stones.

Later people found out that bricks made of mud and dried in hot sunshine became almost as hard as stones. In ancient Egypt especially, people learned the use of this sun – dried mud bricks. Some of their buildings are still standing after several thousands of years.

The ancient Egyptians discovered how to cut stone for building purposes. They erected temples, palaces and huge tombs. The greatest tomb is the stone pyramid of Khufu, King of Egypt. The ancient Egyptians often erected their huge buildings without thinking of their usefulness.

The ancient Greeks also understood the art of building with cut stone, and their buildings were beautiful as well as useful. They often used pillars, partly for supporting the roofs and partly for decoration. Parts of these ancient buildings can still be seen today in Greece.

During the last hundred years many new methods of building have been discovered. One of the most recent discoveries is the usefulness of steel as a building material.

Nowadays when it is necessary to have a very tall building, the frame of it is first built in steel and then the building is completed in concrete. Concrete is an artificial kind of stone, much cheaper than brick or natural stone and much stronger than they are.

Task 2

The theme: I’ve chosen architecture as a career because …

I’ve chosen building as a career because …

Aim: to develop students’ speaking and writing activity

Form: Essay

• Present your specialty

• Do you agree with the following proverb: “ Tastes differ”

• Talk about different aspects of your specialty

Task 3

The theme: Types of buildings

Aims: to develop students’ writing skills.

Form: Making collage

1.Make a collage about types of buildings in your country

Example:

1. Residential________

2. Industrial________

3. Educational________

4. Recreational _______

5. Administrational and commercial________

Task 4

The theme: The interior of a modern residential building.

Aim: to develop students’ speaking and writing activity

Form: Summary

Write a short summary using these points. .

1. Great technological advances in plumbing and ventilation systems.

2. The types of walls of concrete structures.

3. The windows and doors must look well from the interior as well as from the exterior.

4. The type and the function of a building govern it’s design and materials.

Task 5

The theme: Types of buildings

The aim: to develop students’ writing skills

The form: making a crossword

Read the text and make up a lexical crossword

1) Types of buildings depend upon social formations and may be classified according to the role in the community. The types of buildings may be domestic, educational, office, industrial, recreational, etc.

The type and the function of a building govern its design, building materials and techniques. But the common and necessary conditions are (1) its suitability to use by human beings in general and its adaptability to particular human activities (2) the stability and permanence of its construction.

2) Speaking of residential construction we must say that the apartment houses are mostly built to suit urban conditions. Group housing provides home for many families and is at once public and private. The techniques of construction or the methods by which structures are formed from particular materials are influenced not only by the availability and character of materials but also by the total technological development of society.

3) The evolution of techniques is conditioned by two factors: one is economic – the search for a maximum of stability and durability in building with a minimum of materials, labour and time; the other is expressive – the desire to produce meaningful form. Techniques evolve rapidly when economic requirements suggest new expressive forms or when the conception of new forms demands new procedures.

4) Large housing programs have tended to stimulate technological change in the building industry. Craft operations at the building site are being replaced by mechanized operations at the factory and houses are increasingly becoming assemblages of factory – made elements. Windows and doors, once made and fitted by carpenters at the site now arrive from a factory fitted and finished with hardware and glass, ready to be set in place. Modular design (i.e. design in which the elements are dimensioned in combinations of a fixed unit) has led to the standardization of elements, interchangeability of parts and increased possibilities for mass production, with resultant economies. A wide variety of mass- produced elements from which substantial portions of the house can be assembled are now available. Examples are kitchen cabinets and mechanical equipment and window and door units. Entire apartment assemblages are available and are being used to an increasing extent. The techniques aim at a higher output of better structures at lower cost.

5) The high degree of mechanization and standardization is successfully achieved by reinforced concrete blocks and units. Reinforced concrete homes are produced by a variety of construction methods. Various methods of constructing reinforced concrete houses involve extensive use of large sections manufactured in heavily mechanized factories and erected at the site.

6) The built – in space of an apartment should be carefully thought of as well. The contemporary trend is expressed by joining the living and dining areas into a single space or by relating the kitchen dining areas. It has become increasingly important as rooms that have become smaller should appear as spacious as possible. Therefore, there is a considerable trend toward built – in furniture. Rooms should be both efficient and visually satisfying. The extend of built – in cabinets must be determined. Drawers and shelves can often be connected behind walls, freeing valuable floor space.

7) The windows and doors must look well from interior as well as from exterior. Satisfactory functioning is also involved; windows must be sized and located for the best possible lighting and ventilation; as for electricity it should be mentioned that the electric load of most houses has increased enormously as standards of lighting rose and mechanical and household equipment multiplied. Great technological advances have been made in plumbing. Much progress has been made with respect to standardization and production of the elements of kitchen equipment.