Buildings and Construction: English Vocabulary List

situated next to or near something

"The house is adjacent to mine."

"The house adjacent to ours is empty because the owners moved out last month and nobody has bought it yet."

relating to the study or art of constructing or designing a building

"The style is architectural."

"The museum showcases a stunning collection of architectural drawings and models from renowned designers."

covered with a substance that does not let heat, electricity, or sound to enter or escape through it

"The walls are insulated."

"The insulated walls keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer which saves energy and money on heating bills."

involving or belonging to the government of a city, town, etc.

"The pool is municipal."

"The municipal government is responsible for collecting trash maintaining parks and fixing potholes in the roads around the city."

(of a place) remote and without any appealing or interesting qualities

"That is a godforsaken place."

"The godforsaken town had no grocery store school or hospital and everyone who could leave had already moved away."

characteristic of or relating to a residential area outside a city or town

"They live in a suburban town."

"The suburban house has a large yard and a two car garage and is located near good schools and parks."

(of a house, room, seat, etc.) empty or unoccupied and available to be used

"The apartment is vacant."

"The vacant apartment has been empty for months and the landlord is desperate to find a tenant who will rent it."

to make a room or building look more attractive by repairing, redecorating, or cleaning it

"They refurbish the old hotel completely."

"The hotel plans to refurbish all of its guest rooms next year to attract more visitors and improve its ratings."

to make a building or a place look good again by repairing or painting it

"They renovate their kitchen this year."

"The young couple spent nearly six months renovating their old house before they could finally move into it."

a one-story construction without stairs, usually with a low roof

"They bought bungalow."

"They bought a small bungalow near the beach because they wanted a single story home for retirement."

a small room that is often heated with steam and has wooden walls, where people sit for relaxation or health benefits

"We relaxed in sauna."

"After skiing all day he relaxed in the hot sauna letting the heat soothe his sore muscles."

a house or shelter in the shape of a dome that is built from blocks of ice or hard snow

"Igloo was tiny."

"The Inuit traditionally built igloos from compacted snow blocks that provided insulation against freezing temperatures."

a large structure, such as a tower, placed near the coast and equipped with a powerful light that guides or warns the approaching ships

"The lighthouse warned ships of the dangerous rocks."

"The lighthouse beam swept across the dark sea every ten seconds warning ships away from dangerous rocks."

the building and its surrounding land owned or used by a business

"The premises were clean."

"The business premises were inspected by the authorities in the morning."

a gray powdery substance that becomes hard if it is mixed with water and sand, used for construction purposes such as sticking bricks of a wall together

"The cement dried fast."

"The workers mixed cement with sand and water to create concrete for the building's foundation."

a type of hard smooth rock that is mostly white in color and has colored lines, which is used as building material or in making statues

"The floor is white marble."

"The beautiful statue was carved from a single block of white marble."

a staircase that moves and takes people up or down different levels easily, often found in large buildings like airports, department stores, etc.

"The escalator moved slowly."

"We took the escalator to the second floor of the mall."

the materials that make up the floor of a building or room

"The flooring looked new."

"The flooring in the hall was replaced after the flood."

the system of pipes for the distribution of water in a building

"The plumbing failed."

"The plumbing needed repairs after the cold weather caused a leak."

a wooden house with a steep sloping roof, often found in mountainous areas in Switzerland

"They rented a chalet in the Swiss Alps."

"The family rented a wooden chalet in the Swiss Alps for their winter ski holiday."

a single piece of glass in a window

"The windowpane was broken."

"The baseball shattered the windowpane sending glass shards flying across the living room floor."

(of a house or building) having a roof made of dried straw, leaves etc.

"The house has a thatched roof."

"The thatched roof of the cottage is made of dried straw and gives the house a charming old fashioned look."

(of a construction project) prepared for the building stage to begin

"The project is shovel-ready."

"The shovel ready project can begin immediately because all the permits have been approved and the funding is in place."

located on the inside part of a particular thing

"The interior is dark."

"The interior of the church is beautiful with high ceilings stained glass windows and wooden pews for the congregation to sit on."

located on the outer surface of a particular thing

"The exterior is painted."

"The exterior of the building is painted white but the inside walls are a warm shade of beige and cream."

(of an area with buildings) designed specially for people to live in

"This is a residential area."

"The residential neighborhood is quiet and safe with many families and children playing outside in the yards on sunny afternoons."

to make something by putting separate parts of something together

"Assemble the furniture using the instructions."

"It took him nearly two hours to assemble the new bookshelf because the instructions were very confusing and poorly written."

(of a structure or an area) to become worse gradually

"The building will decay."

"Without proper maintenance, the old structure began to decay, showing signs of neglect."

to completely destroy or to knock down a building or another structure

"Workers demolish the unsafe old building."

"The city council decided to demolish the old abandoned factory to make room for a new public park."

to build or assemble a structure or object in an upright position

"They erect a new statue in the park."

"The construction crew managed to erect the steel frame of the building in less than two weeks."

an area surrounded by walls or buildings, often part of a large house

"They played in the court."

"The children ran around the enclosed court, their laughter echoing against the ancient stone walls."

a building's roof that is rounded

"The glittering dome of the cathedral can be seen for miles."

"The massive dome of the ancient temple was covered in beautiful golden tiles."

a very tall building with many floors

"The high-rise was tall."

"Her apartment is on the thirtieth floor of a high rise building with stunning city views."

a long platform built from the shore into the sea that people can go for entertainment or a walk

"We walked along the pier."

"The pier extended far into the water and welcomed many visitors."

a curved symmetrical structure that supports the weight above it, used in bridges or buildings

"The arch is strong."

"The elegant arch gracefully spanned the river, a testament to ingenious engineering."

a long bar of iron or metal that supports the weight of a building

"The beam held the roof."

"A strong beam supported the ceiling in the old building."

a flat piece of baked clay or other material, mostly in the shape of a square, used for covering floors or walls

"The tile was cracked."

"They replaced the tile in the kitchen with a new one."

a very large tall machine used for lifting heavy objects

"The crane lifted steel."

"The construction crane lifted heavy steel beams high into the air to build the skyscraper frame."

a new room added to a building

"It is an addition."

"The architect proposed a modern addition to the historic building, complementing its original design."

a hard layer of cement, stone, etc. that serves as the underground support of a building

"The foundation is strong."

"A solid concrete foundation is essential for the stability of any large building."

the specific way by which a building, book page, garden, etc. is arranged

"The open-plan layout of the office encourages communication."

"A responsive layout in web design automatically adapts the size and arrangement of elements to look good on any screen"

a building used as the office or residence of the officials who represent their government in another country

"The embassy is in Paris."

"The ambassador's residence is located within the fortified grounds of the national embassy."

the area just inside the entrance of a public building such as a hotel, etc.

"We waited in the lobby."

"The hotel lobby was decorated with marble floors and crystal chandeliers that impressed every guest."

to treat something valuable inconsiderately, in a way that affects it badly

"Do not desecrate the grave."

"The vandals were arrested for attempting to desecrate the historical monument by spray-painting it."