Band 6+: Some people think that we should replace old buildings and houses in cities with more modern buildings. Other people think we should protect old buildings. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

There is a discourse about the replacement of old buildings with modern facilities or their conservation. Some people support the first proposal, while others advocate for the latter one. I will present argumentation for both statements and at the end I will conclude with my opinion.

The first viewpoint affirms the idea of urban renewal. This process is needed when a building, due to its old age, natural calamity or any other factor, becomes unusable and dangerous for inhabitans and visitors. Such buildings loose their glamour and are also aesthetically displeasing. Furthermore, when a building ages, it becomes more energetically inefficiant. This is because its skin looses density, and it is more subjective to natural climate. Constructing a new one will have a lower carbon footprint, as it will use less power to maintain a pleasant indoor temperature.

The second statement is in favour of protection of urban heritage. One benefit is that the history, the culture and the athmosphere of the city can be preserved. Additionally, it is known, that errecting a new house is costly. It could be much less expensive to perform a sanitation of the existing structure, to better its thermal abilities, or to exchange old parts, to make it safe for people. Lastly, destruction of existing old houses is often connected to gentrification. This is a displacement of inhabitants in aged neighbourhood due to new developments of investors – the area becomes so expensive that the locals cannot afford to live in the area.

To sum up, there are some benefits of building from scratch versus protecting old architecture. On one hand, we can avoid high bills for electricity and possible dangers, coming with an aging home. On the other hand we are loosing part of the identity of the city, and are promoting gentrification.In my opinion, both of the processes are needed for a normal functioning in the urabnity. I would prefer to try to preserve a building through sanitation or renewal techniques, but if they fail, I see no other choice but demolition.