Simple Writing Advice

~~~How Do I Describe Buildings?

Character

Buildings with character are generally defined by the era in which they were built (and how intact the features are). They’re usually early-late 17th century and either exist alongside more modern architectural creations or dominate whole streets.

When was your building constructed? Do any of your buildings have character? What features on the building defines this? Has the building stood well against the test of time?

Architectural style can also be influenced by the country the buildings stand in. If you’re world building, what is one typical building type? For example, what do most houses look like? What do most official buildings look like, and why? Depending on the world you’re writing, they may need specific features or designs.

Condition

Don’t tell your readers that the building is shabby or pristine, show them that it is. From when the first bricks are laid on the foundations of a house, it will go through multiple renovations between tenants. Larger, more robust buildings are often forced to stand in the midst of newer industry. Questions to ask when you’re thinking about key places in your story:

What has changed about the structure since it was first built? This can also include notable deteriorations. How does this affect the appearance and usage? For example, when we see an old, grey concrete multi-story covered in graffiti it’s not the kind of place we want to park our cars in. How can it be compared to other buildings in the area? Is it in need of TLC to bring it up to standard with the rest of the street or does it outshine everything else?

If you need a building to stand out for whatever reason, then the condition can be a major factor. It can contribute to the mood of your piece.

Location

It’s normal to default a character’s living space to the kind of space you’ve grown up in yourself. But is it suitable for what you intend to occur in and around the place?

How does the immediate location impact on the scenes you intend to write? Characters who need their business to be kept on the down low won’t find any old place to do what they need to do. Additionally, location can really affect the timing of your events.

If you’re building a whole world, then how is it connected? Think of each major structure as a dot in a huge dot-to-dot picture. How close together do the dots need to be? What connects them (roads, pathways, fields)? What is the main mode of transport? How long does it take for your characters to get from one major plot point to another? Will it still work if they were under a time limit?

Interiors

The inside of a person’s home says a lot about them. It doesn’t just give you an insight into their furniture tastes, but also to how much money they may have, what kind of hobbies they like to indulge in and even aspects of their personality.

How organised are your characters? Do they collect things? If so, how do they display them? If not, what is their home lacking? Do they decorate to keep up with the Jones’, or do they have their own, unique style? How do they live around other people if they share a home? Not everyone has the same cleaning standards…!

Likewise with any other building, the interiors matter. You would feel a little unsure if you went into a bank and the people dispensing the cash were out in the open, taking coins and notes out of a little bag on their waist. What are the standards and codes of the services in the world you’re writing? How does it affect the buildings that offer these services?

Research

Depending on where you live, there will be notable differences between a housing estate, a retail park and the nearest town or city. It tends to be that the further away from major industry you are, the less houses there are. People build homes to be near things they need. Is it the same in your story?

Take note of your own surroundings, of what kind of things are put where and why. Some buildings can be reflective of the people who use them. Highly religious communities might have more than one place of worship within walking distance of one another. Smaller, rural areas will rely on convenience stores and local businesses. Cities attract big name brands and competitive industry.

Look at the world around you to gain inspiration for your own worlds, or to gain an understanding of what goes where and why.