Hanok, Our Great House

 These days, buildings in Korea are just big blocks of concrete. The whole city looks like a huge pile of match boxes. Because of this, the city doesn¡¯t look beautiful. However, when I went to the Namsan Hanok Village that day, I had a completely different feeling. The curves, the nature, and the science¡¦ do you know what I¡¯m talking about? It is Hanok, the greatest house of our ancestors. Let me tell you what makes Hanok such a beautiful house.

 First of all, it is beautiful. It¡¯s completely different from the house now we live in. It has all this mixture of colors and the curves at the right places. When I look at it, it looks like the house is alive.

 Secondly, it matches the nature. All the materials used in building Hanok are from the nature. Wood, soil, etc. Furthermore, its structure perfectly fits its environment. For example, houses in the north are built in a square shape to block the cold air coming through, while the houses in the south are built like a line in the direction of the wind to keep cool.

 Lastly, it¡¯s scientific. The Hanok¡¯s floors are made of wood and are above the ground so that the house would stay cool. Also the Hanok has a very scientific roof called ¡®Chuma¡¯ which is long and wide, blocking the sun in the summer and letting the sun come in during the cold winter. Finally, Hanok has an excellent heating system called Ondol which you can heat and cook at the same time.

 I think Hanok is a wonderful house. It is beautiful, close to nature, and even scientific. It¡¯s a shame that not many people use Hanok anymore, and live in those ugly match boxes. If I ever get to become an architect, I would like to make a mixture of Hanok and modern day buildings, so more people would live in Hanok and keep our beautiful traditional house. If it happens, I guarantee you; Seoul will never look so beautiful.