Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0293 - Architectural Theory

This course is a focused examination of architectural theories and philosophies, ranging from the canonical writings of Vitruvius and Alberti to the ideas of contemporary architects like Koolhaas, Lebeskind, and Eisenman, with an emphasis on modern and contemporary architects, historians, and critical theory (Le Corbusier, Venturi, Tschumi, Benjamin, Heidigger, Bachelard, Solas-Morales, Guattari, etc.) We will spend considerable time on the interaction of cities, buildings and landscapes with other forms of written and visual expression. Students will be responsible for serious weekly readings of treatises and essays, as well as the visual analysis of plans, pictures and structures. Each student will develop a research project that reflects an awareness of diverse methodologies and places their own interests into context. Intended for third or fourth year students, this course can serve as a vehicle by which to develop a thesis or Division III in any area of art, design, architectural studies, art history, philosophy, or critical theory, or to begin to explore connections between history, theory and design in anticipation of any independent written or studio project.

Writing and Research Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives In this course students are expected to spend 6-10 hours weekly on preparation and work outside of class time.