Additional readings will be assigned for which students are responsible, for use in discussions. Several handouts will also be required reading There will be four projects during the term to provide students with an opportunity to explore concepts of modern architecture technically and analytically. Past project sequences generally explore different aspects of a common theme of modernism. Students also write their own Manifesto for a Third Machine Age . This course investigates the role that ideas can play in the making and interpretation of the built environment.
Architecture is examined as a means of expressing cultural values.
Lectures cover a broad range of topics from basic definitions of important architectural terms and formal concepts to an overview of the significant theoretical positions that have been used to justify and lend authority to form making. Examples and readings are drawn from throughout the history of architecture, yet emphasis is placed on buildings and ideas that are crucial to an understanding of the important theoretical debates of the twentieth century and their relationship to the formation of contemporary intentions. The course specifically aims to present the material in a manner that aids students in clarifying their own values and intentions. Most classes will be split between lectures and discussions. Lectures are meant to be interactive and will be given in a slide format.