History of World Architecture: Part I
This course cuts a broad swath through time, geography and cultures, surveying critical episodes in the built environment of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the Americas from ancient times through the 19th century.
Fulfills minor requirements for: Architectural History, Architecture (non-majors)
Diagram of the Principal High Buildings of the Old World (1884). Image: Wikimedia.
This course cuts a broad swath through time, geography and cultures, surveying critical episodes in the built environment of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the Americas from ancient times through the 19th century. Reflecting the inseparable relation between building and human needs, this course is not only a history of architecture, but also a history through architecture. Over the semester, we examine architecture as a form of cultural expression unique to its time and place. Through readings and lectures, we study the ways that the design, use, meaning, and legacy of a building and its site was conditioned not only by the architect's will or the patron's desire, but also by a web of technological, religious, social, cultural, economic, and political factors of the time. The course includes several exams during the semester, including during finals week.