fall 2007
ARC 386K:
Theory I
Instructor:
Lawrence Speck
Prerequisites
None.
Educational Objectives
- To introduce students to fundamental theories of architecture in the 20th and early 21st century.
- To help all participants in the course to become better designers producing stronger, more sophisticated work.
- To learn how to transfer the work of others (both writing and building) into fuel to enrich one's own design work.
- To help begin to clarify how individual students' values and backgrounds can influence their design positively.
Educational Approach
This will be a standard seminar course with presentations by the instructor and class discussions in early sessions based on reading assignments. Toward the end of the semester students will be focusing on their own individual projects and papers which will be subjects or discussion in class.
Evaluation
The final grade will be based on four different areas of evaluation:
- 30% of the grade will come from "Think Sheets" and class participation.
- 50% of the grade will come from the Research Paper.
- 10% off the grade will come either from a student's Paper Presentation in class or from a Demonstrative Project tied to the student's Manifesto.
- 10% of the grade will come from the Manifesto.
Readings
Four primary texts will be required reading:
- Towards a New Architecture by Le Corbusier
- Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture by Robert Venturi
- Delirious New York by Rem Koolhaas
Additional articles will be handed out in class.
