ARC 386M
History of Building Technology

Instructor: Dr. Steven Moore, AIA
Time and Place: Th 7:00-10:00 PM / WMB 4.118
Unique Number: 00905

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to help students better understand how artifacts, buildings, and places shape, and are in turn shaped by technology. Historic Preservation students will benefit by investigating the social process and technical details of innovations in building construction. This knowledge will enable students to critically interpret historic structures. Design With Climate students will benefit by investigating the intended and unintended consequences of the technology choices made by society. This knowledge will enable students to critically contribute to the development of environmentally responsible architecture. History and Theory students will benefit from investigating architecture, not as the product of artistic genius, but as the product of the economic, political, and natural conditions of place. Our investigations will range from the pre-modern to the contemporary, but will not attempt to be comprehensive. Rather, cases of technology development will be selected for investigation on the basis of their relevance to contemporary issues. A sub-theme of the course will be the problem of "historic revisionism," or how changing data might alter interpretation of technology development. Texts by Sigfried Giedion will serve as a measure of the problem.

Enrollment will be limited to 15 students. MSAS and Post Professional students will be given priority by seniority. A few places will be reserved for interdisciplinary students. Non architecture majors should Email the instructor stating why they would like to take the course and attach a CV.

Students are encouraged to bring continuing interests to the course. Two principal papers of 10-15 pages will be required. Paper no.1 should investigate issues in a specific area of technology development. For example, you might investigate material processes such as the development of the wood, concrete, or steel frame; or, you might investigate social processes that concern labor and/or space relations effected by technology development. Paper no.2 should investigate a specific case of architecture. This investigation should rely upon the interpretation of primary source materials available at the Alexander Drawing Collection or the Austin History Center. Papers will be submitted in three stages: as one-page abstracts, fully developed first drafts, and final submissions. Comments will be provided following each submission.

This is a graduate level seminar, however well qualified undergraduates may be admitted with the instructorıs approval. We will meet once weekly, on Thursday from 7:00-10:00 PM. Class sessions will commence with a critical student summary of the reading required for that session. Each student in the class will be required to summarize and lead discussion once during the term.