Explore UCD

UCD Home >

ARCT10070

Academic Year 2026/2027

Survey I: History and Theory of the Built Environment I (ARCT10070)

Subject:
Architecture
College:
Engineering & Architecture
School:
Architecture, Plan & Env Pol
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Samantha Martin
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

In its most basic sense, this module is a lecture course that introduces the history of the built environment from antiquity through to the medieval period. But it is much more than that. Its core premise is that the history of architecture is ‘not just history’, but instead a continuously developing visual language that borrows, adapts, shadows and even sometimes appropriates the work of other people and cultures.

This course begins with a series of problems and contexts that teaches the student how to observe, describe and analyse buildings, cities and landscapes. Through a mixture of lectures and workshops, we will examine key moments in the history of the built environment. We will not only look at the buildings themselves but also consider how, in many cases, they continue to influence and hold sway on architects in the present day.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Student Learning Outcomes
1. To develop familiarity with the general timeline of significant precedents in the history of architecture.
2. To understand the correlations between societies and their formal environments; the influence of geography, building technologies and cultural requirements on the development of the built environment.
3. To facilitate the exchange of ideas about architectural design through the analysis of examples discussed with specific terminology.
4. To learn how to look at architecture, describe it, and how to describe and engage with the built environment in a meaningful, intentional way.
5. Ultimately, to deepen understanding of the meaning and significance of architecture in ways that will inform individual design processes.

Indicative Module Content:

This in an indicative schedule is that is likely to change:
Weekly schedule (subject to change)

Week 1: Introduction: The How and Why of Architectural History and Theory
Week 2: Lecture: Egypt. Workshop: Everyday Objects Revisited;
Week 3: Lecture: Going up to the Agora.
Week 4: Library Skills presentation (UCD Librarian);
Week 5: Lecture: Athenian Acropolis;
Week 6: Lectures: The Athenian Agora & Greek Sanctuaries;
Week 7: Lecture: Roman Republic and Empire.
Week 8: Reading Week – no lectures (visual essay due)
Week 9: Lecture: Living in Pompeii. Examination Prep Session I
Week10: Lecture: Byzantium
Week 11: Lecture: Islam. Examination Prep Session II
Week 12: Lectures: Ottoman Athens

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Novice

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Advanced Beginner

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Advanced Beginner

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Not addressed

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Advanced Beginner

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Novice

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

18
Autonomous Student Learning

90
Total

108

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Weekly lectures
Reading and critically summarising readings
Building Observation
Critical Writing
Building Research

Content generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies should not be presented as your own work in your Visual Essay assignment for this module.

AI- generated content is often factually inaccurate, out-of-date, and includes false or fabricated sources, citations and references. This will be covered in class to clarify the issue and answer questions.

In short: If you include factually inaccurate material and/or fabricated citations in your assessments, you will be marked down for inaccurate content, which may result in a fail grade for your essay. An important caveat: some content generated by AI tools makes use of other people’s ideas without referencing them, which is a form of plagiarism. If you submit AI-generated content that includes unreferenced or improperly referenced material you may be in breach of the UCD Student Plagiarism Policy.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Quizzes/Short Exercises: This is a two part assignment: The first part is a take- home research exercise. Students will bring their work to class the following week and complete a task on the same assignment. Week 4, Week 5 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
10
 No
Group Work Assignment: a short library assignment to be completed following the library introduction and submitted on Brightspace Week 4 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
5
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): A visual essay where students will use academic source material and drawings of their choice to present, analyse and evaluate a case study in architectural history. Week 8 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
15
 No
Exam (In-person): Students will answer three questions. Two longer questions will drawn from lecture content. One shorter question will be unseen and but related to the lecture content. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
70
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback is provided to each student on Brightspace for the essay/project submission. Possibility for verbal feedback individually on Zoom.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Wed 11:00 - 12:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.