ARCT10090 Perspectives: History and Theory of the Built Environment II

Academic Year 2022/2023

The physical area of focus for this year’s Perspectives module on Ways of Experiencing + Writing Architecture is Dublin City and the typology of interest is THE HOME. Within these specific areas, we overlay our module’s aims which are to learn how to look, to pause, to observe, to pay attention to, to appreciate, to scratch beneath, to research, to sketch and to write about architecture. Through weekly lectures, complimentary readings and carefully-designed short assignments, Perspectives is designed to open up the worlds, stories and histories of architecture for you. The primary goals are to enrich your experience of architecture and to encourage your engagement with buildings and the built environment.
While this year’s Perspectives module concentrates on Dublin housing, the ways that we will interrogate and explore, that we will experience and write, are through the lens of the New European Bauhaus (NEB). This ‘lens’, or more correctly this ‘value system’ breaks down the built environment in terms of three aspirations – being inclusive, being beautiful and being sustainable. Considering these values of inclusivity, sustainability and beauty, we will look at examples of housing, civic architecture and sacred (secular and religious) space.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

We will emerge from this module with our minds full of ideas around architecture and the senses, around architecture as the frame for collective behaviour, and around architecture’s role in urban history. We will dive into the art and practice of observing buildings – that is, paying attention to things – and writing, quite basically, in a descriptive way.
1) Communication Skills
Ability to write effectively about architecture
2) Investigative Skills
Ability to gather, assess, record, apply, and comparatively evaluate relevant information in order to make conclusions about specific projects.
3) Cultural Diversity and Social Equity
Understanding of the diverse needs, values, behavioural norms, physical abilities, and social and spatial patterns that characterize different cultures and individuals and the responsibility of the architect to ensure equity of access to sites, buildings, and structures.

Indicative Module Content:

New European Bauhaus value system is at the root of this module:
SUSTAINABILITY
INCLUSIVITY
BEAUTY

The module is about ways of experiencing and writing about architecture.
It is an architectural humanities module, engaged in architectural culture.
The physical area of focus is Dublin city.
The guiding architectural typology - or building type - is THE HOME.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

18

Autonomous Student Learning

90

Total

108

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module emphasises the development of critical, independent thinking in the undergraduate curriculum. Students are asked to observe architecture (broadly conceived to include buildings, landscapes and structures) in person and to experience architectural cultural forms, from archives to exhibitions, films and podcasts. Research methods are introduced through assignments. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment: Assignment 1 = Reading summary
Choice of architectural writing to be read and summarised by week 2.
Week 2 n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

10

Assignment: Assignment 3 = media review
Visit an exhibition or listen to a podcast and write a review for week 10.
Week 10 n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

10

Examination: Assignment 4 = Exam.
The exam consists of 2 prepared long questions and 1 shorter unseen question.
2 hour End of Trimester Exam No Graded No

60

Assignment: Assignment 2 = Building Research and Writing Exercise.
In partnership with Drawing + Making and Studio modules, this is a research and writing exercise which is due in week 7.
Week 7 n/a Graded No

20


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer 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
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Significant written feedback is given to each student via Brightspace. Any student requiring more feedback can request to meet Ellen Rowley on Zoom.