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ENG31950

Academic Year 2026/2027

Architecture and Narrative (ENG31950)

Subject:
English
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
English, Drama & Film
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Katherine Fama
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This seminar will examine literary representations of *home* through the novels, short fictions, and architecture of the American nineteenth century. Seminar members will be asked to read in many ways: through their senses, on a floorplan, in project designs that bring a scene from the novel to life in a creative final assessment (we benefit immensely by partnering with IADT art students).
*No previous experience of architecture or design is necessary, but an open mind is!

From Lincoln’s “house divided against itself” to Bachelard’s “poetics of space,” architectural images reflect and order the American social and literary worlds. We can locate architectural models in a range of familiar national and narrative metaphors. This module asks students to expand upon the well-worn trope of a “house of fiction,” to consider the rich connections between American architectural and literary histories, forms, and contents. Together, we will sample gothic, realist, sentimental, modern, reform, and utopian fictions, exploring U.S. literary and material architectures of community and independence, freedom and constraint, empowerment and poverty, in the nineteenth century.

Our discussions of architecture and literature incorporate histories of natural and built environments, and readings in narrative theory, theories of space and place, material culture studies, and feminist geography.

*Materials Note
Although a part of the materials cost of the course is defrayed, we will charge enrolled students a materials fee of 15 euro, to be paid at the start of term. This fee pays for shared art kits and materials for the final projects. We reduce costs as much as possible by reusing materials annually.

* Time Note
We keep very carefully to the intended learning and classroom hours but students should note that 2-3 visits to IADT and semesterlong work on material projects replaces the work of an essay and does require some transport and flexibility about meeting times.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

● Demonstrate ability to discuss complex ideas in class and in written assignments
● Perform close-reading of texts leading to nuanced analysis (in essay or project form)
● Work with key insights in space and place theory, critical race theory, social history, gender & sexuality.
● Demonstrate awareness of domestic architecture as it is shaped by (and shapes) race, gender, class, and sexuality.
● Discuss key elements of 19th century American domestic fiction
● Analyze textual space through participation in an artistic project

Indicative Module Content:

The course will begin by exploring American architectures of nation building and enslavement, and spatial practices of resistance, with readings from Hannah Crafts, and Edgar Allen Poe. We will consider the the evolution of the domestic novel, true womanhood, and gendered spatial resistance in Pauline Hopkins’s Contending Forces and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's utopian novels. The final section of the course will focus on alternative housing forms, visiting Anzia Yezierska’s institutional homes for immigrant women, queer single homes, roommate fictions, and lodging-house novels, in order to consider the radical contours of turn-of-century urban rental housing.

We will introduce the Architectural Humanities through close reading and spatial analysis, theories of feminist and alternative geography, sketching exercises, readings in the history of emotions, and finally, a final creative team project. Participation in group creative projects is the central final grade and is a core part of what makes this course exciting.

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. Proficient

Critical Thinking

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

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. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Novice

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Competent

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Novice

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

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. Not addressed

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Advanced Beginner

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

80
Autonomous Student Learning

100
Lectures

24
Total

204

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The course will take shape around weekly discussions (online and in-class), graded and ungraded classroom exercises, close readings, a semester-long project, and a nonevaluatory midterm discussion.

Students will partner with classmates to create a final creative project. Final projects are graded on process and analysis, not on individual artistic experience or skill.


* In some trimesters (determined by funding) module teams will be paired with an art student project advisor from IADT for a series of meetings.

**AI is not permitted in this module

**Grading in the module is moderated and reviewed by an extern.

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
Group Work Assignment: Creative Practice Recording/ Media
Deadline Set by School Office at start of term

*not eligible for additional considerations		 Week 12, Week 14, Week 15 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
20
 No
Group Work Assignment: Creative Practice Team Journal.
Deadline Set by School Office at start of term

*not eligible for additional considerations		 Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 14, Week 15 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
50
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Short Midterm Close Reading.
Dates assigned at start of term.		 Week 7 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
20
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Classroom exercises, contribution, preparation

*not eligible for additional considerations		 Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
10
 No
Group Work Assignment: Non evaluative (ungraded) group workbook review with Dr. Fama. Week 7, Week 8, Week 9 Other No
0
 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 No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Nonevaluative Feedback provided on journals at midterm. Weekly time in class for discussion of final project. Written feedback provided on close reading components during semester, on final group project after term. Students are expected to complete one self-evaluation on team participation

*Materials Note
Although a part of the full cost of the course is defrayed, we charge enrolled students a materials fee of 15 euro, to be paid at the start of term. This fee pays for shared art kits and consumable materials for the final projects. We reduce costs as much as possible by reusing materials annually.

Indicative Reading List:
(To be finalized annually in late summer)

Please borrow or buy:
Hannah Crafts, The Bondwoman’s Narrative (1853-61)
Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces (1900)
Amy Richter, At Home in Nineteenth-Century America

Shorter (provided) fictions to include:
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allen Poe, Herman Melville, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Anzia Yezierska

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Wed 10:00 - 11:50
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