Course Description
The history of architecture from antiquity to the present focuses on the evolution of building techniques and materials over the centuries. Focuses in particular on developments over the past two hundred years, particularly the role of engineers and engineering in the rise of modern architecture.
Athena Title
History of Architecture
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students should come away from this course with a thorough understanding of the historical origins and development of building techniques from antiquity to the present. Students will engage with the materials via lectures and readings of historical documents and modern historical interpretations. Students will be required to synthesize what they have learned in essays, written exams, and classroom discussions. These assignments and expectations are designed to hone written and spoken communication skills for students in technical fields who may not otherwise have an opportunity to develop these competencies.
Topical Outline
Week 1: First Settlements and Structures Week 2: Architecture in Antiquity: Greece and Rome Week 3: Building Techniques in Asia and Africa Week 4: Medieval and Gothic Innovations Week 5: The Rise of New Materials: Glass and Iron Week 6: Stone Skins, Steel Skeletons Week 7: Fireproofing, Elevators, Plumbing, Ventilation Week 8: The Skyscraper: Origins and Development Week 9: Building Codes, Zoning, and Standards Week 10: Mass Production and Architecture Week 11: Modern Pyramids: Public Works Projects Week 12: Modernism and the International Style Week 13: Revolutions: Computers, Engineering, Architecture Week 14: Green Building and Climate Change