Dalhousie University School of Architecture

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1 Dalhousie University School of Architecture 1. IDENTIFICATION Course title: ARCH 5110 Architectural Exhibitions Restriction: Graduate students in the Faculty of Architecture and Planning Enrolment limit: 15 (e.g.12 M2 and 3 M5) Instructor: Dr. Sarah Bonnemaison Credit-hours: 3 Term: Fall 2018 Place: HB4 Class time: Monday 9:30am-12:30pm Study time: 9 hours a week (estimated) Contact: Sarah.bonnemaison@dal.ca Office hours: By appointment 2. DESCRIPTION a) Basic course description This course introduces students to contemporary discussions in the field of exhibit design for architecture, including the role of the viewer, the use of display techniques to frame objects, and the curatorial voice. Groups of students develop an exhibition on a topic recommended by the professor. b) Learning objectives The course focuses on ways architecture represents an idea and how to make that idea intelligible through traditional exhibition techniques, visual displays and catalogue. The seminar group will study a particular topic and work together to create an exhibition about it. Each student will take on a subset and contribute to the whole exhibition. c) Course format The term has 12 seminars, each divided into a portion to discuss readings primarily seven chapters from Caroline van Eck s groundbreaking work, Organicism in Nineteenth Century Architecture followed by a portion in which students share and discuss their research in development. The course culminates in an exhibition and accompanying catalogue on the theme of organicism in architecture. d) Sequence of topics/projects in the course This year, the research is focused on the ancient notion of organicism, or the art of building with nature. The close connection between architecture and living nature is one of the most persistent themes in architectural theory. Our research will trace the roots of organicism in artistic theory from Antiquity and the Renaissance an in the 19 th century. But as Caroline van Eck says, "Organicism is also a strategy both of invention and of interpretation." So our study of organicism can be readily applied to architectural practice. Today we have a multitude of terms that mostly come from the sciences, such as abiogenesis, emergentism, synthetic, pluripotency. Architects have attempted to respond to the development of natural sciences with naming their practice as organic, ecological, green, and more recently biomimicry and zoomorphic. In order to make sense of it all and avoid the pitfall of fashion of such an important issue, we need to understand the philosophy of organicism and reconnect it to our profession. 1

2 Each student chooses an aspect of organicsm (as described by van Eck) and shows how it appears and reappears through out the ages. Aspects of organicism include, for example: harmony, evolutive geometries, seed, "unfolding from within", geological depth, the whole is larger than the sum of its parts, etc Images and a short text find their place onto a large visual time line describing the evolution of the concepts imbedded in organicism from Antiquity to the present day. In addition, each student does research on the development (or resurgence) of their chosen aspect of organicism in 20 th and 21 st century architecture. They gather the results of this research in two to three double pages with a text of 1,000 words on one side and images on the other. This becomes part of a catalogue. The group exhibition takes place in the IDEA Design Commons at the end of the semester with a display of the time line and printed versions of the catalogue. 3. ASSIGNMENTS a) Topic, requirements, format and proportional weighting of multiple assignments 1. Time line contribution. A brief summary of one of the themes of organicism (e.g. harmony, evolutive geometries, seed, "unfolding from within", geological depth, the whole is larger than the sum of its parts, etc.) Format: 300 words and one image. Hand in final form on week 11 (format instruction will be distributed) 2. Catalogue contribution. A more in-depth investigation of the development / resurgence of their chosen aspect of Organicism in the 20 th and 21 st c. architecture. Format: 1,000 words and images (two to three double-page spreads of text on one side and image(s) on the other). Hand in outline on week 5 and book a private meeting for feed back Hand in final catalogue essay on week 12 (format instruction will be distributed) 3. In-class presentation of student research in development, for feedback. Format: 20 minutes. 30% 40% 10% 4. Group work on design and layout of the time line and catalogue. 10% 5. Seminar participation (e.g. attendance, preparation, participation). 10% Note: Since all the work done for this seminar results in an exhibition with a catalogue, no assignment will be accepted after Dec 3. Earlier assignments handed in late will be penalised by a third of a letter grade (eg. A to A-) every day excluding weekends and holidays. 4. SCHEDULE Wk Date Activity 1 10 Sept SB Lecture "What is Organicism in Architectural Theory?" 2 17 Sept Reading: Chapters 1 and 2 of Caroline van Eck s Organicism in the Nineteenth Century. Seminar: Discussion of the readings Sept No class. Research your topic on your own Reading: Mari Hvattum " 'Unfolding from within' Modern Architecture and 2

3 the Dream of Organic Totality", The Journal of Architecture, (2006) 11:4, Oct Research your topic on your own No class. 5 Tues 9 Oct 6 15 Oct Tues 16 Oct 9:30-12:30 Seminar in HA18 Reading: Chapter 3 of Organicism. Deadline: hand in the outline for the essay of the catalogue as a word document ed to the instructor. Sign up for a private appointment for feedback. Monday: Reading: Chapter 4 of Organicism. Tuesday 9:30-12:30 in HA18 Planning the large map bring ideas and references 7 22 Oct Reading: Chapter 5 of Organicism Oct Reading: Chapter 6 of Organicism. 9 5 Nov Reading: Chapter 7 of Organicism. van Eck, Caroline (2013) "Organicism revisited. The desire for the animation of the inanimate matter in the 19 th century", Archithese vol. 43, no. 4: Nov Study brake - No class Nov Reading: Gilbert, Scott (2000) "Embracing Complexity: Organicism for the 21 st century", Developmental Dynamics 219: Nov Reading: tba Deadline: Hand in contribution to time line. Digital submission to instructor (additional instructions regarding formats will be distributed earlier) Seminar: Discussion of tba reading, followed by student presentation. Deadline: Hand in catalogue essay. Digital submission to instructor (additional instructions regarding formats will be distributed earlier) SRI 13 3 Dec Exhibition presentation with catalogue and reviews. IDEA Design Commons. No assignment is accepted after this date 5. REFERENCES a) Readings on architecture and nature 3

4 Beesley, Phillip and Sarah Bonnemaison, eds. (2008), On Growth and Form: Organic Architecture and Beyond, Halifax: Tuns Press. Bud, Robert (1993) The Uses of Life: a History of Biotechnology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Gans, Deborah and Zehra Kuz, eds. (2003) The Organic Approach to Architecture. London: Wiley-Academy. Gilbert, Scott (2000) "Embracing Complexity: Organicism for the 21 st Century". Developmental Dynamics 219: 1-9. Mari Hvattum (2006) " 'Unfolding from within' Modern Architecture and the Dream of Organic Totality", The Journal of Architecture, 11:4, Le Corbusier (1954) The Modulor and Modulor 2, London: Faber and Faber (English translation from 1948 French text). Macy, Christine and Sarah Bonnemaison (2003) Architecture and Nature: Creating the American Landscape. London and New York: Routledge. Mertins, Detlef (2007) "Where architecture meets biology: an interview with Detlef Mertins", in Interact or die! eds. Brouwer, Jole and Arjen Mulder, Rotterdam: V2 Publishing. Terranova, Charissa and Meridith Tromble, eds. (2016) Routledge Companion to Biology, Art and Architecture. London and New York: Routledge. Thompson, W. D'Arcy. (1917) On Growth and Form. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press van Eck, Caroline (1994) Organicism in Nineteenth Century Architecture, an enquiry into its theoretical and philosophical background. Amsterdam: Architectura et Natura Press. van Eck, Caroline (2013) "Organicism revisited. The desire for the animation of the inanimate matter in the 19 th century", Archithese vol. 43, no. 4: Wright, Frank Lloyd (1939) Organic Architecture. Cheshire: Lund Humphries. Zevi, Bruno (1950) Towards an Organic Architecture, London: Faber and Faber. b) Readings on visualisation of large data Börner, Katy. (2015). Atlas of Knowledge: Anyone Can Map. Camb, MA, MIT Press. Börner, Katy. and D. E. Polley (2014). Visual Insights: A Practical Guide to Making Sense of Data. Camb, MA, MIT Press. Dondis, Donis A. (1974) A Primer of Visual Literacy. Camb, MA: MIT Press. Eames, Charles and Ray (1966) Men of Modern Mathematics. Eames, Charles and Ray (1967) Pictorial History of Hermann Miller. Rosenberg, Daniel and Anthony Grafton (2012) Cartographies of Time: A History of the Timeline. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Tufte, Edward R. (2001) The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press. c) Readings on exhibitions Bennett, Tony (1988) "Museums and 'the people'", in The Museum Time-Machine: Putting Cultures on Display, ed. Robert Lumley. London: Routledge. Bonnemaison, Sarah and Ronit Eisenbach (2009) Installations by Architects. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Feireiss, Kristin, ed. (2001) The Art of Architectural Exhibitions, Rotterdam: NAI. Karp, Ivan and Steven D. Lavine, eds. (1991) Exhibiting Cultures: the Poetics and Politics of Museum Display, Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution. Putnam, James (2001) Art and Artifact: the Museum as Medium, London: Thames and Hudson. d) Course policies Readings are provided in digital form a week ahead of each seminar. Guidelines for modes of handing in the assignments, writing, citing, formatting will be distributed in the course. 4

5 If a student is not able to present at a seminar he/she should inform the professor at least a week ahead in order to be replaced by another student. Students may record lectures but for seminar discussions and presentations students should ask permission from those present. The professor will be marking all assignments and seminar participation. No assignment will be accepted after Dec 3, 2018 e) University policies and resources See the Architecture School s Academic Regulations page (tinyurl.com/dal-arch-regulations) for links to university policies and resources. Academic integrity, fair dealing guidelines (copyright) Student declaration of absence Code of student conduct and work safety Diversity and inclusion; culture of respect, recognition of Mi'kmaq territory, accessibility Services available to students, including writing support and the Dalhousie Library This course is governed by the academic rules and regulations set forth in the University Calendar and the Senate. University Grade Standards (Graduate) The graduate grades below apply only to the final grade for the course. An individual graduate assignment may be assigned any percentage grade or letter grade from the undergraduate grade scale. Grade Grade Percent Definition Point A A A B B B F INC 0.00 Incomplete W neutral Withdrew after deadline ILL neutral Compassionate reasons, illness 5