SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS University of Virginia, Academic Sponsor Voyage: Fall 2014 Discipline: Architecture SEMS 2500-103: Experiencing World Architecture Division: lower Faculty Name: John Meunier Credit Hours: 3; Contact Hours: 38 Pre-requisites: None. COURSE DESCRIPTION Over fifty years ago the influential Danish architect and planner Steen Eiler Rasmussen argued that architecture needs to be experienced through all the senses, not only that of sight. This voyage offers an extraordinary opportunity for the students to visit and experience, directly and personally, a very wide range of great, and ordinary, buildings and places. They will be able not only to see, touch, smell, listen to, maybe taste, and most importantly move through, interior and exterior spaces and places from a multiplicity of historic times and cultures. They will be able to imagine more readily the rituals of both formal and informal life that these spaces and places were built to frame and celebrate. The goal of this course will be to provide a structure of understanding that will inform these experiences. That structure of understanding will include both a discussion of the perennial issues that all built environments must engage, such as climate, structure, acoustics, illumination, anthropometrics, order, etc., and an introductory chronology of architectural history. Buildings and places worth the time and effort of the engagement of the students will be identified in each visited city. Again, students will be tested on their understanding of the content of the course but also on the quality of observation and perception displayed in the Field Reports they will produce after each city visit. COURSE OBJECTIVES Two major objectives: to introduce students to issues that all architecture throughout history has had to address, and then to provide a chronological introduction of major world architectural achievements from the earliest civilizations to the present. The course will test the students grasp of the architectural implications of the issues introduced and their ability to use them as critical tools as they experience and evaluate works of architecture during stops on this voyage. 1
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AUTHOR: Rasmussen, S.E. TITLE: Experiencing Architecture PUBLISHER: MIT Press ISBN #: ISBN-10: 0262680025, ISBN-13: 978-0262680028 DATE/EDITION: 2 nd edition COST: $14.38 AUTHOR: Nuttgens, P. TITLE: The Story of Architecture PUBLISHER: Phaidon ISBN#; ISBN-10: 0714836164, ISBN-13: 978-0714836164 DATE: 2 nd Edition, 1997 COST: $16.65 AUTHOR: Fitch, James Marston TITLE: American Building: The Environmental Forces That Shape It PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press ISBN #: ISBN-10: 0195110404, ISBN-13: 978-0195110401 DATE/EDITION: Revised edition 1999 COST: $63.03 TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE Depart Southampton- August 23: A1- August 25: Introduction Understanding World Architecture Rasmussen, S.E., Experiencing Architecture, Basic Observations 33-34 Vitruvius, M.P., The Ten Books on Architecture, The Departments of Architecture 2. 17 A2-August 27: From Theory to Design How do we make Architecture Le Corbusier, Towards a New Architecture, The Lesson of Rome 141 Vitruvius, M.P., The Ten Books on Architecture The Education of the Architect, 5-21 St. Petersburg: August 28-31 A3- September 2: Solids and Cavities We see the Buildings but we inhabit the Spaces Inside and Outside Rasmussen, S.E., Experiencing Architecture, Solids and Cavities in Architecture, 35-82 2
Hamburg: September 4-7 A4- September 8: Surface and Color the Boundary between Solids and Cavities Rasmussen, S.E., Experiencing Architecture, Architecture Experienced as Color Planes 83-103 Color in Architecture, 215-223 A5-September 10: Scale and Proportion the Relationships between ourselves and our buildings, and the parts of our buildings to each other. Rasmussen, S.E., Experiencing Architecture, Scale and Proportion, 104-126 Antwerp: September 11-13 Le Havre: September 14-15 A6- September 17: Rhythm and Texture the Musical analogy Rasmussen, S.E., Experiencing Architecture, Rhythm in Architecture, Textural Effects, 127-185 Dublin: September 19-22 A7-September 23: Light and Sound Seeing and Hearing in our buildings Rasmussen, S.E., Experiencing Architecture, Daylight in Architecture, 186-214, Hearing Architecture, 224-237 A8- September 25: Climate and building Form How Buildings Modify Climate in our Favor Fitch, J.M., American Building: The Environmental Forces that Shape It, Fair and Warmer, 37-67, The Integration of Environmental Control Systems, 257-298 Rapoport, A., House Form and Culture, Climate as a modifying factor, 83-103 Lisbon: September 26-27 Cadiz: September 29-30 Casablanca: October 2-5 A9- October 7: Construction and building Form Rapoport, A., House Form and Culture, Construction, materials, and technology as modifying factors, 104-125 Salvadori, M., Why Buildings Stand Up, Structures 17-42 A10- October 10: Structure and building Form Salvadori, M., Why Buildings Stand Up, Loads, Materials, Beams and Columns, 43-89 A11- October 12: Culture and building Form Rapaport, A., House Form and Culture, Chapters 1-3, 1-82 3
Hall, E.T., The Hidden Dimension, 7-15, 42-65, 108-129 Takoradi: October 14-15 Tema: October 16-17 A12- October 19: Mid Term Exams A13- October 21: The Early Civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China and the Americas Nuttgens. P., The Story of Architecture, Barbaric Splendor, The Geometry of Immortality, Holy Mountain and Sacred Womb, Puzzles and Modules, Ritual of Blood, 16-85 A14- October 24: Greece and Rome Nuttgens. P., The Story of Architecture, The Landscape of the Gods, The Authority of Competence, 86-115 Cape Town: October 25-29 A15- November 1: Romanesque to Late Gothic, Islam and the Medieval World Nuttgens. P., The Story of Architecture, The Worshipping Community, The Order and the Sanctuary, The Flowering of the Desert, The Metaphysics of Light, 116-175 Summerson, J., Heavenly Mansions, Heavenly Mansions; an Interpretation of Gothic 1-28 A16-November 4: The Renaissance from Florence to Rome and beyond Nuttgens. P., The Story of Architecture, The Scale of Human Perfection, Crossing the Alps, The Drama of Shapes and Space 176-217 Summerson, J., Heavenly Mansions, Antitheses of the Quattrocento, 29-50, The Mind of Wren, 71-86 A17-November 7: Neo-Classicism in France, Germany, Britain and the Americas Nuttgens. P., The Story of Architecture, The Prophets of Elegance, From Pioneers to Establishment, 218-239 A18- November 9: 19 th Century Technology, The Beaux Arts and the Gothic revival Nuttgens. P., The Story of Architecture, The Triumph of the Iron Masters, 240-251 Summerson, J., Heavenly Mansions, Viollet le Duc and the Rational Point of View 135-158 Buenos Aires: November 11-15 A19- November 16 : Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts Movement Nuttgens. P., The Story of Architecture, A New Vision 252-265 Curtis, W., Modern Architecture Since 1900, The Search for New Forms and the Problem of Ornament, 52-71, Arts and Crafts Ideals in Britain and the USA 87-97 A20- November 18: Early Modernism and the Modern Masters: Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies 4
van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto, Oscar Niemeier Summerson, J., Heavenly Mansions, Architecture, Painting and Le Corbusier, 177-194 Nuttgens. P., The Story of Architecture, Designing for a New Society, 266-283 Banham, R., Age of the Masters, Space and Power 50-62, Schroeder House Utrecht 68-69 Curtis, W., Modern Architecture Since 1900, Cubism, De Stijl and New Concepts of Space 149-159, The Process of Absorption: Latin America, Australia and Japan 491-511 Rio de Janeiro: November 19-21 A21- November 24: World War II and its Aftermath Nuttgens. P., The Story of Architecture, The Architecture of Pluralism, 284-297 Banham, R., Age of the Masters, 122-153 Curtis, W., Modern Architecture Since 1900, On Monuments and Monumentality: Louis I. Kahn 513-527, A22- November 27: Late 20th Century Architecture, Post-Modernism and the New Urbanism Venturi, R. Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, 22-30, 46-53 Curtis, W., Modern Architecture Since 1900, Pluralism in the 1970 s 589-613 Banham, R., A23- November 29: Late Modernism and Post-9/11 Curtis, W., Modern Architecture Since 1900, Continuity and Change in the Late 20 th Century, 617-689 Havana, Cuba: December 1-4 A24- December 8: Sustainability and The Environmental Showcase House A25-December 10 (A Day Finals): Fort Lauderdale: December 15 FIELD WORK Field lab attendance is mandatory for all students enrolled in this course. Please do not book individual travel plans or a Semester at Sea sponsored trip on the day of our field lab. FIELD LAB (At least 20 percent of the contact hours for each course, to be led by the instructor.) 1. The buildings and landscapes of Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx in Rio de Janeiro and/or Brasilia. The two most famous Brazilian designers often collaborated as in Rio de Janeiro on The Ministry of Education Building of 1936, done together with Le Corbusier, that anticipated the United Nations Secretariat in New York. Most of the major Government buildings in Brasilia were also designed by Niemeyer. Roberto 5
Burle Marx designed the waterfront promenade of Copacabana Beach as well as the gardens of several public buildings in Brasilia such as the Foreign Affairs Building and the Ministry of the Army. 2. The courtyard houses of the Medinas of Marrakech and/or Fez (a side trip from Casablanca) The Riad al Bartal 21 Rue Sournas, Quartier Ziat in Fez, and the Riad Noga, 78 Derb Jdid Douar Graoua, 40040 Marrakech, are just two such houses, now converted into small hotels, that are familiar to the instructor. These houses have much to teach us about high density, but very private, urban living. FIELD ASSIGNMENTS All students will prepare a report on a building, from a list supplied by the instructor, at each of our city destinations, identifying the architectural experiences that made the most impact, and the lessons that can be learned, either positive or negative. This report will be in the form of an illustrated journal. The work will be graded on the perceptiveness and originality of the illustrations and the commentary. Reference back to the content of this course will be valued METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING RUBRIC Participation and Attendance 10% Field Lab (Report) 20% Field Assignments (Journal) 20% Mid-term 20% Final Exam 30% RESERVE LIBRARY LIST *AUTHOR: Salvadori, Mario TITLE: Why Buildings Stand Up: The Strength of Architecture PUBLISHER: W.W. Norton ISBN#: ISBN-10: 0393306763, ISBN-13: 978-0393306767 DATE/EDITION: Reissue 2002 COST: $12.12 *AUTHOR: Rapoport, Amos TITLE: House Form and Culture PUBLISHER: Prentice Hall ISBN@: ISBN-10: 0133956733, ISBN-13: 978-0133956733 DATE/EDITION: 1969 COST: $47.17 *AUTHOR: Summerson, John 6
TITLE: Heavenly Mansions: and Other Essays PUBLISHER: W.W. Norton & Company ISBN#: ISBN-10: 0393318575, ISBN-13: 078-0393318579 DATE/EDITION: Reprint 1998 COST: $16.12 AUTHOR: Hall, Edward T. TITLE: The Hidden Dimension PUBLISHER: Anchor ISBN#: ISBN-10: 0385084765, ISBN-13: 978-0385084765 DATE/EDITION: 1990 COST: $11.56 *AUTHOR: Venturi, Robert., TITLE: Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture PUBLISHER: The Museum of Modern Art ISBN#: ISBN-10: 870702823, ISBN-13: 978-0870702822 DATE/EDITION: 2 nd edition 2002 COST: $14.50 AUTHOR: Philip Jodidio TITLE: Oscar Niemeyer PUBLISHER: Taschen ISBN#: ISBN-10: 3836530644, ISBN-13: 978-3836530644 DATE/EDITION: 2013 COST: $8.99 AUTHOR: Curtis, W. TITLE: Modern Architecture Since 1900 PUBLISHER: Phaidon ISBN#: ISBN-10: 074833568, ISBN-13: 978-0714833568 DATE/EDITION: 1996 COST: $28.77 AUTHOR: Banham, R. TITLE: Age of the Masters: A Personal View of Modern Architecture PUBLISHER: Harper and Row ISBN#: ASIN:B000OF0VHS DATE: 1975 COST:$24.69 AUTHOR: Heschong, L. TITLE: Thermal Delight in Architecture PUBLISHER: MIT Press ISBN#: ISBN-10: 026258039X, ISBN-13: 978-0262580397 7
DATE/EDITION: 1979 COST: $14.49 ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS AUTHOR: Vitruvius Polio BOOK TITLE: Ten Books on Architecture PAGES: 5-21, 38-41 AUTHOR: Le Corbusier BOOK TITLE: Towards a New Architecture PAGE: 141 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES None HONOR CODE Semester at Sea students enroll in an academic program administered by the University of Virginia, and thus bind themselves to the University s honor code. The code prohibits all acts of lying, cheating, and stealing. Please consult the Voyager s Handbook for further explanation of what constitutes an honor offense. Each written assignment for this course must be pledged by the student as follows: On my honor as a student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment. The pledge must be signed, or, in the case of an electronic file, signed [signed]. 8