RBST 6420 US Architecture and Urbanism

RBST 6420 US Architecture and Urbanism
US Architecture and Urbanism
Undertakes focused historical studies of selected urban environments to emphasize the contributions that architecture and urban design make to conceptions of place. We will ask how buildings and their urban contexts function in the formation of communal identities and in the expression of cultural values. We will interpret the concept urban' broadly to include settlement, village, town, city, suburb, megalopolis, and utopia. Students will not only examine the role of the prominent designers in shaping urban identities, but they will also analyze the significance of the vernacular built environment in creating images of place. Additional assigned readings of key critiques will provoke group discussion of vital contemporary issues, from the ideology of preservation, to the concept of regionalism, and to the philosophy of socially engaged design practice.This is a Service Learning course with approximately 30 hours of guided community service through a placement with the Preservation Resource Center.
credit hours: 3