M C G I L L -- U N I V E R S I TY
S C H O O L -- O F-- A R C H IT E C T U R E
ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY I
301-251B (3 credits)
INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL
HISTORY I 301-253B (3 credits)
F A L L 2002
Patrick J. Nuttgens, The Story of Architecture (2nd. Ed.), London: Phaidon Press, 1997. This book is available at Paragraph Bookstore (2220 McGill College).
Internet access to additional course material:
Many of the slides shown in the lectures can be studied through the electronic archive of slides created by the University of California at Berkeley, which is entitled "SPIRO.";
Students are encouraged to take advantage of the internet as a way to visit distant and inaccessible architectural sites. For example, take a quick trip to ancient Greece.
and PERSEUS, an extraordinary resource site.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. Attendance to all lectures
2. Completion of reading assignments
3. Five-page term paper (1200 words)
4. Simulacrum: an interpretative model of an architectural landscape. Students in Intro to Architectural History I will have the option of writing a longer paper in lieu of the simulacrum.
5. A multiple choice mid-term exam:
EVALUATION
1. Mid-term exam on Friday 9 November at 10:30 p.m. will count for 30% of total grade.
2. Paper, (typewritten hard copy), due Friday 23 November at 10:30 a.m.,. Paper should be posted on the Internet at this time. The paper will count for 30% of total grade.
3. Simulacrum, due Wednesday 28 November from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m., Friday 30 November from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m., and Wednesday 05 December from 10:30 to 12:30 will count for 30% of total grade.
4. Participation and attendance wiil count for 10% of total grade.
THE TERM PAPER
"The purpose of the term paper is to introduce you to the process of scholarly research in architecture.
Final Term Paper
The major part of the assignment is to write an analytical narrative, maximum 5 pages in length (not including notes, illustrations and bibliography), on an aspect of your choice relevant to ancient and medieval architecture. You are not limited to the themes presented in the lectures.
In choosing the topic of your paper consider an architectural issue which interests you. Determine from preliminary readings a significant question to ask. Your paper should present and arguable and original thesis on your subject, rather than simply reporting facts. The formulation of the question is crucial to the success of the paper and it is important that you state your point of view clearly in your paper.
The most important source in architectural history is the building itself. You may want to choose a city or building you have visited, or a local building you can explore. Other important sources include photographs and drawings, contemporary descriptions or contracts, traveler's journals and reports which are excellent indicators of the reception of ideas and buildings at a given epoch. The work of other architectural historians and critics is obviously valuable; keep in mind that your work might shed new light on old subjects by the use of different sources.
It is fundamental that you acknowledge the use of other scholars' works in your paper. Plagiarism is not simply borrowing another writer's language, but it is also constituted by the presentation of any sequence of ideas, arrangement of material or pattern of thought of someone else, even though the ideas may be expressed in your own words. Refer to writing manuals such as the MLA Handbook or the Chicago Manual of Style for the correct use of footnotes and bibliography. These are aspects of the craft of writing and are critical to the overall success of the paper. Please type, double space, your final draft. You may use your own drawings or xerox images from publications, citing the sources."
In order to reward students who submit papers on time, late papers will be penalized 10%/day.
SIMULACRUM
"Simulacrum", pl. "simulacra", from Latin,
Image, representation
Ideological representation, copy, model, appearance
Figured representation
The simulacra will be executed by teams of three students. Each group must choose a site (building/landscape), which is relevant to the period covered by this course. Requirements for the model will be .
All the simulacra models will be exhibited publicly and will be discussed by visiting critic(s) on 28-30 November and 05 December.
The simulacrum model will count as 30% of the final grade.
THEMATIC SCHEDULE OF LECTURES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A comprehensive bibliography accompanies this hand out.