Elective Course
Credits: 3-0-3 (3 semester hours)
Type of Course: Seminar
Instructors: Sonit Bafna, John Peponis
Prerequisites: Graduate Standing
Course Overview: Accounts of the social functions of the architectural space and associated design choices, across a variety of building types and scales of environmental design.
Topics:
Design and the social functions of architectural space
The idea of spatial culture
Building functions, specialized and generic
Building layout and the communication of knowledge
Domestic layouts and social relationships
Building layout and communication
Building layout and way finding
Movement as a function of space
Spatial aesthetics and cultural function
Building design and the history of ideas
Building design and visual communication
Learning from mistakes
Design evaluation and design formulation
Learning Objectives: To introduce a range of theories, methods and case studies regarding the social functions of buildings. To assist design through the critical examination of assumptions and the identification of design choices.
Course Requirements:
Students write a paper comparing a small sample of buildings or areas in order to critically examine and test a proposition regarding the social and cultural functions of built spaces. Draft paper submitted ad reviewed at mid-semester.