Worlding Theories and Concepts

Worlding and worlding practices, in their inherent pluriversality, call for a general reinterpretation of built and lived environments and related cultural and spatial practices, architecture included.

With this in mind, this course focuses on architecture as a material-discursive practice and a technique of environmental design that engages in the purposeful transformation of the world.

It familiarizes students with a set of key theoretical concepts from recent discourses in architecture and urban/environmental design, as well as attendant (environmental, social, cultural, philosophical, technological, economic) discursive streams to understand and engage with wording dynamics.

The general aim of the course is to establish a conceptual basis around both, canonical and newly emerging concepts and theories, and foster an intellectual sensibility for their critical and creative (analytical/methodic) use within architectural research and design.

To demonstrate their understanding of different theories and concepts, students will write a series of short entries to a collective Glossary.

The course is assessed through active participation and, as detailed in the course syllabus, a series of short, academic reflections (1500 words in total) that form the main grading component. The final submission is due in week 3.10; the marking period is 10 working days after the submission date.

Repair

The assignment is awarded a grade that is a whole or half number between 1.0 and 10.0. Students pass the course with a 6.0 or higher. With a grade below 6.0: students who handed in assessable work during the course can choose to hand in an improved assignment (repair) during the next exam period (on the condition that an initial assignment was handed in during the course) to change the grade into a ‘pass’. An assignment can be repaired only once. When the repair is unsuccessful, the student needs to follow the entire course again.