Delft Lectures on Architectural History and Theory

(Re)thinking the Global History of Architecture: History and historiography as Agents of Change

Architecture, understood as the process of projecting, constructing, and maintaining buildings and structures embodies values of the past; diverse actors have used the built environment to achieve political, economic, social, or cultural goals. Over time, the role of architecture has changed extensively. From political demonstration to entrepreneurial intervention, from ideological statement to ecological practice. The memory of these earlier practices is inscribed in the built environment that surrounds us; it is also carried by historians and heritage specialists who choose to study one period over another, who focus on a specific locality, people or relationships. This course explores the ways in which architectural practice has evolved to respond to historical paradigms, responding to and shaping global and local societal conditions and frameworks. It also studies the ways in which historical investigation has shaped the course of architecture. Through a series of lectures, readings and discussion-based seminars, this course positions architectural practice in global histories and historiographies of architecture. The lectures will provide select examples from historical architecture through thematic lenses, exploring also the ways in which these histories are constructed and narrated.

The course consists of a lecture series (3ECTS) and associated seminars (2 ECTS).

Assignments:

1. Individual written responses to readings and lecture content by students, in the form of an exam. Grading will be based on demonstrated capacity to understand, analyze, contextualize, and discuss architectural history, historiography and theory.

2. A short proposal for a history or theory thesis, written individually. The proposal is graded on a Pass/Fail basis. A rubric with criteria will be available on the course's Brightspace page.
   

Repair options in case of an insufficient grade:

1. Individual Reading Responses Exam
   Students receive an individual mark for the exam. In case a student fails, the student will be given the chance to repair through an additional exam in week 3.2, again graded with an individual mark like the first exam.

2. Thesis Proposal
   In case of a Fail for the proposal, there is the possibility to repair this, with deadline in week 3.2. If a student can improve their proposal to a sufficient level, based on the feedback of their tutor, the Fail can be changed into a Pass.