Research Colloquium

This course explores different forms, methods, and instruments of inquiry, preparing students to perform advanced academic work in architecture and urban design. The aim is to strengthen the students’ background and refine their skills in research, historical interpretation, and critical analysis. Students will analyze architecture-related literature from a critical perspective, perform independent primary and secondary research, and present the results in written, visual, and oral forms.

First, students will receive an overview of the ideas that shaped European and Western cities, buildings, and landscapes during the twentieth century, followed by an investigation of the forces that are shaping the built environment in the twenty-first century. Topics will include the historical and contemporary contexts of architecture, landscape, and urban design in the Europe; architectural intentions in relation to shifting worldviews; the development of the architectural avant-garde in the twentieth century; the economic, political, and cultural circumstances with the larger framework of modernism, urbanization, and globalization; and leading figures of twentieth-century architectural thought.

Secondly, students will explore how architectural ideas—or theories—are not only disseminated through buildings, but also through words and images. As such, it is understood that clear communication is a vital skill and an integral part of architectural practice. Topics will include fundamental writing and research methods; the relations between architecture discourse and mediums; critical analysis of words and images; verbal presentation skills; and an introduction different forms of media.