ARTH 100 - History of Architecture (non-major)

Architecture is the one art form which is inescapable as it provides the environment for our daily lives. Through analysis of architectural history’s “greatest hits” as well as vernacular buildings typical of our everyday experience, we will examine how architecture affects our lives. In what ways does it shape our experiences, how does it enhance or detract from our activities? Why are some buildings successful, why do we want to use them while others fail? These are among the questions that will be asked from both a historical and contemporary perspective. This course is designed for non-Architecture students and will satisfy the College’s fine arts distribution requirement. Architecture is the one art form which is inescapable as it provides the environment for our daily lives. Through analysis of architectural history’s “greatest hits” as well as vernacular buildings typical of our everyday experience, we will examine how architecture affects our lives. In what ways does it shape our experiences, how does it enhance or detract from our activities? Why are some buildings successful, why do we want to use them while others fail? These are among the questions that will be asked from both a historical and contemporary perspective. This course will introduce students to the study of architecture through an examination of selected examples from the history of European and American architecture (e.g. the Great Pyramids, the Parthenon, the Eiffel Tower, Fallingwater) as well as site visits to local buildings and discussions with practitioners in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, planning and preservation. Classes will be a combination of lectures and discussion as students are taught the fundamentals of architectural history as well as how to analyze buildings.

Prerequisites & Notes
This course is designed for non-architecture students and will satisfy the college’s fine arts distribution requirement.

Credits: 3