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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN

Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia


ARCHITECTURE CULTURE & HISTORY 2 [ARC 1323]
Prerequisite: Architecture Culture & History 1 [ARC 1313]

Abstract

“Dates are much more than isolated markers of events. Organised into a chronology, dates establish sequence and
synchronicity” ~ Clint Twist, 1999.

Architecture Culture & History 2 [ARC 1323] is a continuation of the investigation of the historical development of architecture
that began in Architecture Culture & History 1 [ARC 1313]. Lectures will provide detailed accounts of the principal
developments in the Western world from the revolutionary period to the present day. Buildings will be explored with reference
to major contemporary examples and the work and philosophy of significant exponents. Students will undertake a major
research of a significant building, complete with investigation of the major influences that led to its development and in turn its
influence in other architectural aspects.

Objectives

 To deepen students’ understanding of architectural theory through a consideration of intentions, concepts, patterns,
disciplines, architectural language and contextual relationships.
 To examine a detailed account of the principal developments in the western world from the Industrial Revolution to post-
World War 2.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the subject, students will be able to:


 Describe the development of the main strands of western architecture over the last 200 years.
 Identify some of the issues involved in the interrelationship between theory and design as exemplified in various historical
periods and places.
 Interpret architectural language in relation to the development of Western architecture between Industrial Revolution and
post World War 2.
 Differentiate the way in which many varied factors contribute to the development of form.
 Compare how architects have used architectural language in various historical periods.
 Analyse the broad issues which inform the development of architecture between Industrial Revolution and post World
War 2.

Mode of Delivery

This is a 3 credit hour subject held over 14 weeks. The mode of delivery will be in the form of Lectures, Tutorials and Self-
study. The breakdown of the hours is as follows:

Lecture: 2 hours/week
Tutorial: 2 hours/week
Self-study: 4 hours/week

Lecture: Thursday [Group A & B] 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm


Tutorial: Tuesday [Group B] 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Thursday [Group A] 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Venue: LT 8
Lecturer: Nurul Anida Mohamad
Ar. Hayazi
Dr. James P

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General Rules and Regulations

Submission deadlines are to be strictly observed. All activities will be graded on the submission date. Any delayed submission
will result in reduction of marks.

Class will officially begin as in the schedule. Any student who arrives late after the first half-hour of class will be considered as
absent. Any medical certificate must be forwarded to the lecturer in case of any sickness, which prohibited you from attending
the class, within 48 hours to the Programme Office.

Plagiarism is prohibited and will result in failure of the unit.

Attendance and Participation

Attendance is compulsory. You are expected to attend and participate actively in class. The lectures and tutorials will assist
you in expanding your ideas and your research progression.

Your work will be graded based on your performance throughout the semester. Your class participation is as important as the
end product.

Student-centered Learning (SCL) Approach

“The true delight is in the finding out rather than the knowing.” ~ Isaac Asimov

A student-centered learning approach will be employed in the delivery of this subject where students are seen as partners in a
learning journey. Lecture sessions will be conducted to facilitate student’s knowledge of the development of architecture and
architectural language while Tutorial sessions will gauge student’s understanding and research capabilities.
 As each lecture session is set to achieve different milestones, attendance to all sessions is compulsory.
 Students should be self-directed in their learning process, and conduct vigorous research during Self-study periods.
 Students are required to participate in class.

Blackboard 7 will be used as a communication tool and information portal for students to access course materials, project
briefs, assignments and announcements.

Student Input

Student participation is encouraged through various means. In this subject, students have the opportunity to participate in the
following ways:

 Students’ ideas and questions are welcomed, valued and encouraged.


 Student input is sought to understand their perspectives, ideas and needs in planning subject revision.
 Students are offered opportunities to give feedback with the assurance that issues will be addressed in response to that
feedback.
 Students reflect on their performance in personal portfolios.
 Student evaluation allows their views and experiences about the sessions are actively sought and used as an integral
part of improvement in teaching and continuous improvement.

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Assessment

This subject will be graded in the form of coursework, final examination and portfolio submission. Coursework consists of 2
assignments: 1 group work and 1 individual work.

Assessment Duration % Due

Project 1: Building Review (Individual) 6 weeks 20 Week 7 – 14 Sept 2010

Project 2: Building Typology Studies in Southeast Asia 7 weeks 40 Week 11 – 12 Oct 2010

Examination Week
Final Examination 30
(refer to Examination Schedule)

Portfolio (Individual) 10 As per indicated by Course Leader

Total 100%

Project 1 : Building Review


In this individual assignment, students are required to select a building which is listed from all the lecture topics and find 2-3
literatures on that particular building. Based on the literature, students are to write a review of that building and students are
also required to include their own writing on the building. This writing may be formed from the students’ understanding of the
building, interpretation of the architect’s intention as well as their own experience if the building. The review has to be
submitted together with a diagrammatic analysis of the building.

Project 2 : Building Typologies Studies in Southeast Asia


This is a group project where students will divide themselves into groups of 3-4 students. Each group will study a particular
building typology in a particular country in Southeast Asia and in understanding the development of the building typology,
students are also required to study the political, social, economical, historical, physical and cultural context of the country
being studied. All the finding will then be compiled in a big timeline to show the development of modern architecture in
Southeast Asia.

Portfolio

The portfolio is an edited document that is to include all the work produced in this unit. A visual diary and process of work
(packaged) are to be included as part of portfolio submission. The portfolio should be an A3 fold-out which is beautifully
mounted onto boards and well-crafted. It should have a title page, and should not exceed five A3 panels (excluding title page).
Images, drawings, text and so on must be well edited, legible and composed.

Types of Assessment and Feedback

Each student will be graded in the form of formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments will provide
information to guide the student in the research process. This form of assessment will be conducted through Interim
Critique/Review sessions. Summative assessment will inform the student about the level of understanding and performance
capabilities achieved at the end of each research project.

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Marks and Grading Table

Assessments and grades will be returned within 2 weeks of your submission. You will be given the grades and necessary
feedback for each submission. The grading system is shown below:

Grade Marks Grade Points Definition Description

Evidence of original thinking; demonstrated


outstanding capacity to analyze and synthesize;
A 80 – 100 4.00 Excellent
outstanding grasp of subject matter; evidence of
extensive knowledge base.

A- 75 – 79 3.67 Very Good Evidence of grasp of subject matter, some


evidence of critical capacity and analytical ability,
B+ 70 – 74 3.33
reasonable understanding of relevant issues;
Good
B 65 – 69 3.00 evidence of familiarity with the literature.

B- 60 – 64 2.67 Evidence of some understanding of the subject


matter; ability to develop solutions to simple
C+ 55 – 59 2.33 Acceptable
problems; benefiting from his / her university
C 50 – 54 2.00 experience.

D+ 47 - 49 1.67
Evidence of minimally acceptable familiarity with
D 44 - 46 1.33 Marginal Pass
subject matter, critical and analytical skills.
D- 40 – 43 1.00
Insufficient evidence of understanding of the
F 0 – 39 0.00 Fail subject matter; weakness in critical and analytical
skills; limited or irrelevant use of the literature.
Given to a student who does not attend the final
F(A) 0 0.00 Fail
examination without valid reasons.
Given to a student who is barred from taking the
examination due to attendance of less than 80% or
F(X) 0 0.00 Fail
to a student who arrives more than 30 minutes late
for the examination without valid grounds.
Given to a subject withdrawn between week 5 and
WD - - Withdrawn
week 7 (inclusive) of the semester.
Given to a subject withdrawn between week 8 and
WF 0 0.00 Fail
week 11 (inclusive) of the semester.
Given to a student who does not complete certain
requirements, including examination / test
IN - - Incomplete
(excluding practicum), on valid grounds such as
medical conditions.

References

1. Curtis, William J.R. 1982. Modern Architecture since 1900. Phaidon.


2. Frampton, Kenneth. 2000. Modern Architecture: A Critical History. London: Thames and Hudson.
3. Ghirardo, Diane. 1996. Architecture after Modernism. Thames and Hudson Ltd.
4. Kostoff, Spiro. 1985. A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
5. Norberg-Schulz, Christian. 1976. Meaning in Western Architecture. New York: Praeger Publishers.

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Schedule and Topics

Week Dates Lecture Topic Activities Submissions

1 3 Aug Introduction to course & Assignment


Briefing
5 Aug Introduction to Modern Architecture Issue of Project 1
Tutorial
2 10 Aug Tutorial
12 Aug Architecture in the Age of Proposal
Enlightenment
Tutorial
3 17 Aug Tutorial
19 Aug Architecture in the 19th Century Draft of Essay
Tutorial
4 24 Aug Tutorial
26 Aug Architecture of the New Industrialism
Tutorial
5 31 Aug Merdeka – Public Holiday
2 Sept Reactions to the Industrial Revolution Issue of Project 2 Submission of
Tutorial Project 1 (20%)
6 7 Sept Mid-semester break

7 14 Sept The American Architecture Group Proposal


16 Sept Malaysia Day – Public Holiday
8 21 Sept Tutorial
23 Sept German Futurists and Russian
Constructivists
Tutorial
9 28 Sept Tutorial Draft of report and
30 Sept Expressionism & De Stijl booklet
Tutorial
10 5 Oct Tutorial
7 Oct Bauhaus
Tutorial
11 12 Oct Presentation of
14 Oct Project 2 (10%)

12 19 Oct Tutorial Submission of


The International Style and its Masters Project 2 Report
21 Oct Part I and Booklet (25%)
Tutorial
13 26 Oct Tutorial Putting together Timeline (5%)
28 Oct The International Style and its Masters our timeline
Part 2
Tutorial
14 2 Nov Tutorial
4 Nov Revision
15 9 Nov Study week Submission of
Portfolio (10%)

16 16 Nov Exam week

Note: This course outline is subject to changes with short notice.

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Why Study History?

The importance of studying history is to use the past to shape the future. History is a dialogue between the events
of the past and emerging future trends. It is so because with the passage of time we have come to know much
more about the past and with its experience we can suggest something for the future. It is due to history that
mankind is moving from good to better.

History Helps Us Understand People and Societies

History offers the only extensive evidential base for the contemplation and analysis of how societies function and
people need to have some sense of how societies function simply to run their own lives.

History Helps Us Understand Change and How the Society We Live in Came to Be

History provides the only extensive materials available to study the human condition. It also focuses attention on
the complex processes of social change, including the factors that are causing change around us today.

The Importance of History in Our Own Lives

History well told is beautiful. Stories well done are stories that reveal how people and societies have actually
functioned, and they prompt thoughts about the human experience in other times and places. Exploring what
historians sometimes call the "pastness of the past"—the ways people in distant ages constructed their lives—
involves a sense of beauty and excitement, and ultimately another perspective on human life and society.

History Contributes to Moral Understanding

History provides a terrain for moral contemplation. Studying the stories of individuals and situations in the past
allows a student of history to test his or her own moral sense. "History teaching by example" is one phrase that
describes this use of a study of the past.

History Provides Identity

History helps provide identity, and this is unquestionably one of the reasons all modern nations encourage its
teaching in some form. Histories that tell the national story, emphasizing distinctive features of the national
experience, are meant to drive home an understanding of national values and a commitment to national loyalty.

Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship

A study of history is essential for good citizenship. History that lays the foundation for genuine citizenship returns,
in one sense, to the essential uses of the study of the past. History provides data about the emergence of national
institutions, problems, and values. More important, studying history encourages habits of mind that are vital for
responsible public behavior.

What Skills Does a Student of History Develop?

The Ability to Assess Evidence. The study of history builds experience in dealing with and assessing various kinds
of evidence. This skill can also be applied to information encountered in everyday life.

The Ability to Assess Conflicting Interpretations. Learning history means gaining some skill in sorting through
diverse, often conflicting interpretations.

Experience in Assessing Past Examples of Change. Experience in assessing past examples of change is vital to
understanding change in society today—it's an essential skill in what we are regularly told is our "ever-changing
world."

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History Is Useful in the World of Work

History is useful for work. Students acquire, by studying different phases of the past and different societies in the
past, a broad perspective that gives them the range and flexibility required in many work situations. They develop
research skills, the ability to find and evaluate sources of information, and the means to identify and evaluate
diverse interpretations. A study in history also improves basic writing and speaking skills and is directly relevant to
many of the analytical requirements in the public and private sectors, where the capacities to identify, assess, and
explain trends is essential.

Why study history? The answer is because we virtually must.

~ Excerpted from article titled Why Study History? by Peter N. Stearns, American Historical Association

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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN
Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia
ARCHITECTURE CULTURE & HISTORY 2 [ARC 1323]
Prerequisite: Architecture Culture & History 1 [ARC 1313]

Project 1
Building Review (Individual Assignment)
5 weeks
20% of final mark

Abstract
Architecture, as many of us forget to remember, is actually the product of understanding its contextual factors by the architect. More often
than not, the design of a particular building is determined largely by its function as well as the people and place for which it was built. With
that in mind, this assignment is designed to create a better understanding amongst the students on the factors that have contributed to the
development of modern Western architecture, and it is hoped that from the knowledge gained through the assignments, students will be
able to apply the same theory to a more local context, as what is required in the following assignments.

Learning Outcomes
1. Interpret architectural language in relation to the development of Western architecture between Industrial Revolution and post World
War 2.
2. Differentiate the way in which many varied factors contribute to the development of form.
3. Ability to extract important information and present them in your own style

Tasks
Your task is to write a review on one of the buildings listed below. The review should be based on a minimum of two (2) literatures or
published material on that particular building. Students may also add another source of review from the internet provided that the article
has a legible author and references.

The review should be written based on the following


1. The fast facts of the building – building name, location, architect, size, function etc
2. The contextual condition – before and after the building was built & can be looked at from different aspects e.g. physical, social,
political, economical, cultural etc
3. Issues raised from the inception to the completion of the construction of the building
4. The architect – design ideas and concept
5. The building – form, spatial layout, architectural features / styles, materials used, special features
6. User appraisal
7. Analytical diagram of the building being studied
8. Your own opinion based on your understanding of design

Some of the review may not cover all of the items listed above, you are not to add any of the information to your review.

Below is a list of buildings you can choose from. You are also welcome to choose other buildings, substantiated by proof of research data,
with the lecturer’s consent.

1. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Frank Lloyd Wright, 1956–59


2. Villa Savoye, Poissy, Le Corbusier, 1928-29
3. Fallingwater, Bear Run, Pennsylvania, Frank Lloyd Wright, 1935
4. Chapel of Notre-Dame, Ronchamp, Le Corbusier, 1950-54
5. Unite d’Habitation, Marseilles, Le Corbusier, 1947-52
6. 860 – 880 Lakeshore Drive, Chicago, Ludwig Mies van Der Rohe, 1951
7. Farnsworth House, Ludwig Mies van Der Rohe, 1951
8. Chandigarh Administration Centre, Chandigarh, India, Le Corbusier, 1950s
9. National Assembly Hall, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Louis Kahn, 1962
Architecture Culture & History 2 Project 1 Building Review
10. Salk Institute, La Jolla, California, Louis Kahn, 1959-65
11. Staatliches Bauhaus, Weimar, Walter Gropius, 1919-25
12. TWA Terminal, New York, Eero Saarinen, 1956-62
13. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Antonio Gaudi, 1882-2026

Submission format

Final submission is an A4-bound compilation of the following:


 Written paper with a word count of 1000 – 1500 words and appropriate referencing
 Analytical diagram of the building to be included as part of the main body of the essay
 List of references
 Research data attachments (reference materials)

Assessment criteria
 General understanding of the building and its context
 Critical analysis and use of evidence
 How the essay engages with the issues found in the study and the extent to which the essay provide solutions to the issues
 Conclusion
 Presentation – layout of essay
(Refer to grading criteria attached in Course Outline)

References
Clark, R.H & Pause, M. Precedents in Architecture – Analytical Diagrams, Formative Ideas and Partis. John Wiley & Sons. New Jersey.
2005

Timeline and Schedule

WEEK SESSION TOPIC Submission

Students to decide on choice of


Week 1 5 Aug Issue of Project 1 Building Review
building

Students are to submit articles of the


Week 2 12 Aug Proposal
building to be reviewed

Submission of draft in typewritten A4


format
Week 3 19 Aug Draft of Essay
Submission in Class by 5.00pm

Submission of Building Review in


Week 5 2 Sept
class

Architecture Culture & History 2 Project 1 Building Review


Grading Criteria

Grading Criteria Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor Fail


Relevance and The articles chosen The articles chosen The articles chosen The articles chosen The articles have
optimum use of have given an have given most of have provided the provided minimal not discussed the
reference materials extensive insight to the information students with fairly information on the important facts and
(10%) the building being needed by the sufficient buildings and the there is no evidence
reviewed and there students and there information to student barely of the students
are evidence that are evidence that review the building utilizes the using the
the student have the student have and there are information provided information given
utilized all the utilized most of the evidence that the
information to the information given student have utilized
optimum some of the
information given

General Building is Building is Fair building Minimal discussions No basic facts of the
understanding of the described described introduction with on the important buildings were
building being thoroughly and thoroughly with a acceptable amount facts of the building mentioned in the
reviewed introduction leads to fair amount of of facts being essay
(20%) the justification on justification on the discussed on the
the choice of choice of building building
building

Clarity of content – All the important Most of the Some of the Minimal amount of The essay lacks the
extensiveness of points in the articles important points in important points in important points discussion of
topics covered in are presented the articles are the articles are being discussed important points
the review extensively with and presented quite presented with a randomly from the articles
(35%) have been extensively and minimum chosen
categorized have been categorization
accordingly categorized fairly

Critical analysis of Evidence of Evidence of Fair evidence of Minimal evidence of No evidence


the building based diagrammatic diagrammatic diagrammatic diagrammatic diagrammatic
on the review analysis of the analysis of the analysis of the analysis done on analysis done on
(15%) building in building in building based on the building the building
accordance to all accordance to some the articles
the points discussed of the points
in the articles discussed in the
articles

Presentation – A very clear flow of Clear flow of Fair flow of Poor flow of There is no flow in
layout and flow of presentation with presentation with a presentation with presentation and the presentation of
essay perfect sequencing proper sequencing fair sequencing disorganized content
(10%) content layout

Language and the Excellent use of Appropriate use of Fair use of Minimal use of Inappropriate use of
use of appropriate architectural and architectural and architectural and architectural and architectural and
architectural and technical technical technical technical technical
technical terminologies with terminologies with terminologies with terminologies with terminologies with
terminologies perfect grammar minor grammatical some grammatical major grammatical no language
(10%) errors errors errors structure

Architecture Culture & History 2 Project 1 Building Review


Individual student grades

Student’s name / Criteria


Relevance and optimum use of reference materials
(10%)

General understanding of the building being reviewed


(20%)

Clarity of content – extensiveness of topics covered in


the review
(35%)

Critical analysis of the building based on the review


(15%)

Presentation – layout and flow of essay


(10%)

Language and the use of appropriate architectural and


technical terminologies
(10%)

Remarks / comments

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