FA 0450 Twentieth Century Architecture (Fall 2006)

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

248 Biddle Hall

MWF 12:00-12:50 p.m.

Fall 2006

In this course, we will closely examine the development of architectural styles and building technologies from the late nineteenth century to the present. This will be accomplished by thoroughly investigating (through assigned readings, classroom discussion and visual/contextual analysis) individual architects and their significant structures, as well as the relationship between the built-environment and societal conditions. At the conclusion of the course, you should:

1. Possess a strong understanding of basic architectural terminology and how structures are built.
2. Recognize the characteristics of specific architectural styles, particularly as they relate to technological advances and unique regional or historical forms.
3. Comprehend the uniqueness of individual architects and their major works.
4. Have detailed knowledge of a specific building, acquired through formal analysis and research.

Additional textual and visual materials for this course (including terms and lists of works you will be tested on and PowerPoint presentations of class lectures); additional required readings; your grades; and pertinent announcements concerning class meetings and examinations are found at:  http://courseweb.pitt.edu

I reserve the right to modify the timing, order and content of the course schedule. It is your responsibility to attend class and be aware of any changes. Check the course website regarding any class cancellations should they become necessary due to adverse weather conditions or other situations.

Faculty Statement:

My role is to facilitate learning through lecture and clarification of specific points through questioning and discussion, whether in the classroom, during office hours or via electronic correspondence. It is your responsibility to attend class, take accurate notes and approach me with any questions and issues for clarification in a timely manner.

Attendance:

While there is no attendance policy for this course, be forewarned that most of what you will be tested on is discussed thoroughly in class. Even with the textbooks, nothing replaces viewing the images projected on screen. Therefore, regular attendance is necessary to succeed in this course. In addition, as classroom discussion is expected, poor attendance will adversely affect you if it comes down to a borderline decision on your final grade.

Cell Phones:

Be certain your cell phone ringer is turned OFF, as it is both annoying and disruptive to the entire class.

Notes and Note Taking:

Under no circumstances do I provide notes for missed classes. It is your responsibility, if you miss a class, to acquire the lecture notes from a classmate. Class assignments and announcements are available on the course website. You may tape-record lectures as long as you inform the instructor in advance, and do not disturb others in the class.

Makeup Exams:

I give make-up exams only in cases with legitimate, documented reasons (death in the family, personal hospitalization, required fieldtrips, etc.). In such cases, inform me as soon as possible and provide written confirmation of your absence. The make-up exam must be taken within one week of the scheduled test; only one makeup exam per student will be permitted. No one can make-up the final exam, which must be taken at the scheduled time.

Late Assignments:

No extensions are granted for class assignments. The due dates are clearly noted on the syllabus at the beginning of the semester. You should begin each assignment in a timely manner and even complete assignments early. Illness or any other excuse has no bearing on the fact that your work was not turned in on time. Any assignment not turned in by the due date will not be graded, thus earning 0 points for the work. No exceptions are permitted so do not ask!

Academic Integrity:

Please read carefully the Academic Integrity Guidelines in your student handbook. They are followed to the letter in this course. There is ZERO tolerance for cheating or plagiarism. Any time that you use another person’s words or thoughts as your own without giving them proper credit is plagiarism. Any instance of cheating or plagiarism will result in an automatic "F" (0 points) for that assignment, and steps will be taken, according to the Academic Integrity Guidelines, to receive an "F" for the course and for action leading to expulsion from the university. I will not permit re-writing any suspected plagiarized assignment.

Disabilities:

Overall, you can earn 500 points during the semester. On this scale:

500-490 (A+)                         489-465 (A)                            464-450 (A-)

449-440 (B+)                         439-415 (B)                             414-400 (B-)

399-390 (C+)                         389-365 (C)                            364-350 (C-)

349-300 (D)                            299 and below (F)

Your grade will be determined in the following manner:

There will be four examinations (on September 27, October 23, November 15 and December 13) during the semester, each worth 100 points. The format will comprise of multiple choice and short essay questions drawn from class notes and readings. The final will NOT be comprehensive, but will include information presented by the instructor as well as by your classmates in their oral presentations. I will post study guides on the course website, and facilitate online study sessions before each exam.

In consultation with the professor, each student will select a specific topic in Modern Architecture to research during the semester. This may take the form of a specific architect or building, or take on a more broad issue. Regardless of your selection, you must meet with the professor during posted appointment times early in the semester, and receive approval for your topic before proceeding. These consultations will be set up beginning the week of October 9. A signup sheet will be posted on my office door.

You must use at least five specific books and/or articles for your paper. These sources would include not only academic articles accessible from library databases, but books found in our library or acquired through interlibrary loan. NO INTERNET SOURCES! Any use of internet material (without prior approval of the professor) will result in an automatic “0” for the entire paper. I’m serious…don’t test me on this point.

You are strongly encouraged (but not required) to submit a draft of your term paper well in advance of the due date, upon which the professor will edit and make comments.

The finished properly-documented paper must be 6-8 pages, typewritten and double-spaced.  Specific guidelines regarding technical requirements and layout are found on the course web site under “Assignments.”  They must be followed completely in order for your paper to be acceptable. Please reference the earlier passage on Academic Integrity Policy regarding issues of plagiarism. This most definitely includes "cut and pasting" passages from the Internet, which I can readily spot, so use your own words and ideas at all time, and properly note other people's contributions.

Due date for final submission of term paper: November 29.

August 28                    Course Introduction

August 30                    Revivalism and Mid-19^th Century Architectural Thought       

September 01              Ècole des Beaux-Arts Architecture Comes to America (Colquhoun, Chapter 2)

September 04              No Class—Labor Day Holiday

September 06              Henry Hobson Richardson

September 08              American Skyscrapers: New York vs. Chicago School

September 11              Louis Sullivan: Structural Organicism

September 13              Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie School Architecture

September 15              Frank Lloyd Wright (con’t)

September 18              Art Nouveau in Brussels and Paris (Colquhoun, Chapter 1)

September 20              Antoni Gaudí

September 22              Austrian Architects and the Viennese Secession

September 25              Arts and Crafts Style in America

September 27              Exam I

September 29              Deutscher Werkbund (Colquhoun, Chapter 3)

October 02                  Peter Behrens

October 04                  Adolf Loos (Colquhoun, Chapter 4)

October 06                  German Expressionism and Italian Futurism (Colquhoun, Chapter 5)

October 09                  De Stijl in Holland (Colquhoun, Chapter 6)

October 11                  Architecture and Revolution in Russia

October 13                  Le Corbusier’s Quest for Ideal Form (Colquhoun, Chapter 7)

October 16                  Walter Gropius and the Bauhaus (Colquhoun, Chapter 8)

October 18                  Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

October 20                  Totalitarian Architecture in Germany and Italy (Colquhoun, Chapter 9)

October 23                  Exam II

October 25                  American Skyscrapers between the Wars

October 27                  Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1920s

October 30                  Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s

November 01              Alvar Aalto: Architecture in Scandinavia (Colquhoun, Chapter 10)

November 03              Late Work of Frank Lloyd Wright

November 06              Late Work of Le Corbusier (Colquhoun, Chapter 11)

November 08              European Modernism Arrives in the U.S.A. (Colquhoun, Chapter 12)

November 10              Ludwig Mies van Der Rohe in America

November 13              Eero Saarinen and Louis Kahn

November 15              Exam II

November 17              Philip Johnson and the Curse of the Miesian Glass Box

November 20              Contemporary Home Design Trends

November 22              No Class—Thanksgiving Recess

November 24              No Class—Thanksgiving Recess

November 27              Learning from Las Vegas: Robert Venturi and the Call to Post-Modernism

November 29              Kohn Pedersen Fox  * Term Paper Due

December 01               Contemporary Museums and Exhibition Spaces

December 04               Tadao Ando and Mario Botta: Religious Structures at Century’s End

December 06               Booming Construction in the Middle East and Pacific Rim

December 08               Post-9/11: Are Skyscrapers Necessary Anymore?

Final Exam: Wednesday, December 13, 12:30-2:30 p.m.