University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
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FA 0440 Frank Lloyd Wright (Spring 2004) Writing Enhanced

FA 0440 Frank Lloyd Wright

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

248 Biddle Hall

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

Spring 2006

 

Dr. Valerie S. Grash, Associate Professor of Fine Arts

Office: 230B Biddle Hall

Phone: 269-7164         

Email: vgrash@pitt.edu

 

Office Hours:  Mondays & Wednesdays, 1:00-2:00 p.m.; Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; and by appointment.

 

Introduction:

This course is a comprehensive study of master architect Frank Lloyd Wright, carefully examining his life, his career and his ideas. Beginning with his unique childhood, we will chronologically examine not only those people and forces that influenced him, but also study his development as an architect. A close examination of his major works and various periods in his career will reveal several dominant themes that emerged in his work. Due to our geographical proximity to Fallingwater and Pittsburgh, we will pay special attention to his building designs in western Pennsylvania, and tour his masterpiece home for Edgar J. Kaufmann, Sr. during the semester. Additionally, we will discuss other modern architectural movements and important architects, either who influenced Wright or upon which he made an impact.

 

At the conclusion of this course, you will:

 

1.       Possess a complete understanding of Frank Lloyd Wright’s unique life and personality.

2.       Recognize his architectural works and fully comprehend his distinct vision of architecture and society.

3.       Be able to contextualize modern architectural movements and architects.

4.       Write expressively and thoughtfully about architecture.

Required Textbooks:

  • Donald Hoffman, Understanding Frank Lloyd Wright’s Architecture (Dover, 1995) ISBN: 048628364X
  • Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead (Signet, 1996) ISBN: 0451191153 (however, any printing will do)
Additional Readings:

Posted on the course web site are other essential readings, including original writings by Wright, as well as current scholarship on his life and architecture. Consult these posted readings as assigned, and be ready to discuss them in class.

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Course Web Site:

Textual and visual materials for this course (including lists of works you will be tested on and links to images); required readings; your grades; and pertinent announcements concerning class meetings and examinations are found at http://courseweb.pitt.edu/

Notice Regarding Course Changes:

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 with the course web site regarding any class cancellations should they become necessary due to adverse weather conditions or other situations.

Course Policies:

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 a textbook, 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 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 alternative 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 Policy:

Please read carefully the Academic Integrity Guidelines in your student handbook. They will be 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 may be taken, according to the Academic Integrity Guidelines, to receive an "F" for the course and for action leading to expulsion from the university. No re-writing of any assignment is permitted if plagiarism is suspected.

 

Disabilities:

Students with disabilities who may be requesting academic accommodations for this course should notify the course instructor and Theresa M. Horner, L.P.C., Coordinator of Disability Services, as early as possible in the term.  The Coordinator of Disability Services will verify the disability and determine reasonable accommodations for the course. To schedule an appointment or to learn more about disability services at UPJ, please call ext. 7109 or visit the Academic Support Center in G-16 Owen Library.

Grading and Course Requirements

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:

Examinations (300 points total):

There will be three exams (February 6, March 3, and during Finals Week) during the semester, each worth 100 points. The format will comprise of multiple choice questions and short answer questions drawn from class notes and readings. The final will NOT be comprehensive, although there may be a bonus question component added that is all-inclusive in nature. I will post study guides on the course website, and may facilitate online study sessions before each exam.

Short Writing Assignments (150 points total):

You will complete five short (2-3 typewritten, double-spaced pages) writing assignments during the semester, each worth 30 points. These assignments will provoke not only self-examination of your reactions to architecture, but also sharpen your evaluation of Frank Lloyd Wright and his ideas. Specific guidelines for each assignment are provided on the course web site. These assignments (with due dates) are:

 

#1     Descriptive Paper of Your Home (January 25)

#2     Critical Article Review (February 17)

#3     Reaction to Mike Wallace Interviews (March 20)

#4     Character Evaluation of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead (March 31)

#5     Reaction to Fallingwater Trip (April 12)

 

Course Project (50 points):

You will complete one of the following projects:

 

  1. Create a 3-D architectural model of a specific Wright building, accompanied by a short (2-3 pages) documented paper outlining the building’s history and main characteristics.
  2. Create a comprehensive scrapbook consisting of a floor plan and elevation drawings of YOUR ideal home, with accompanying commentary outlining the building’s placement, location, style, materials and layout. You should include some discussion of how Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural ideas influenced your choices.

 

Specific guidelines for the course project are posted on the course web site. Please follow these carefully in order to insure you adequately fulfill the requirements for the assignment. The course project is due: April 21

Special Note on Field Trip:

A bus trip to Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, both houses built by Frank Lloyd Wright, will be scheduled for later in the semester.

Course Schedule

January 04        Course Introduction

January 06        Wright’s Family Background

 

January 09        Wright’s Formative Childhood Years

January 11        Wright’s Architectural Training and Arrival in Chicago

January 13        Henry Hobson Richardson and Other Early Influences on Frank Lloyd Wright

 

January 16        No Class—Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

January 18        Liebermeister: The Architecture and Writings of Louis Sullivan

January 20        World Columbian Exposition of 1893, and the Emergence of the “White City”

 

January 23        Nineteenth Century Domestic Architecture, and Wright’s Oak Park Home and Studio

January 25        The Prairie School Houses (Short Writing Assignment #1 due)

January 27        Dana Thomas House (Springfield, IL)

 

January 30        Corporate Paternalism: Larkin Building (Buffalo, NY)        

February 01       Unity Temple (Oak Park, IL)

February 03       Frederick Robie House (Chicago, IL)

 

February 06       Exam I

February 08       European Contact: Wasmuth Portfolio and Wright’s Impact on De Stijl

February 10       The Bauhaus and European Modernism

 

February 13       Taliesin (Spring Green, WI)

February 15       Wright in Japan: Imperial Hotel

February 17       California Homes: Meso-American Experiments (Short Writing Assignment #2 due)

 

February 20       California Homes (con’t)

February 22       Taliesin West and the Taliesin Fellowship

February 24       Broadacre City: Utopian Dreams for Urban Living

 

February 27       Usonian: Middle Class Homes for Americans        

March 01           “Organic Architecture” vs. Modernist Ideas

March 03           Exam II

 

March 06           No Class—Spring Recess

March 08           No Class—Spring Recess

March 10           No Class—Spring Recess

 

March 13           Mike Wallace Interviews with Wright

March 15           Mike Wallace Interviews (con’t)

March 17           Mike Wallace Interviews (con’t)

 

March 20           Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and Wright (Short Writing Assignment #3 due)

March 22           In-Class Discussion of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead

March 24           In-Class Discussion of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead

 

March 27           Unitarian Meeting House (Shorewood Hills, WI)

March 29           Johnson Wax Administration Building and Research Tower (Racine, WI)

March 31           Wingspread (Herbert Johnson House, Racine, WI) (Short Writing Assignment #4 due)

 

April 03             Fallingwater: Introduction

April 05             Fallingwater: History of Construction

April 07             Fallingwater: Structure and Repair

 

April 10             Wright-Kaufmann Projects for Pittsburgh

April 12             Wright Addressing the Tall Building (Short Writing Assignment #5 due)

April 14             Marin County Civic Center (San Raphael, CA) and City Center Designs

 

April 17             Wright’s Late Religious Structures: Beth Shalom and Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

April 19             Guggenheim Museum (New York, NY): Rethinking the Art Museum

April 21             Wright’s Legacy as a Man and Architect (Course Project due)

 

 

                                            

                              Final Exam: as scheduled during Finals Week

Last Reviewed: August 21, 2007