Foundations of Architecture

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability suppot scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject will survey the history of architecture and urbanism from the beginnings of shelter to the end of the 17th century in the context of social, technical and environmental settings. It will include the architecture and design traditions of early civilisations in the Middle East, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, South America and the Pacific. It will analyse the values reflected in vernacular buildings (housing), religious institutions (churches, temples), and the power of ruling institutions (state, city, palace and empire).

On completion of this subject, students will be able to:

• demonstrate a broad understanding of the history of architecture and urbanism from ancient origins to the end of the 17th century in both the East and the West;
• understand concepts of spatial organisation, construction, theory and representation which are useful in the analysis of architecture;
• analyse buildings and places in terms of their context, form, spatial grammar, structural approaches, function and social role.

• Three written submissions with graphic content equivalent to a total of 3000 words due from weeks 4 to 10 (totalling 60%).
• A two-hour end-of-semester examination (40%).

Ching, F, Jarzombek, M and Prakash, V. A Global History of Architecture, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 2007.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Students should aquire the following skills:

• analysis of physical artifacts in their historical context;
• understanding of history as a discipline and as a process;
• understanding of the social, cultural and environmental context of architecture;
• essay writing to undergraduate standard;
• use and understanding of architectural terminology.