Module 1: Introduction to the Course - Comprehensive Notes

Module 1 Overview

• Course context: HIST 12797 – Architectural History
• This module introduces the term architecture and provides a backdraft on the historical developments of buildings around the world; outlines the course structure, format, and how you will be evaluated; and previews the learning tools used to achieve the objectives.
• Guiding quote: "I don’t think you can teach architecture. You can only inspire people." — Zaha Hadid (referenced in context of architectural practice and inspiration)
• Confucius quote used to frame study: "Study the past if you would define the future."

Land Acknowledgment and Indigenous Context

• Sheridan acknowledges the land as traditional territory of Indigenous nations: Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Wendat, Métis, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
• Territory is associated with the Dish with One Spoon treaty and the Two Row Wampum treaty, emphasizing joint stewardship, peace, and respectful relationships.
• Sheridan affirming responsibility to honour ancestors, present communities, and future generations.
• Visuals referenced: Maple imagery; Igloo exterior/interior views; Igloo-inspired design; symbolism of Mother Earth; single-dish reference.
• What is a land acknowledgement? It publicly recognizes Indigenous peoples and their relationship to Sheridan’s territory.

The BIG PICTURE for This Course

• Core question: What is architecture? How do shape, technology, and culture interact in the built environment?
• The BIG PICTURE focuses on three axes:
  • Shape
  • Technology
  • Culture
• The course will explore how buildings reflect the era’s values, technology, and social context, and how this influences people and environments around them.
• Students are repeatedly asked to consider: What is architecture? What are the building’s functions and meaning within its environment?

Key Figures and Opening Concepts

• Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959): Iconic architect; discussion of Falling Water as a landmark example; Wright’s work and its reception (including early snubs by MoMA, later recognition).
• Philip Johnson (1906–2005): Advocate of modern design; quote: "All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space." (Image references to New Toronto skyline and Nabataean Petra; Lascaux Cave as prehistory reference.)
• Le Corbusier and the International Style context not named here but referenced through Villa Savoye and related discussion later in course.
• Petra (Jordan, 6th century BC), Lascaux Cave (France, ~17,000–12,000 BCE): Examples used to discuss the breadth of architectural thought across time, including prehistoric and ancient sites.
• Golden proportion (golden ratio) and natural proportion as a design principle to be discussed in relation to classical orders and modern interpretations.

What Is Architecture? The Big Picture Revisited

• Architecture is explored through three lenses: Shape, Technology, Culture.
• Students are encouraged to think about how form (shape) and technology enable cultural expression and social meaning, and how cultural values influence the built form.
• Questions to consider include: What is the building’s purpose? How does it fit into its surroundings? What technologies were used to realize it?

Historical Case Studies and Key Concepts

• Parthenon (Greece, 447–432 BC):
  • Design uses the golden proportion found in nature, making it aesthetically pleasing.
  • No straight lines; forms are curved or tapered to counteract optical bulging when viewed from distance.
  • Main material: Pentelic marble.
  • Located on the Acropolis, with temples dedicated to gods; symbolic alignment with divine order and urban planning.
  • Conceptual link to classical proportion and landscape integration.
• Acropolis: The topography and arrangement of temples reflect strategic, religious, and civic functions.
• The Parthenon reconstruction and related notes emphasize how ancient building science sought optical corrections and harmony with the hilltop site.

The Seagram Building and the International Style

• The course discusses the Seagram Building as a pivotal example of the International Style in Manhattan:
  • Built 1956–1958; designed by Mies van der Rohe (with Philip Johnson as collaborator).
  • Notable for being one of the first curtain-wall buildings in Manhattan; a landmark in glass-and-steel architecture.
  • The plaza in front, often critiqued for its perceived inefficiency (no seating, wasted real estate) but used to emphasize the building’s monumental presence.
  • The Seagram Building is contrasted with classical precedents (e.g., Parthenon) to distill lessons from antiquity into a modern, industrial metal-and-glass language.
  • The building’s facade features I-beams that are decorative rather than structural; a feature that underscores modernist aesthetics over literal structural expression.
  • Travertine marble used on the base, visually referencing classical materiality and proportion while employing modernist modularity.
• Thematic question: How can ancient architectural lessons be distilled into a contemporary metal-and-glass building?
• Link to Mies van der Rohe’s maxim: “Less is more.” The phrase is associated with the Seagram project and with Phyllis Lambert’s critique (Lambert as a critical voice in the story of Canadian architectural dialogue).

Notable Concepts and Visuals

• The BIG PICTURE: Distill the relationship among Shape, Technology, and Culture in notable projects.
• Analyses of images such as:
  • Seagram Building: plaza layout, vertical column rhythm, glass skin.
  • Parthenon: stylobate-like raised platform and classical proportions.
  • Lever Building (1951) and other early curtain-wall examples.
  • Mies van der Rohe’s Seagram Building and the philosophical shift from massing to surface language.
• Other visual references to support comparative thinking: Villa Savoye (Le Corbusier), Falling Water (FLW), Dynamic Tower (David Fisher) – unbuilt concept; Xianyou/Old-new blending in Melbourne; Pirouette House / Wallmakers (Walls need not be vertical).

The NOT SO FAR PAST and The FAR PAST

• The course compares classical and modern examples, asking:
  • Who resides on the hill and who resides at the foot? What kind of urban/ecological relationships exist?
  • How do ancient architectural forms translate into modern contexts (e.g., Greek temple vs. glass tower)?
• The FAR PAST imagery includes Parthenon reconstruction considerations and the Acropolis context to illustrate the continuity of architectural inquiry across time.

Materials, Techniques, and Key Visuals

• Materials mentioned include: bronze cladding (sculptures; treated with oil to prevent patina); travertine marble (Roman use).
• The concept of “Less is more” is tied to Mies van der Rohe and Phyllis Lambert in a Canadian context.
• The Seagram Building’s plaza is used to discuss the tension between urban real estate economics and monumental architectural statements.

Architecture Styles and the International Style

• The course introduces the International Style and its historical context, inviting students to watch a video on the Seagram Building (Smarthistory) and to compare with classical precedents.
• The discussion raises the question: How do you distill the lessons of the ancients into metal and glass?

Images and Concepts: Blending Old and New

• Xiangyuxiangyuan Home Stay (China): blending of the old with the new – a contemporary example of architectural hybridity.
• Downtown Melbourne: stark contrast between old and new contexts; urban fabric as a teaching tool.
• Pirouette House / Wallmakers: the idea that walls can be non-vertical, challenging conventional perception of space and structure.
• Chand Baori Stepwell (Rajasthan, India): a notable non-traditional form illustrating diverse approaches to space, light, and climate adaptation.

Course Structure, Assessments, and Tools

• Evaluation plan (overall):
  • A. Exam/quiz/test components: Quizzes 10%; Midterm Exam 20%; Final Exam 20%.
  • B. Assignment/project components: In-Class Activities 10%; Assignments 20%; Project/Presentations 20%.
  • Passing requirements: At least 50% average on exam/quiz/test components and at least 50% average on major project components to pass; where there are no tested assessments, a 50% average on major project components.
• Module 1 assessments (intro): Quiz 1 (1%), Exercise 1: Module 1 & 2 reflection (1%), Assignment 1 (5%).
• Weekly online quizzes and tests require specific software: LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor for invigilation; webcam and microphone required for monitoring.
• Sheridan’s SLATE system hosts course materials, quizzes, and quizzes’ technical setup.
• IT support for lockdown browser installation is available.
• Academic integrity is foregrounded; students are directed to Sheridan’s Academic Integrity resources.

Topics and Module Roadmap (Key Modules Mentioned)

• Module 1 topics preview (introductory):
  • Islamic Architecture (Module 5b)
  • Romanesque and Gothic Architecture (Module 5b)
  • Early Renaissance (Module 7)
  • High Renaissance and beyond — Mannerism to Baroque (Module 8)
  • Power and Passion — Neo-Classicism and Industrial Revolution (Module 9a)
  • Power and Passion — Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco (Module 9b)
  • Isms in Architecture — Futurism, Metabolism, International Style, Brutalism, International Movement in Canada, Constructivism, Rationalism, Post-modernism, Deconstructivism (Module 10)
  • Cities | Sustainability | Canadian Architecture — Intro to Urban Planning, Sustainable Architecture, Canadian Architecture (Module 11)
  • RPS / Wrapup + Final Thoughts — Residential Period Styles, Final Thoughts (Module 12)
• Topic selection for in-class presentations begins week 5; potential topics listed for enjoyment and learning breadth.

Historical Timeline and Style Panorama (A History of Architecture)

• A curated sequence of major architectural eras and styles, including:
  • Neolithic, Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, Byzantine, Moorish
  • Romanesque, Norman, Gothic, Medieval, Renaissance, Tudor, Elizabethan
  • Indo-Islamic, Baroque, Jacobethan, Palladian, Rococo, Georgian, Neo-classical
  • Gothic Revival, Moorish Revival, Baronial, Federal, Regency, Italianate, Empire
  • Indo-Saracenic, Jacobethan, Chicago School, Art Nouveau, Prerenaissance (PRARE), National Romantic, Expressionist
  • Modern, Constructivist, Bauhaus, Art Deco, International, Neo-Century Modern, Googie, Brutalism, Post-modernism, Late Modernism, Deconstructivism, Blobitecture, Parametricism, Neo-Futurism
  • Le Corbusier (as a key figure in the modernist lineage)

Key References and Sources

• The lecture draws on a variety of sources and media, including: ArchDaily, Smarthistory, Khan Academy, Archinect, Arch2O, Wikipedia, ArchDaily newsletters, YouTube, daily articles, and university collections (e.g., CCA).
• URLs and media cited include: Archello, Khan Academy, Smarthistory, Archinect, Arch2O, ArchDaily, YouTube, UNESCO/UN history sources, and other architectural history repositories.
• Students are advised to consult the provided sources for extended reading, deeper images, and additional context.

Important Formulas and Numeric References

• Golden proportion (golden ratio):
  $\phi = \frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2} \approx 1.618…$
• Parthenon dates: $447 \text{– } 432\,\text{BC}$
• Parthenon main material: Pentelic marble
• Seagram Building: $1956-1958$ (construction years)
• Lascaux Cave dating: $17{,}000 \text{ to } 12{,}000\,\text{years ago}$
• Step well Chand Baori: location in Rajasthan, India (historical example of step-well architecture)
• The assessment weightings are:
  • Quizzes: 10%
  • Midterm: 20%
  • Final: 20%
  • In-class activities: 10%
  • Assignments: 20%
  • Project/Presentations: 20%
• Passing thresholds: 50% average on exam/quiz components and 50% average on major project components to pass.

Practical Implications and Skills Developed

• Analytical skills: Analyze the relationship between cultural values and built form.
• Historical reasoning: Outline the origins of built form and trace development across civilizations.
• Terminology: Incorporate architectural vocabulary in written, verbal, and graphic work.
• Critical dialogue: Discuss influential twentieth-century architects and their impact.
• Research skills: Conduct topic-based historical investigations.
• Professionalism: Develop a professional attitude in interactions and communications.

Notes on Assessments and Tools

• Slate-based course environment with modules and assessments; quizzes, assignments, and major projects.
• LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor for remote assessments; requires webcam and microphone.
• IT support available for lockdown installation; students should follow the provided steps.
• Academic integrity is emphasized; refer to Sheridan’s integrity resources for AI and other policies.

Quick Reference: Key Names, Dates, and Concepts

• Zaha Hadid: Architecture as inspiration rather than teaching method.
• Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959): Falling Water and related discussions on architectural reception.
• Philip Johnson: Shelter and space design; new skylines and interior space as design emphasis.
• Parthenon: 447–432 BC; golden proportion; Pentelic marble; curved lines; stylobate-level design.
• Acropolis: Context and arrangement of temples around a sacred hill site.
• Seagram Building: 1956–1958; Mies van der Rohe; curtain-wall; plaza critique; I-beams as decorative rather than structural.
• Villa Savoye: Modernist exemplar (Le Corbusier) referenced in the broader modernist discussion.
• Chand Baori: Stepwell as an example of non-traditional architectural form.
• Dynamics towers and other unbuilt projects used to illustrate aspirational architecture.

Closing Reflection

• The course positions architecture as an evolving dialogue between shape, technology, and culture, bridging prehistoric to contemporary examples.
• Students are encouraged to connect historical precedents to contemporary design thinking and urban challenges, while maintaining an ethical and professional stance.