Arhitecture 302: Architecture and Human Behavior
Spring 2014. Lecture: TTh 11-11:50. Discussion Section: TTH 12-12:15. Website: www.Arch302.weebly.com.
Class Details
Instructor: Arijit Sen
Graduate Student Instructors
Nader Sayadi
Amin Mojtahedi
Cynthia Anderson
Course Principles
The primary goal of professionals engaged in the design, maintenance and making of the built environment is to serve the multitudes that will use these places once they are built. The objective of this class is to train you as responsible stewards and builders of the built environment. In order to achieve that goal, we will examine the complex relationship between humans and their physical world. We will explore ways to act in this world—ways that are sustainable, ethical and compassionate. In this course we will ask the following questions:
What is it that we are seeking?
The relationship between humans and their physical world is never constant and consistent. This knowledge depends on many factors, such as, cultural background, gender, race, economics, political context, and climate. We have to ask the right questions.
How do we find answers to our questions?
Once you decide on the right question, you will need skills to find the answers. You will need to collect data, analyze what you find, and interpret them. The various strategies that you apply in order to answer your questions are skills and methods that you will need.
Why is this issue relevant to us?
This is perhaps the most important question: Why is it necessary to study the relationship between humans and their environment? Each of you will have different reasons for studying this. But this question is essentially an ethical one. Some of you may respond that the reason why it is important to consider the complex relationship between humans and their environment is because of our urgent need to save and sustain our ecology. Others may have economic or political reasons to engage in this process. As students who are interested in becoming professionals, it is also important that we know how to converse with and understand our clients—we need to know why we are doing what we do.
There is no formula that will help you answer these questions. Each of you will have to form your own questions and craft your own answers. So this class will not provide you with formulaic answers that you may learn and apply with ease. Instead, you will learn methods—how to ask questions, how to collect information, how to interpret information, how to become people-centered designers. The second goal of this course is to train citizen architects. The American Institute of Architects suggests that architects become active citizens. http://www.aia.org/advocacy/getinvolved/AIAB051121. Active and engaged professionals ensure sustainable, livable, healthy, and quality-designed environments for future generations. The AIA website urges, “The Citizen Architect uses his/her insights, talents, training, and experience to contribute meaningfully, beyond self, to the improvement of the community and human condition. The Citizen Architect stays informed on local, state, and federal issues, and makes time for service to the community. The Citizen Architect advocates for higher living standards, the creation of a sustainable environment, quality of life, and the greater good. The Citizen Architect seeks to advocate for the broader purposes of architecture through civic activism, writing and publishing, by gaining appointment to boards and commissions, and through elective office at all levels of government.” In order to help you consider how to become citizen architects this course will focus on a real neighborhood, with real people, assets and problems, and ask you to engage with that neighborhood. This is not a class around lectures and rote learning. This is a class that requires you to step outside the classroom and take an active role in your community.
Learning objectives
On completion of this course students are expected to demonstrate an expert level of comprehension and learning in following:
1. Demonstrate an ability to ask questions and formulate strategies that will help them make the world a sustainable, livable, healthy, and well-designed place.
2. Demonstrate an ability to collect information that may help them act as citizen-architects. This involves the ability to think and consider issues before rushing into action.
3. Demonstrate an advanced ability to interpret social and material evidence. Demonstrate an ability to read, evaluate, and interpret the built environment as cultural artifact; uncover the ideological and symbolic underpinnings of the material world.
4. Demonstrate an ability to document and represent knowledge of the social and material aspects of cultural landscapes in visual and textual forms.
Spring 2014. Lecture: TTh 11-11:50. Discussion Section: TTH 12-12:15. Website: www.Arch302.weebly.com.
Class Details
Instructor: Arijit Sen
Graduate Student Instructors
Nader Sayadi
Amin Mojtahedi
Cynthia Anderson
Course Principles
The primary goal of professionals engaged in the design, maintenance and making of the built environment is to serve the multitudes that will use these places once they are built. The objective of this class is to train you as responsible stewards and builders of the built environment. In order to achieve that goal, we will examine the complex relationship between humans and their physical world. We will explore ways to act in this world—ways that are sustainable, ethical and compassionate. In this course we will ask the following questions:
What is it that we are seeking?
The relationship between humans and their physical world is never constant and consistent. This knowledge depends on many factors, such as, cultural background, gender, race, economics, political context, and climate. We have to ask the right questions.
How do we find answers to our questions?
Once you decide on the right question, you will need skills to find the answers. You will need to collect data, analyze what you find, and interpret them. The various strategies that you apply in order to answer your questions are skills and methods that you will need.
Why is this issue relevant to us?
This is perhaps the most important question: Why is it necessary to study the relationship between humans and their environment? Each of you will have different reasons for studying this. But this question is essentially an ethical one. Some of you may respond that the reason why it is important to consider the complex relationship between humans and their environment is because of our urgent need to save and sustain our ecology. Others may have economic or political reasons to engage in this process. As students who are interested in becoming professionals, it is also important that we know how to converse with and understand our clients—we need to know why we are doing what we do.
There is no formula that will help you answer these questions. Each of you will have to form your own questions and craft your own answers. So this class will not provide you with formulaic answers that you may learn and apply with ease. Instead, you will learn methods—how to ask questions, how to collect information, how to interpret information, how to become people-centered designers. The second goal of this course is to train citizen architects. The American Institute of Architects suggests that architects become active citizens. http://www.aia.org/advocacy/getinvolved/AIAB051121. Active and engaged professionals ensure sustainable, livable, healthy, and quality-designed environments for future generations. The AIA website urges, “The Citizen Architect uses his/her insights, talents, training, and experience to contribute meaningfully, beyond self, to the improvement of the community and human condition. The Citizen Architect stays informed on local, state, and federal issues, and makes time for service to the community. The Citizen Architect advocates for higher living standards, the creation of a sustainable environment, quality of life, and the greater good. The Citizen Architect seeks to advocate for the broader purposes of architecture through civic activism, writing and publishing, by gaining appointment to boards and commissions, and through elective office at all levels of government.” In order to help you consider how to become citizen architects this course will focus on a real neighborhood, with real people, assets and problems, and ask you to engage with that neighborhood. This is not a class around lectures and rote learning. This is a class that requires you to step outside the classroom and take an active role in your community.
Learning objectives
On completion of this course students are expected to demonstrate an expert level of comprehension and learning in following:
1. Demonstrate an ability to ask questions and formulate strategies that will help them make the world a sustainable, livable, healthy, and well-designed place.
2. Demonstrate an ability to collect information that may help them act as citizen-architects. This involves the ability to think and consider issues before rushing into action.
3. Demonstrate an advanced ability to interpret social and material evidence. Demonstrate an ability to read, evaluate, and interpret the built environment as cultural artifact; uncover the ideological and symbolic underpinnings of the material world.
4. Demonstrate an ability to document and represent knowledge of the social and material aspects of cultural landscapes in visual and textual forms.