Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

History and Theory of Architecture II

History and Theory of Architecture II
6
7987
2
Second semester
OB
Project Planning Module
Composition 2
Main language of instruction: Spanish

Other languages of instruction: English

Teaching staff


Dr. ESTÉVEZ ESCALERA, Alberto - estevez@uic.es

Attention of the subject Architectural Composition 2

Attention to students is given at all times when it is required, throughout the scheduled class time, both theoretical and practical. On the other hand, a specific schedule of personalized, individual attention is also established, which is set every Tuesday between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Without detriment to the choice of another time that can be arranged by appointment.

Introduction

In the event that the health authorities announce a new period of confinement due to the evolution of the health crisis caused by COVID-19, the teaching staff will promptly communicate how this may effect the teaching methodologies and activities as well as the assessment.


“You can learn from the past but you can't continue to be in the past; history is not a substitute for imagination.”

Frank Gehry

"And the Modern Movement is the past, it is history, which now, entering the third decade of the 21st century, is more than 100 years old."

Alberto T. Estévez

Within the “Project” Module (“Architectural Design Module”) of the Degree in Architecture, the Matter “Composition” (poorly translated as "History and Theory of Architecture") has 24 ECTS (European credits). These are distributed uniformly in 4 parts, in the respective 4 semesters of the second to third year: specifically, Composition 1, 2, 3 and 4. Also having an “Introduction” specific subject in the first year. As also have an “Introduction” specific subject in the first year for example the Matters of “Projects” and of “Construction”. The five subjects (Composition 1, 2, 3, 4 and this “Introduction”) should then be aligned in coherence with each other, updated and coordinated, as happens with the rest of the subjects of the Degree in Architecture.

Well, teaching and studying “Composition”, entering the third decade of the XXI century as we are, is very different from teaching and studying it as it was done 50 years ago. It would be forgetting or not understanding everything that has happened in the last half century: a great evolution of ideas and an enormous enrichment of understandings that have existed until now about architecture around the world. Something that the current architecture student deserves to know and cannot be hidden from him due to ignorance or prejudice.

Thus, for example, today it must be asserted that architecture is not language: an idea that became especially fashionable many decades ago. Architecture is architecture, although it seems obvious to say so, which is what will be explained now in the subjects of Composition 2 and 3. Since every time it is said that architecture is language, poetry, “frozen music”, or any other assertion, what you do is establish a metaphor. And therefore, as in any metaphor, there is part of the truth and part of the lie. And “believing” it entirely, and building a single understanding around it, dogmatically clings, discriminates against other understandings, limits the horizon and impoverishes it.

In the same way that it is impoverished to think that the Matter of “Composition” tries to teach the history of art and architecture. Again, one must go to what is apparently obvious: in Composition 2 and 3 Composition is taught and studied, which is part of the “Project” Module. Module where one must also learn to project, to design, and to compose. And to project, and to design, and to compose, for our time, which is different from the last century. It is also in Composition where must be taught and studied to be an architect, not a historian. An architect of our time. In any case, it then tries more to teach to transcend history, to learn to “create objects”, which does not simply try to “listen to objects”, which is again a metaphor. And however erudite the quotations may seem to support certain understandings, they too become obsolete over time, and must be critically assumed.   Thus, for example, today it is no longer understood that “architecture history is made because the meaning of current architecture is sought”, as Tafuri said more than half a century ago, but there are more ontological and experiential arguments behind it. Nor should it be generalized about "the anguish of the present" that he also said, to solve it by projecting. Concept more typical of a Eurocentric and existentialist world, of the last century, than of the global, multicultural and biodiverse world in which we are today. Etc.

Pre-course requirements

There are no specific pre-course requirements.

Objectives

Regarding the contents of this "Composition" Matter, the objectives of the Degree that especially affect it are:

1.  Ability to create architectural projects that satisfy both aesthetic and technical demands.

2.  Adequate knowledge of the history and theories of architecture, as well as related arts, technology and human sciences.

3. Knowledge of the fine arts as a factor that can influence the quality of the architectural conception.


Thus, the contents of this Matter are arranged in line with these objectives, in order to develop the corresponding competences (34-T, 35-T, 40, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56 and 57):

- Composition, theory and history of urban and architectural projects.

- Architectural criticism.

- General theories of form, composition and architectural types.

- General history of architecture.

- Symbolization processes, practical functions and ergonomics from composition, theory and history.

- Social needs, quality of life, habitability and basic housing programs from the composition, theory and history.

- Architectural, urban and landscape traditions of Western culture. Its technical, climatic, economic, social and ideological foundations.

- Esthetic. Theory and history of fine arts and applied arts.

- Relationship between cultural patterns and social responsibilities of the architect.

- Bases of vernacular architecture.

- Urban sociology, theory, economics and history.

These 11 sections are in turn the learning outcomes to be required of students for the assessment of skills.

Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme

  • 34-T - Ability to design, practice and develop basic and execution projects, sketches and blueprints.
  • 35-T - Ability to conceive, put into practice and develop urban projects
  • 40 - Ability to express architectural criticism.
  • 48 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the general theories of form, composition and architectural typologies
  • 49 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the history of architecture.
  • 50 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the study methods for the processes of symbolization, practical functions and ergonomics.
  • 51 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the study methods of social needs, quality of life, habitability and basic housing programmes
  • 53 - To acquire adequate knowledge of architectural, urban development and landscaping traditions of Western culture, as well as their technical, climate, economic, social and ideological foundations
  • 54 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the aesthetics, theory and history of Fine Arts and Applied Arts.
  • 55 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the relationship between cultural patterns and the social responsibilities of the architect
  • 56 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the principles of vernacular architecture
  • 57 - To acquire adequate knowledge of urban sociology, theory, economy and history.

Learning outcomes of the subject

See the next.

Teaching and learning activities

In person



TRAINING ACTIVITYCOMPETENCESECTS CREDITS
Class exhibition
34-T 35-T 40 48 49 50 51 53 54 55 56 57 0,75
Class participation
34-T 35-T 40 48 49 50 51 53 54 55 56 57 0,75
Clase practice
34-T 35-T 40 48 49 50 51 53 54 55 56 57 0,75
Tutorials
34-T 35-T 40 48 49 50 51 53 54 55 56 57 0,75
Individual or group study
34-T 35-T 40 48 49 50 51 53 54 55 56 57 3

Evaluation systems and criteria

In person



Assessment of the subject Architectural Composition 2

Continuous evaluation, "every week counts" attendance and participation in class, exercises, and exams. The evaluation criteria will prioritize creativity and critical depth, their intelligence, their efficacy of fascination, the capacity for analysis and synthesis, as well as scientific base and professionalism (erudition, precision, diligence, punctuality, presentation, typographical, spelling and syntactic correction). Active participation in class will also be encouraged during the course, which will be especially valued. And, of course, the attendance and interest of the students will be taken into account.

Percentages... As seen in the program and work plan (agenda), this course consists of 15 weeks. 35% of the final grade for the course will correspond to each of the two exams to be performed. Likewise, in coherence with continuous evaluation, the second-call exams in June will also count 35% each, to add to 30% of what was achieved throughout the course, with punctual attendance to class, corroborated by the delivery of the notes of each class at the end of the course, taken by hand (10%), and with the delivery of the exercises (20%). It should be specified that each of the two partial exams must be passed to make an average. If any of them are suspended, they must be recovered in the second call exam. The 70% from the exams, to add the 30% of what was achieved throughout the course (punctual attendance to class, delivery of the notes of each class, and exercises),

The exams will be the way to control the level acquired, thanks to the reading of bibliography, guided by the classes and possible personal tutorials. And they will be evaluated according to the evaluation criteria previously exposed. The exams will allow in their preparation - throughout the respective previous weeks - work especially on information management and self-learning. On the other hand, for the correct answer to the questions of the exams, as it will be evaluated, due to the limited time, it will be advised of the need to have exercised before, during its preparation, in the analysis, synthesis and criticism.

The two exams, which must necessarily be passed separately to make an average, will be multiple choice (50% of the exam grade). And a second part will consist of three questions, to be solved with a time limit of ten minutes each (50% of the exam grade). It will deal with what was discussed in class and what was highlighted about reading the bibliography. With the understanding that the subject given in class reaches a maximum of 50% of what is expected to be answered, freely expanded in the rest of the 50% of the subject with the recommended bibliography, which due to time constraints will not have been taught in class to every topic of every day. Obviously, this means that if the exams answered exactly what was said in class about each question, only a 5 would be possible.

The delivery of the daily notes and the exercises guarantee the presence (face-to-face monitoring) of the subject. And since this face-to-face follow-up of the subject is mandatory, because it appears in the academic curriculum of each student, the subject cannot be understood as passed if there are faults in the face-to-face follow-up of more than 25%, which is,  why the content of the subject is missing if a delivery of the classroom notes and exercises of more than 25% is missing.

Teaching and learning material


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