This course is the first in the undergraduate two-course sequence (ARCH 313/323) on histories of architecture. The course introduces students to architecture through time and space showing that meaning and form are contested as much as they are grounded. Students learn how to understand the complicated context of architecture and society, gaining exposure to the way architecture has historically been shaped by varying combinations of the formal and theoretical intentions of the architect, the preferences and needs of the client, and the particular mix of social, economic, cultural, and technical factors operating to define the specific characteristics of a given time and place. This course will run in two parallel sections during the fall 2026 semester (late August through December) balancing a comprehensive approach with in-depth local knowledge.
