COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: ARCHITECTURE AND UTOPIA

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
ARCH 571	C	9	3	0	0	3	6

Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Elective
Classroom and Meeting Time:
Course Description:	This course explores utopian works in architecture and art, including those by Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Yona Friedman, George Nelson, Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, William Morris, and others. We look at how history plays a part in utopian theories, which frequently rely on actual or hypothetical perceptions of societal structures in the past. By including group projects throughout the term, this class will also critically explore the connection between theory and practice, adding to the architectural thinking of students and beyond. Can architecture design a utopian environment that is different from the one we usually inhabit? The course will end with an exhibition of the students' utopian artwork.
Course Objectives:	What does the scope, structure and content of practice reveal about the state of design and ambitions of design today? This course will be structured around a series of case studies of modes of practice that range from the poetic and experimental, to the normative, to interdisciplinary hybrids and socially engaged collectives. Students will examine the philosophical premises of different conceptions of practice through the course readings. They will compare different approaches to production, collaboration, and authorship, through observations and interviews. Each student will be paired with a particular studio, firm or collaborative in order to produce their final paper: a profile and contextual analysis of a particular practice and its implications for the professions and the future

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Introduction
2	Shifting Paradigms
3	Social/Participatory/Collaborative Design
4	Case Study: William Morris, architect, urban designer
5	Critical Design
6	Case Study: George Nelson, architect, designer, writer
7	Design and Ethics
8	Case Study: Christopher Robbins, artist
9	Midterm Week
10	Case Study: Dan Friedman, communication designer
11	DIY/DIWO/Agency
12	Case Study: Peter Lloyd Jones, biologist/hybrid designer
13	Perspectives on the Relevance of Aesthetics
14	Student Presentations

Prerequisite(s):
Textbook:	1) Ericson, Magnus and Ramia Mazé, eds. Design Act: Socially and politically engaged design today – critical roles and emerging tactics. Sternberg Press, 2011. 2) Kvale, Steinar and Brinkman, Svend. Interviews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing. (2nd Edition) Los Angeles/London/New Delhi/Singapore: Sage Publications, Inc, 2009. 3) Leach, Neil. Rethinking Architecture: A Reader in Cultural Theory. London: Routledge, 1997. 4) Friedman, Dan; Deitch, Jeffrey; Holt, Steven; Mendini, Alessandro. Dan Friedman: Radical Modernism. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994. 5) Meroni, Anna, ed. Creative communities: People inventing sustainable ways of living. Milano: Edizioni POLIdesign, 1st Edition, January 2007. 6) Manzini, Ezio and Tassinari, Virginia, “Sustainable qualities: powerful drivers of social change; How social innovation is changing the world (and how design can help),” 10.11.2012. 7) Smith, Cynthia. Design with the Other 90%: Cities. New York: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, 2011.
Other References:
Laboratory Work:
Computer Usage:
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Proficiency in primary research and interviewing.
2	Ability to contextualize design within related modes of thought, i.e. philosophy, sociology, anthropology, history, and aesthetics.
3	Ability to produce a concept map of a design practice.
4	Ability to write a critically constructive profile of a living designer.

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Integrated second cycle study program in Architecture (5 years) Program
1	Speaking and Writing Skills Ability to read, write, listen, and speak effectively	5
2	Critical Thinking Skills Ability to raise clear and precise questions, use abstract ideas to interpret information, consider diverse points of view, reach well-reasoned conclusions, and test them against relevant criteria and standards	5
3	Graphics Skills Ability to use appropriate representational media, including freehand drawing and computer technology, to convey essential formal elements at each stage of the programming and design process
4	Research Skills Ability to gather, assess, record, and apply relevant information in architectural course work	5
5	Formal Ordering Systems Understanding of the fundamentals of visual perception and the principles and systems of order that inform two- and three-dimensional design, architectural composition, and urban design
6	Fundamental Design Skills Ability to use basic architectural principles in the design of buildings, interior spaces, and sites
7	Collaborative Skills Ability to recognize the varied talent found in interdisciplinary design project teams in professional practice and work in collaboration with other students as members of a design team	4
8	International Traditions Understanding of the International architectural canons and traditions in architecture, landscape and urban design, as well as the climatic, technological, culture-economic, and other cultural factors that have shaped and sustained them	3
9	National and Regional Traditions Understanding of national traditions and the local regional heritage in architecture, landscape design and urban design, including the vernacular tradition
10	Use of Precedents Ability to incorporate relevant precedents into architecture and urban design projects
11	Conservation and Restoration of Historical Districts Knowledge on historical districts and the gain of conservation consciousness documentation of historical buildings and the understanding the techniques which are needed to prepare restoration projects.
12	Human Behavior Understanding of the theories and methods of inquiry that seek to clarify the relationship between human behavior and the physical environment
13	Human Diversity Understanding of the diverse needs, values, behavioral norms, physical ability, and social and spatial patterns that characterize different cultures and individuals and the implication of this diversity for the societal roles and responsibilities of architects	4

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Homework	5	5
Presentation	1	25
Term Paper	1	40
Attendance		10
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	15	3	45
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	15	3	45
Mid-terms	1	15	15
Assignments	5	5	25
Final examination	1	20	20
Other			0
Total Work Load:			150
Total Work Load/25(h):			6
ECTS Credit of the Course:			6