History of Comparative Architecture: What is Architectural Theory?

Architectural theory tends to move from the how to the why of the built environment -- the underlying reasons why individuals and societies design and build. To assess this shift, this course will explore a set of foundational theoretical concepts: nature/organicism, form, function, program, signification, materiality, space, site, structure, tectonics, construction, typology, ornament, style, representation, monumentality, ideology, operativity and technology (up to and including the digital.) Close readings of exemplary architectural projects will enable us to chart the interplay of theory and practice.