19495 - History of Architecture 3

Learning outcomes

The course deals with the connections between the history of architecture on one side and architectural restoration and conservation on the other. The time span is from the 19th Century to actuality.

The course named History and Restoration is an integrated course composed of two courses: History of Architecture III and Theory and History of Architectural Restoration.

The course is structured in thematic units shared by the two courses with the aim to analyze the role of time and history in design processes from different disciplinary perspectives. Teachers of the two courses will alternate during the semester. The will be shared seminars and invited teachers.

Course contents

Information for international students: the course is mainly devoted to the History of Italian Architecture in the Twentieth Century; the great majority of the bibliography is in Italian and no bibliography is available in English. Please note that the study of the bibliography and the contents of the lectures (in Italian) are required to take the exam. Finally, please note that the History of Architecture II course includes the possibility of studying a bibliography in English.

 

The units are:

1. The Construction of Traditions
2. The Reconstruction: Community and Ideology
3. Architect's Identity: Intellectual, Anonimous, Choral
4. The "Manipolabilità dei reperti". City, Museum, Architecture
5. Rational, Real, Autonomous
6. Style, Language, Method 1.
7. Style, Language, Method 2.
8. Ruin Lust. Ruins during Modernity
9. Architecture, City, Restoration between WW
10. Patina and Image
11. Creativity or Rules?
12. Architectures at the End of 20 Century
13. Architectures at the Beginning of XXI Century

Readings/Bibliography

M. BIRAGHI, S. MICHELI, Storia dell’architettura italiana 1985-2015, Torino, Einaudi, 2013;

and

M. TAFURI, Storia dell’architettura italiana 1944-1985, Torino, Einaudi 1986
or
A. BELLUZZI, C. CONFORTI, Architettura italiana, 1944-1994, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1994

The student has to study a specific bibliography for each lesson; you can find it in the file called Programma in "Virttuale" Platform.

Before each unit, students have to summarize the text indicated in "Virtuale" (1000 characters at maximum); to take the exam you have to upload, at least, 3 summaries for Storia dell'architettura III and, at least, 2 summaries for Teoria e Storia del Restauro.
Before the exam, students have to show the list of texts studied.

Teaching methods

Lessons, symposiums, exercises, study trips.

Students have to realize a timeline regarding the main topics of the course.

During the course, students have to show to the class a short presentation about a topic discussed with teachers. All the instructions will be uploaded in "Virtuale".

Assessment methods

The exam is an interview split in two parts (History of Architecture and Theory and History of Architectural Restoration) but with only one mark.

The exam length is about 20 minutes: it consists in an explanation of a free subject chosen by the student and, at least, in two questions.

To take the exam, students have to:
1. upload on "Virtuale" 5 summaries of indicated texts;
2. show to the class the presentation of a topic;
3. realize a timeline.

To take the exam, students have to study:
1. General Bibliography;
2. Specific bibliography for each unit;
3. Notes of the lessons.

For the exam of Storia dell'architettura III, students have to:
- know the most relevant architectures and put them in a correct chronology;
- analyze the topics fo the course;
- describe a building.

The examination assesses students’ achievement of the learning outcomes associated with the two modules that make up the course. Assessment takes the form of a final oral examination conducted jointly by the two course instructors and lasting approximately 30–40 minutes. The final grade is based on the average of the grades awarded independently by the two instructors during the examination:

• 18–20: limited knowledge of the subject matter.
• 21–23: partial or approximate knowledge of the subject matter, with limited critical engagement.
• 24–26: satisfactory knowledge of the subject matter, with an adequate level of critical engagement.
• 27–29: good knowledge of the subject matter, with a sound capacity for critical analysis.
• 30–30L: excellent knowledge of the subject matter, together with an outstanding ability to develop an independent and well-structured critical perspective.

During the examination, students may consult the notebook and timeline prepared as part of their individual study. AI can be a useful tool to support individual study by providing further insights, summaries, and self-assessment activities. However, even at the study stage, we consider the personal reading and review of texts, the direct observation of buildings (wherever possible), and the manual reworking of material through diagrams, redrawings, and sketches to be fundamental and integral components of academic education and cultural development. These stages cannot be replaced by any technological or other instrumental aid. Indeed, it is through these activities that students can truly understand the subjects they study and make them part of a lasting personal body of knowledge—a body of knowledge that can be drawn upon throughout their education and beyond, and that provides an essential foundation for developing a critical approach to the other design and technical subjects that make up the architectural curriculum. We therefore strongly discourage the use of AI at any stage of the learning process in architectural history. For cultural development to be effective, the learning process should be carried out as far as possible through personal reflection and through discussion with the instructor and fellow students. The student’s personal responsibility also extends to the choice of study methods, as these choices will shape their academic development and, ultimately, their future professional practice. With regard to the assessment of learning, the use of AI is prohibited during the in-person examination. Any use of AI constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

Teaching tools

Lecture notes in "Virtuale".

Office hours

See the website of Matteo Cassani Simonetti