19090 - Architectural Composition Theories (A)

Learning outcomes

The teaching-module leads the student to recognize and identify the set of relationships that lie between the theoretical and practical debate on the project. Critical reading of a number of significant contributions to architectural theory will allow to identify some of the major themes concerning the discipline of architectural and urban composition.

Course contents

The Course of Architectural Composition Theories (4 Cfu), integrated into the Architectural Design Laboratory of the third year, proposes a body of lectures aimed at clarifying some theoretical issues addressed in the architectural and urban research developed within the School of Architecture of Cesena to investigate the sources, evolution and dissemination in Italian and worldwide. During the course a series of theoretical texts and writings considered as essential references will be introduced and interpreted critically, paying particular attention to the figure of some authors, their cultural environment, the influence of their theoretical contributions to the contemporary project. The interpretation and analysis of some currents and trends of the twentieth century will allow the student to investigate the reasons for the project and to acquire awareness of the composition discipline. The lessons will follow a narrative path organized through a series of thematic sections. Some important concepts such as type, form, city, composition, character, monument, structure, language and representation will be explored in the specific disciplinary field. The relationship between text and project, text and image will be studied. Some principles on which the architectural discipline is based are illustrated, both on the scale of the building and the city, the sources and the reference texts will be expanded also through the use of complementary contributions. A specific critical bibliography will be provided on the main topics covered in class and, where necessary, an additional anthology will be made available to students. The texts and projects presented and discussed during the lessons will enable the student to elaborate a personal reflection useless for the project. Theoretical knowledge will therefore be a basic tool for the process of making architecture. Theoretical foundation and practical experience will be compared in the one-to-one relationship between textual and design dimension. The lessons will be accompanied by the elaboration of an exercise aimed at deepening the themes introduced during the course.

Readings/Bibliography

- Ignasi de Solà-Morales, Decifrare l'architettura, “inscripciones” del XX secolo, Umberto Allemandi, Torino 2001;

- Henri Focillon, Vita delle forme seguita da elogio della mano, piccola Biblioteca Einaudi, Mi, 2002.

- Giorgio Grassi, Scritti scelti, 1965-1999, Franco Angeli, Milano 2000;

- Rafael Moneo, La solitudine degli edifici e altri scritti, Umberto Allemandi, Torino 1999;

- Rafael Moneo, Inquietudine teorica e strategia progettuale nell'opera di otto architetti contemporanei, Electa, Milano 2005;

- Nikolaus Pevsner, Storia e caratteri degli edifici, Fratelli Palombi srl, Roma, 1986.

- Ludovico Quaroni, Progettare un edificio. Otto lezioni di architettura, Gangemi, Roma, 1988.

- Aldo Rossi, Autobiografia scientifica, Pratiche, Parma 1990.

- Ernesto N. Rogers, Gli elementi del fenomeno architettonico, Guida, Napoli, 1981.

- Oswald Mathias Ungers, La città dialettica, Skira, Milano 1997.

The bibliography will be provided during the course.

Teaching methods

The course will take place through lectures but also through a comparison with some invited professors. The lessons will propose a methodology that considers the relationship between text and iconographic apparatus. The use of photographic images and architectural drawings will allow us to deepen our reflection on architecture and, in particular, on analogical composition intended as a design method and instrument of critical analysis.
The course includes an exercise to be developed individually. Through the use of the apparatus of drawing, text, photography and collage, the teacher will follow each student in the creation of a personal paper in the form of an A5 size booklet which will collect the theoretical contributions transmitted in class but also the personal experiences re-elaborated and edited in graphic form.

Assessment methods

Being part of the Architectural Design Laboratory, the course offers a theoretical contribution to support the project activity by proposing an in-depth exercise to support the design theme assigned by the Course in Architectural Composition I (integrated). Through a series of reviews the student will produce a personal book of theoretical and graphic references in the form of texts, drawings, photographs. In addition to a personal research in the field of architecture and related disciplines, the book will collect the compositional, distributional, typological and spatial principles relating to the projects developed within the Architectural Design Laboratory which will be illustrated by referring to the theoretical questions identified. The contribution of the theoretical lessons and the exercise will be offered as a support to the verification of the design path developed within the Laboratories on the days dedicated to seminar activities. The notebook will be presented and discussed during the examination.

The final grade will be consider the results obtained in the exercises carried out during the year and together with the contents and the elaborate produced in the integrated course. Each criterion will be awarded 0 to 6 points.

1 - Knowledge of research themes and coherence of the project path

2 - Compliance of the project proposal with the requests indicated (project tables)

3 - Quality of the architectural project in relation to the urban space

4 - Graphic quality of the designs of the models presented

5 - Congruence with the theoretical aspects communicated through the lessons, revisions and the integrated course of Theory of Architectural Composition

Teaching tools

Frontal lessons through the projection of slides, audio and / or video.

Office hours

See the website of Stefania Rossl