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THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM

ARC61303/ARC2224

Module Synopsis

 

The subject offers a thematic inquiry into architectural and urban theory in the broader context of philosophical schools of thought and cultural and social conditions, which include modernism, postmodernism, phenomenology, semiotics, post-structuralism, deconstruction and critical regionalism. These themes will guide the organization of weekly lecture and discussions, which will proceed from the establishment of a basic theoretical apparatus to the examination of specific cases. These will supply us with tools for the analysis of specific architectural situations. Students will develop a written synopsis of a designated reading, and an in-depth and analytical research paper on the designated topic.

 

 

PROJECT PART A: IDENTIFYING 5 ELEMENTS

 

Lynch's most famous work, The Image of the City (1960), is the result of a five-year study on how observers take in information of the city. Using three disparate American cities as examples (Boston, Jersey City and Los Angeles), Lynch reported that users understood their surroundings in consistent and predictable ways, forming mental maps with five elements:

  • paths, the streets, sidewalks, trails, and other channels in which people travel; 

  • edges, perceived boundaries such as walls, buildings, and shorelines;

  • districts, relatively large sections of the city distinguished by some identity or character;

  • nodes, focal points, intersections or loci; 

  • landmarks, readily identifiable objects which serve as external reference points Student is to select a city and identify the 5 elements in the city.

 

 

PROJECT PART B: AN ILLUSTRATED ESSAY WITH A COGNITIVE MAPPING

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Part B of the project requires student to write an research essay according to the cognitive mapping of selected urban spaces in the city of KL. Mapping should contain: human facets (memory, identity etc.), spatial and temporal dynamics (traffic, people’s paths, barriers, etc.), architecture (stairs, benches, trees, etc.), microstructures (texture, material).

 

 

SYNOPSIS

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