This course will examine the political and philosophical implications of architectural design and civic planning. From the time of Socrates, philosophers have paid careful attention to the manner in which the principles of political philosophy could be realized in physical form. The course will offer students an introduction to the history of Western architectural theory, with special emphasis on the manner in which a specific type of regime (democratic, fascist, communist, and monarchic, for example) sought to embody its standard of justice in buildings and the manipulation of space. We will trace the reasoning behind the sometimes radical transformation of the world around us by reviewing and analyzing key texts (and buildings, when applicable) from important artistic and intellectual figures, such as: Frank Lloyd Wright, Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, Adolf Loos, Rem Koolhaas, Jane Jacobs, Le Corbusier, Robert Venturi, plus contemporary works by prominent female architects. Epochal architectural movements like The International Style, Neoclassicism, Postmodernism, and Brutalism will be introduced to help us understand the built environment (and therefore ourselves) a little better. Spanning centuries, the course will also bring matters much closer to home by asking each student to present as a final project one design meant to improve the Boston College campus. Class sessions will include film and additional visual media.
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