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Environment, Built: Episodes from an Elemental History of Architecture
This graduate seminar examines the history and theory of architecture through the fundamental elements from which built environments emerge, organized around three major themes: how scholars document and describe architectural materials; how materials are extracted and exploited; and how air and water shape architectural thinking. Drawing on John Durham Peters’ concept of “elemental media,” we will investigate how earth, air, fire, water, stone, wood, and other materials function as both physical substances and conceptual frameworks that have shaped architectural thinking across cultures and time periods.
The course integrates AI-powered research methods, hands-on material investigation, and some archival research. Students will engage with both historical and contemporary material practices, including bio-based innovations, while exploring how artificial intelligence can reveal new patterns and relationships in material culture.
408 Avery
W 9 AM - 11 AM
Full Semester
14757