AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE-TCXUS 276 

MAT 214 

T-Th 1:30-3:35 p.m.; Fall 2008

Professor Julie Nicoletta

GWP 418

253-692-4468; fax: 253-692-5718

Email: jn@u.washington.edu

Office hours: T-Th 12:30-1:00 p.m., 3:45-4:15 p.m. and by appointment.

For Campus Info in case of snow: 253-383-INFO

Course Description:

This course will examine the architecture of the United States from early Native American structures to twenty-first-century buildings. Through slide lectures, readings, and field trips, we will focus on issues concerning style, technology, regionalism, function, reform, and sustainability to address the diverse forces that have shaped and continue to shape American architecture.

Course Objectives:

Students will gain an understanding of the significance of architecture in the historical development of the United States. Through in-class discussions and field trips, students will acquire skills to visually analyze buildings. Equally important to the class will be the development of research, writing, and critical-thinking skills through numerous assignments, including exams and papers.

Required Readings:

Leland Roth. American Architecture: A History, 2001.

Keith Eggener, ed. American Architectural History: A Contemporary Reader, 2004.

Sylvan Barnet. A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 9^th ed., 2008.

Website:

This course has a corresponding website. In it you will find copies of the syllabus, building lists, study questions, and many useful links to images of American architecture. See http://courses.washington.edu/pubhist/amarch/amarchindex.htm.

Grading and Evaluation:

Class participation and preparation               10%

Paper 1                                                            20%

Paper 2                                                            30%

Midterm                                                          20%

Final                                                               20%

Note: Doing below average work will earn you a D; average work will earn you a C; above average work will earn you a B; only truly exceptional work will earn you an A.

Class Participation and Preparation:

Class participation and preparation will be evaluated by:

1. Regular class attendance, including field trips.

2. Your interpretation and analysis of the readings as reflected in the amount and quality of discussion.

3. Completion and quality of list of architectural terms and library assignment.

Attendance is extremely important for a number of reasons. First, we will spend a great deal of time analyzing architecture through slides and field trips. Second, your insight and participation during discussions are a critical part of the class. We all learn from each other's perspectives; if you miss class, you will miss learning from these insights. Being clear-headed in discussion involves not just reading the assignments, but thinking about them, so allow yourself some time for reflection. Third, the discussions will not duplicate the readings, so you will miss a large portion of course content. If you have to miss a class, please inform me in writing before class (email is fine). Missing more than three class meetings during the quarter, regardless of the reason, will have a negative effect on your class participation grade.

Assignments: two sets of architectural terms, library assignment, two papers, two exams.

List of Architectural Terms: You are responsible for keeping a running list of architectural terms that you come across in all course readings. This list will help you build a knowledge of architectural terminology that you will need for your other assignments. Each set should have at least 20 terms, each with a brief definition derived from a dictionary of architecture. This list will be due two times during the quarter and will be graded with a •+, • or •-).

Library Assignment: instructions for assignment will be handed out in class; assignments will be graded with a •+, • or •-). 

Papers:

Note: Papers will be graded for clarity of composition and grammar as well as content. All assignments must be typed, double-spaced with one-inch margins. All sources must be cited in footnotes or endnotes using The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., available in the library and summarized in A Short Guide to Writing about Art. Failure to do your own work or to cite the work of others properly will constitute plagiarism and result in a 0.0 for the assignment. In addition, all assignments must be turned in on time. Late assignments will be dropped one-half grade for each day late, except in extreme circumstances. No extensions will be granted except for a written medical excuse presented before the due date of the assignment. No assignments will be accepted by email. It is not acceptable to turn in what is substantially the same paper to two different courses.

Barnet’s A Short Guide to Writing about Art is an excellent guide to describing, analyzing and interpreting art and architecture. You will be responsible for its entire content.

General Evaluation of Written Work: Writing effectively means writing clearly and concisely and using correct grammar. Excellent papers will meet all of the following criteria:

1. The paper addresses all of the questions and issues posed in the assignment.

2. The paper draws upon relevant readings and class discussions. The paper applies what you have been learning.

3. The paper adds your own insights to the analyses. The quality of your own ideas is important. Show your own independent thinking as much as possible.

4. The paper is convincing. You have the responsibility to justify your arguments. You must back up your points or conclusion. Support your argument by using evidence from the class readings or other sources. Use explicit examples to illustrate what you say. Examples or ideas from primary and secondary sources must be cited using footnotes or endnotes. Do not assume anything on the part of the reader.

5. The paper is well organized. It has an introduction with a thesis (argument), it has a body supporting this thesis, and it ends with a conclusion summarizing the main points.

6. The paper has no spelling and grammatical errors.

Paper 1:

Write a 2-3 page formal analysis of a single building found in the Puget Sound region. A formal analysis assesses the building’s form, which is made up of such things as line, surface, shape, volume, materials, textures, and colors. Do not merely describe the building; show how the described building functions. Be sure to include an image of the building in your paper, as well as an elevation drawing you have done yourself. For assistance on writing a formal analysis essay, consult the Barnet book, especially pages 87-98 and 113-127.

Paper 2

Write a 5-page paper comparing and contrasting any two American buildings from the seventeenth to the twenty-first centuries. You should include a formal analysis of the buildings in relation to one another. In addition, you should discuss not just how the buildings function, but what they mean. That is, how do they represent the intentions of their designers or builders and their particular historic periods? Include images of the buildings. For writing comparative papers, consult the Barnet book, especially pages 135-150. You must use at least five scholarly sources (not counting Internet sources) to support the research for this paper and cite those sources properly in endnotes or footnotes and in an annotated bibliography following the Chicago Manual of Style format.

Exams 

The exams will consist of identifications of buildings and architectural terms, and questions regarding the course readings. Exams will be taken in class and last for no more than 60 minutes per quiz.

Classroom Etiquette:

Food and drink are acceptable as long as you do not disrupt the class or bother your neighbors. Electronic devices (including, but not limited to, cell phones, pagers, blackberries, digital assistants) may not be used. Activities that are non-relevant to the course, such as checking/sending email, playing games, and surfing the web, are considered disruptive activities when class is in session. Please be respectful and attentive when others are speaking in class. Arriving late or leaving early should never happen except in exceptional cases.

Miscellaneous:

If you choose to drop the course, you are responsible for reporting the change to the registrar's office. If you stop coming to class and do not contact the registrar, you will end up receiving a failing grade even if you attended only once or not at all.

If you would like me to mail your final paper/exam to you, bring a self-addressed, stamped 9½ X 12 inch envelope with you to the final exam period. Otherwise, you can pick up your final papers in my office during the next quarter. Remember that you need papers for the portfolio that you must complete before you can graduate, so keeping all your papers across your career at UWT is a good idea.

The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) offers academic support for students at all levels. For writing, reading, learning strategies and public speaking needs, please make an appointment online at: http://appt.tacoma.washington.edu/signup/index.shtml or drop by KEY 202 during drop-in hours; 10-11 and 3-4 (M-Th). Writing support is also available at our online writing center at uwtwrite@u.washington.edu More information about our online writing center is available at: http://www.tacoma.washington.edu/tlc/students/uwtwrite/.

For math, stats and quantitative needs, assistance is available on a drop-in basis in KEY 202. Please check our schedule at: http://www.tacoma.washington.edu/ctlt/about_us For special needs, please contact Ingrid Horakova at horaki@u.washington.edu.

If you would like to request academic accommodations due to a temporary or permanent disability, contact Lisa Tice, Manager of Disability Support Services (DSS) in the Mattress Factory Building, Suite 206. An appointment can be made through the front desk of Student Affairs (253-692-4501), by phoning Lisa directly at (253) 692-4493 (voice)/(253) 692-4413 (TTY) or via e-mail at ltice@u.washington.edu. Appropriate accommodations are arranged after you have conferred with the DSS Manager and presented the required documentation of your disability to DSS.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES AND ASSIGNMENTS

Selected Bibliography

Barnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing about Art. 8th ed. New York: Longman, 2005.

Bluestone, Daniel. Constructing Chicago. Yale University Press, 1991.

Bowling, Kenneth R. Creating the Federal City, 1774-1800: Potomac Fever. Washington, D.C.: American Institute of Architects Press, 1988.

Brand, Stewart. How Buildings Learn. New York: Viking, 1994.

Ching, Frank. A Visual Dictionary of Architecture. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1995.

Condit, Carl W. American Building: Materials and Techniques from the First Colonial Settlements to the Present. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982.

Craven, Wayne. American Art: History and Culture. New York: Abrams, 1994.

Cummings, Abbott Lowell. The Framed Houses of Massachusetts Bay, 1625-1725. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1979.

Crowley, Walt. National Trust Guide, Seattle: America's Guide for Architecture and History Travelers. New York: Preservation Press, J. Wiley & Sons, 1998.

Eggener, Keith. American Architectural History: A Contemporary Reader. London and New York: Routledge, 2004.**

Fleming, John, Hugh Honour, and Nikolaus Pevsner. The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture. 4th ed. London; New York: Penguin, 1991.**

Gowans, Alan. Styles and Types of North American Architecture: Social Function and Cultural Expression. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.

Hamlin, Talbot. Greek Revival Architecture in America. New York: Dover, 1964.

Katz, Peter, ed. The New Urbanism: Toward an Architecture of Community. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994.

Kostof, Spiro. America by Design. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.

Kostof, Spiro, ed. The Architect: Chapters in the History of the Profession. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986, 1977.

Kreisman, Lawrence. Made to Last: Historic Preservation in Seattle and King County. Seattle: Historic Seattle Preservation Foundation in association with the University of Washington Press, 1999.

Levy, Matthys, and Mario Salvadori. Why Buildings Fall Down: How Structures Fail. New York: W.W. Norton, 1992.

McAlester, Virginia and Lee McAlester. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Knopf, 1984.**

Nabokov, Peter and Robert Easton. Native American Architecture. Oxford University Press, 1988.

Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998.

Rifkind, Carole. A Field Guide to American Architecture. New York: New American Library, 1980.

Roth, Leland M. American Architecture: A History. Westview Press, 2001.**

Salvadori, Mario. Why Buildings Stand Up: The Strength of Architecture. New York: Norton, 1990.

Scully, Vincent. American Architecture and Urbanism. New rev. ed. New York: H. Holt, 1988.

Scully, Vincent. The Shingle Style and the Stick Style: Architectural Theory and Design from Richardson to the Origins of Wright. Rev. ed. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1971.

Swope, Caroline T. Classic Houses of Seattle: High Style to Vernacular, 1870-1950. Portland: Timber Press, 2005.

Upton, Dell. Architecture in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.**

Upton, Dell, and John Michael Vlach, eds. Common Places: Readings in American Vernacular Architecture. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 1986.

Woodbridge, Sally Byrne. A Guide to Architecture in Washington State: An Environmental Perspective. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1980.**

**On reserve at the UWT Library.