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KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE      

ARCH 325

Environmental Design &   Society

Ref. No. 03530, 03 credit hours

Spring 2008, 8:30—9:20 am M W F

Dr. David Seamon, Seaton 202C

532-1121 or 532-5953

triad@ksu.edu

www.arch.ksu.edu/seamon

Introduction

This course introduces students to cultural and behavioral factors in architecture and environmental design. The aim is to become aware of how human behavior and society affect and are affected by the built environment.

The course examines such themes as environmental images, spatial behavior, territoriality, architectural archetypes, and a sense of place. Understanding such topics provides help in improving existing environments and designing future ones, be they rooms, homes, buildings, streets, parks, neighbor­hoods, towns, or cities. Also, course topics will help the student to become more sensitive to the roles that architecture, place, and environment play in his or her own daily life.

Texts

In the course, readings play a crucial part. It is absolutely necessary that students keep abreast with reading assignments, and tests will be provided to assist students with the reading task. The two books for the course are listed below and are available at the Union and Varney Bookstores.

Hassan Fathy. Architecture For The Poor, Chicago: University  of Chicago Press, 1973; ninth printing, 2001).

William Whyte. The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces (New York: Project for Public Spaces, 1980, 2001).

Also required is a packet of photocopied materials on sale at the copy center at Claflin Books (FirstBank Center, 1814 Claflin). Please do not purchase until instructor says in class the packet is ready.

Tentative Outline & Reading Assignments

Reading selections listed are to be read for that day's class. Full citations of all readings listed below are provided on the last page of this course syllabus.

Attendance

Much of the material on the two major examinations will be drawn from class lectures. It is therefore important that students attend class regularly. Toward this end, the instructor will periodically take attendance. The instructor has the prerogative to lower, by one letter mark, the grades of students who miss four or more days on which attendance is taken. Students present on all days on which attendance is taken will have five additional points added to their final scores.

Please note that any student with a disability who needs an accommodation or other assistance in this course should contact the instructor in the first two weeks of the course.

Grading and Extra Credit

Grades are based on scores from tests and examinations, all of which will be objective in format and involve true-false, multiple-choice, and matching questions. Point distribution is as follows:

3 tests (34, 33, 33 pts)                                                                               = 100 points

First Examination                                                                                      = 100 points

Final Examination                                                                                      = 100 points

                                                                                                                   300 points

All tests and exams must be taken on the scheduled day. For students who would like to receive extra credit, a take-home exercise will be provided by the instructor later in the semester.

Honor Code

As students know, the academic honor code is an integral part of the Kansas State University grading system. All students in this class agree to this honor code, which states that:
 

On my honor, as a student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on the academic work I have done for this course.

Readings: Full References

1. ALEXANDER: Christopher Alexander, A Pattern Language (New York: Oxford University Press, 1977). Selections in photocopied packet (complete book available at book stores for students who would like to purchase a copy).

2. FATHY: Hassan Fathy. Architecture For The Poor (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973). Book available at book stores.

3. HILLIER: Five sheets on his theory of space syntax in the photocopied packet. This information is taken from: Bill Hillier and Juliene Hanson, The Social Logic of Space (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984).

4. NEWMAN: Oscar Newman. Defensible Space (New York: Macmillan, 1973); Community of Interest (New York: Doubleday, 1980). Selections in photocopied packet.

5. RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENTS: Ian Bentley, Alan Alcock, Paul Murrain, Sue McGlynn, and Graham Smith, Responsive Environments: A Manual for Designers (London: Architectural Press, 1985). Selections in photocopied packet.

6. THIIS-EVENSEN: Thomas Thiis-Evensen. Archetypes in Architecture (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989; Oslo: Scandinavian University Press, 1996). Selections in photocopied packet (complete book available at book stores for students who would like to purchase a copy).

7. WHYTE: William Whyte. The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces (Washington, D.C.: The Conservation Foundation, 1980; New York: Project for Public Spaces, 2001). Book available at book stores.

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