ARCHITECTURE OF CITIES

REGENCE

Learning outcomes of the curricular unit:

The Unit “Architecture of Cities” aims to develop students' ability to understand and interpret the evolution of the urban phenomenon, through the crossing of several critical knowledge, related with architectural and urban cultures.

The student should be able:

1. To read the diachronic evolution of cities, regarding their urban and (infra)structural design;

2. To read the synchronic evolution of great urban architectures, generated through different times in history;

3. To identify the main conceptual, structural and symbolic invariants of the urban thinking, and of the urban making, through space and time, by crossing those synchronic and diachronic readings;

4. To encourage the reflection and critical thinking about topics placed beyond the given information;

5. To strengthen the development of a relational thinking, by confronting and bridging different times and modes of the urban development.

 

Syllabus:
Throughout the semester the course will address many issues, relating architectural and urban periods. We will try to define what gives form and program to the Architecture:

1) of the Ideal City

2) of the Baroque City

3) of the Enlightenment City

4) of the Industrial Revolution City

5) of the Pre-functionalistic City

6) of the Radiant City

7) of the Informal City

8) of the Pop City

9) of the Analogous City

10) of the Generic City

These themes -introduced or discussed by other authors -, will be portrayed in a structured, spatial and symbolic way, enhancing those strata settled in the "palimpsest" or in the "hypertext" that shapes the contemporary city.

 

Demonstration of the syllabus coherence with the curricular unit’s objectives.
This Unit seeks to address the following topics relevant to the acquisition of research methodologies in the areas of Architectural and Urban Cultures:

a) Type, location and technical access of documentary sources focused to Architecture and Urbanism.

b) Epistemological framework: the nature and scope of the study object (the building and the territory), their identification, delimitation and inquiry;

c) Organization of an individual Work Task related to the student´s PhD thesis research and development;

d) The scientific method in Architecture and Urbanism. Methods of recording and observation of the phenomena in the built environment, and its relation to political, cultural and economic power structures;

e) Planning and definition of research: quantitative and qualitative methodologies in the humanities. Collect and organize data. Treatment and interpretation of results.

Teaching methodologies (including evaluation):
The lectures are presented in expository mode and make use of teaching aids available in the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, to suit the dynamic and structured sequential presentation of images.

The classes are intended to present, relate and evaluate, in a thoughtful way, the subject contents, the systematization of the proposed work and the originality and relevance of the topics discussed in terms of the used methodologies.

The assessment focuses on the preparation of an Individual Task/Work in order to provide a structured thinking about the developed subjects, will attend the following aspects:

a) laboratory or field work (20%)

b) problem solving (20%)

c) synthesis capacity (20%)

d) research capacity (40%).

 

Demonstration of the coherence between the teaching methodologies and learning outcomes.
Demonstration of the coherence between the teaching methodologies and learning outcomes.
The intersection of teaching methods with the objectives of the course calls for the development of the following skills which are developed with exercises scheduled in the areas of Architecture and Urbanism:

a) Instrumental: documentary sources; methodology and tools in architectural research; rules and models in architecture and urbanism; processing, systematization, archiving and information consultation;

b) Personal: competence in critical thinking through participation in discussion groups;

c) Systemic: competence in independent learning and the ability to investigate the development of a topic in order to produce an Individual Task/Work.

 

Bibliography

Ascher, François; Novos princípios do urbanismo. ISBN: 978-972-24-1670-2

Ascher, François; Metapolis. ISBN: 972-8027-88-3

Corboz André; Le territoire comme palimpseste. ISBN: 2-910735-36-2

Hall, Peter; Cities in civilization. ISBN: 0 75382 815 3

Kostof, Spiro; The city shaped. ISBN: 0-500-34118-4

Kostof, Spiro; The city assembled. ISBN: 0-500-34124-9

Koolhaas, Rem; Delirious New York. ISBN: 88-435-6230-4

Le Corbusier; Urbanisme. ISBN: 2-7003-0310-5

Le Goff, Jacques; Pour l´amour des viles. ISBN: 2-909317-45-5

Morris, A. E. J.; História de la forma urbana. ISBN: 84-252-1181-6

Portas, Nuno; Domingues, Álvaro; Cabral, João, Políticas urbanas. ISBN: 972-31-1061-X

Portas, Nuno, Domingues, Álvaro; Cabral, João, Políticas urbanas II. ISBN: 978-972-31-1382-2

Rossi, Aldo; La arquitectura de la ciudad. ISBN: 84-252-1606-0

Sica, Paolo de; História del urbanismo. ISBN: 84-7088-261-9

Solá-Morales i Rubió, Manuel de; Las formas de crecimiento urbano. ISBN: 84-8301-197-2

Solà-Morales, Ignasi; Presente y Futuros. ISBN: 89-89698-03-4