History of Architecture and Architectural Theory

The course is a general survey of architectural history and elements of architectural theory. European and Western architectural history, together with some non-Western architectural traditions are taught in one semester, while Norwegian and Nordic architectural history are taught in another semester. Through the study of architectural history in their second year the students acquire elementary knowledge that is necessary for their engagement with historical buildings. In addition to providing a general perspective on the history of the discipline, the course thus supports their training in architectural heritage preservation and is closely tied with design and studio courses that teach this material. This aspect of the course is increasingly gaining significance because of its implications for the sustainability of the environment and the importance of addressing the reuse of historical buildings in architectural education.

KNOWLEDGE: The candidate will acquire general knowledge of the history of architecture and some related theoretical problems. This includes the knowledge of the most important buildings and building types and works of the most prominent architects from prehistoric times to 2000 CE. SKILLS: The candidate will be able to recognise, stylistically classify and evaluate architectural works, buildings and approaches to design. GENERAL COMPETENCE: The candidate will have acquired the overview of the chronology and stylistic developments in the history of architecture. The candidate will be able to recognize the stylistic repertoire of forms and will be able to mediate architectural works both to specialists and the general public.

Lectures, excursions and private study (syllabus).

The teacher will inform students at the start of the semester if there will be an obligatory or voluntary excursion. Obligatory excursions are free of cost for all students while students who participate in voluntary excursions will be expected to pay an individual sum. Students who choose not to participate in the voluntary excursion will be offered an alternative teaching plan.

In this subject, a temporary exception has been made from the requirement for Norwegian as the language of instruction due to a lack of access to Norwegian-speaking teachers.