Students will submit a written research paper of 1,200 words, a graphical analys

Students will submit a written research paper of 1,200 words, a graphical analysis with accompanying images and citations to draw conclusions about the continuity of the architectural tradition and its value to current and future societal needs. I the Instructor assigns grades based on your detailed research, written production and appropriate image selection with all needed citations. The Final Written Assignment will be uploaded on Canvas via Assignments.
ASSIGNMENT: Final Research Paper, 20 Points or 20% of your Final Grade
The purpose of this project is to:
Apply research from a range of academic sources to evaluate the significance of historical and contemporary architecture. Critique contemporary architecture using architectural history and theory.
To achieve these learning outcomes, you will research and write a comparative analysis between a significant work of historical architecture and a significant modern or contemporary work of architecture in the Los Angeles region. You will compare and contrast central themes discussed in the readings and focus on the relationship between culture, ideas, and how architectural form expresses these meanings. As you conduct research and outline your findings, you will develop a thesis regarding the relationship of the works of architecture and their importance to the historical development of architecture and its relevance to contemporary cultural issues. The research paper will be 1200 words in length, plus diagrams, images and a list of works cited. Your analysis will apply research from scholarly texts, library resources, online sources and observation (where appropriate). In this research project you will analyze and evaluate both the historical and the modern works in terms of the architectural and historical context of each work and the relationship to cultural themes discussed in the course, including:
Site Context: Urban, Rural, Topography, Resources
Cultural Context: Social, Political, Religious, Artistic, Technical and Economic Scale, Order and Organization: Size, Proportion, Orientation, Geometry, Hierarchy, Axis, Symmetry, Module, Massing, etc.
Program and Circulation: Approach, Threshold, Entrance, Ambulation, Experiential Sequence, Spatial Relationships, Ritual Use and Purpose
Program and Circulation: Approach, Threshold, Entrance, Ambulation, Experiential Sequence, Spatial Relationships, Ritual Use and Purpose
Structure: Trabeated or Arcuated, Vaulted, Domed, Corbeled, Excavated, Truss, Poured, Cantilevered, etc.
Materiality and Technology: Earth, Stone, Concrete, Wood, Metal, Glass
Construction process: Design, measurement, logistics, challenges
Light: Natural light, Openings, Glazing, Artificial Light
Surface: Ornamentation, Surface Articulation, Texture, Material, Color
Other: Something peculiar to the work that makes it significant.
Examples of comparisons may include, (please check with me on your final selection):
The Athenian Acropolis and the Getty Center, Brentwood
The Villa of the Papyri, Herculaneum and the Getty Villa, Malibu
The Pantheon, Rome and the Griffith Observatory, Hollywood
The Colosseum, Rome and the SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
Saint-Étienne, Caen, France (or other Romanesque Cathedral) and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angeles, Downtown Los Angeles •
Katsura Imperial Villa and Gardens, Kyoto, Japan and The Gamble House, Pasadena
Governor’s Palace + Nunnery, Uxmal, ca 900CE and the Barnsdall House, Frank Lloyd Wright, Hollywood
Diagrams and images you might include:
Exterior Photographs
Interior Photographs
Site Context
Site Plan
Plans
Sections
Exterior Elevations
Organization – axis, symmetry, module
Circulation – approach, threshold, program and path
Structure
This research project will progress over the course of the semester, please include:
Research Materials – Identify at least five relevant academic sources
Create a Resource list to use in Work Cited section of your submission
Submit Research + Resource List with Final Paper
Final Submission- Week 15, May 14th, Two Weeks Prior to Finals Week, see schedule.
Compare and contrast papers are used to analyze the difference between two subjects.
Make sure to sufficiently describe both sides in the paper, and then move on to comparing and contrasting both thesis and supporting the one you find most compelling.
This is not a writing or literature course; architecture is by its very nature a visual and theoretical endeavor. When making citations the MLA format is best for this assignment. You may use this link to help you with your citations: https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/mlacitation/intextLinks to an external site.
I look forward to reading and viewing your final paper!
1,200 Words minimum with images and site plans.