Histories of Architecture: from Origins to Modernity

larct1131  2026-2027  Tournai

Histories of Architecture: from Origins to Modernity
5.00 credits
50.0 h
Q1
> Schedule
Teacher(s)
Stewart-Halevy Samuel;
Language
French
Main themes
This course aims to introduce students to architecture, from its origins to the modern era, by analyzing its most significant works and their theological, ideological, and theoretical contexts.
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Specific Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  • Understand and use the vocabulary of architecture, urban planning, and art,
  • Identify and describe the main stylistic features of architectural, urbanistic, and artistic production from the studied period,
  • Contextualize representative architectural and urbanistic works in time and space, with reasoned analysis,
  • Explain the meaning of a work by situating it within its historical context, understanding the circumstances of its creation,
  • Analyze unfamiliar examples by drawing connections to known models,
  • Explore the relationships between architectural history and the political, economic, and social organization of societies.

General Learning Outcomes

In line with the program’s learning outcomes (LOs), this course contributes to the development and acquisition of the following LOs:
  • LO4.3 Learn and apply the content of artistic or scientific disciplines to enrich the architectural project.
  • LO4.4 Learn and explain the environmental, social, and economic consequences of architectural choices.
  • LO5.1 Communicate attentively and inclusively with the various stakeholders of the architectural project.
  • LO6.1 Acquire knowledge of disciplinary methods in scientific research.
  • LO6.2 Adopt a critical attitude free from any preconceptions.
 
Content
This course introduces the history of architecture from prehistoric settlements to contemporary design. It moves between a panoramic overview and detailed case studies of artifacts, buildings, cities and infrastructure.  Each session is organised around a set of questions rather than a style or a period: What are the material conditions of building including resources, labour, techniques, exchange, patronage? What do buildings allow us to establish about the societies that produced them?  Examples are taken comparatively and globally, each week passing through our local surroundings before zooming out again.  
Teaching methods
Lecture course. In addition to the lecture, each session includes vocabulary work, a drawing and analysis exercise carried out in class, and in class workshops in small groups. All exercises are done during the session. Students will be expected to prepare for lectures through reading short primary sources posted each week on Moodle in addition to survey texts that will serve as background orientation.
Evaluation methods
Mock exam (ungraded) during the term AND written exam in the session.
The written exam has four parts: multiple-choice questions on vocabulary, chronology and geography; identification of buildings from images; short-answer questions; and answers in the form of diagrammatic drawings. Answers are written in French.  The mock exam uses the same format in shortened form. It is not graded and is followed by collective feedback in class. 
Use of artificial intelligence. All assessment takes place on site and under invigilation; no work done outside class is graded. The use of generative AI tools is therefore prohibited during the exams, as is any other external resource. Outside the exams, students are free to use them for their own study, but are strongly advised to verify what they get back: these tools frequently produce incorrect dates, attributions and descriptions of buildings, and those are exactly what the exam tests.
Other information
Please bring drawing and note taking materials to every session (pencil, eraser, sketchbook or loose sheets), as well as a deck of blank notecards, and a smart phone if available. No prior knowledge of architectural history is required. 
Online resources
Moodle: lecture slides, weekly readings, bibliography.
Bibliography
Braudel, *Memory and the Mediterranean* · Abu-Lughod, *Before European Hegemony* · Pirenne, *Medieval Cities* · James-Chakraborty, *Architecture Since 1400* · Frampton, *Modern Architecture: A Critical History* · Cohen, *The Future of Architecture Since 1889*. Bibliographie complète et lectures hebdomadaires disponibles sur Moodle.
Faculty or entity
> LOCI


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Bachelor in Architecture (Tournai)
ARCT1BA
5