Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 11:07
Architecture can be a synonym for power. Castles that loom over the landscape, the country house and its links with the British Empire and the Victorian prisons designed to incarcerate and extinguish hope. This course takes a thematic approach to the history of architecture to examine the institutions that define our landscapes and cities. Far from being neutral blocks of stone, brick and wood, the architecture of power is designed to define the ways we navigate the world, to intimidate and to reinforce institutions and power structures.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Architecture defines how we live our lives, from the way we queue in an airport to the houses we grew up in. These buildings exert power across political, social and economic spheres. To study the relationship between architecture and power, means that the towns, cities and houses that we see and visit become an opportunity to study the past through the lens of power.
Architecture and Power will introduce students to the study of architecture and the social and political power structures in British history that defines our built environment. We will draw on case studies of prisons, country houses, castles, banks, churches and other representative examples to determine the role of architecture in the projection of power across landscapes and our urban spaces. Of particular importance will be the relationship between colonial power and its direct influence on British architecture up to the early 20th century. Aberdeen’s own history will be a central part of our discussion and contextualised against the backdrop of wider changes to British society. We will study examples from the Middle Ages to the modern period, along with the theories of power and space that can help us understand the world around us.
One or more field trips will form part of the teaching schedule, where students will get the opportunity to study architecture in person and to ask their own questions of the buildings that interest them.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback will be provided plus follow-up verbal feedback if required. Assessment in week 5 of teaching; feedback in week 8. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Demonstrate an understanding of the link between architecture and power from the late Middle Ages to the 21st century. |
| Factual | Apply | Demonstrate an awareness of the role social and political institutions play in the construction of the modern countryside and cities through class discussion and measured through written assessments. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Develop ability to search for and critically evaluate relevant primary and secondary sources. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
2,000-word article / book review. Written feedback will be provided plus follow-up verbal feedback if required. Assessment in week 8 of teaching; feedback in week 11. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Demonstrate an understanding of the link between architecture and power from the late Middle Ages to the 21st century. |
| Factual | Apply | Demonstrate an awareness of the role social and political institutions play in the construction of the modern countryside and cities through class discussion and measured through written assessments. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback will be provided plus follow-up verbal feedback if required. Assessment in week 12 of teaching; feedback in week 14. |
Word Count | 3000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Demonstrate an understanding of the link between architecture and power from the late Middle Ages to the 21st century. |
| Factual | Apply | Demonstrate an awareness of the role social and political institutions play in the construction of the modern countryside and cities through class discussion and measured through written assessments. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Develop ability to search for and critically evaluate relevant primary and secondary sources. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback will be provided plus follow-up verbal feedback if required. |
Word Count | 3500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Demonstrate an understanding of the link between architecture and power from the late Middle Ages to the 21st century. |
| Factual | Apply | Demonstrate an awareness of the role social and political institutions play in the construction of the modern countryside and cities through class discussion and measured through written assessments. |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Develop ability to search for and critically evaluate relevant primary and secondary sources. |
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