Historical Urbanism and Preservation

This unit surveys global architectural and urban design developments from ancient cities through modern and contemporary practice, emphasizing how cultural, religious, political, and technological forces shaped form and planning. Students study urban systems, preservation principles, and the work of influential contemporary architects to prepare for applying historical lessons to design and conservation projects in the next unit.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze architectural and urban design characteristics across selected regions and periods (e.g., ancient cities, Islamic mosques, Renaissance ideal cities, Baroque plans, and modern suburbs) by comparing at least three case studies and identifying cultural, religious, and political influences.
• Apply principles of urban form and planning (including grid systems, defensive town layouts, ideal-city geometry, suburbanization, and smart-growth strategies) to evaluate and annotate two existing city plans or maps and propose one site-level intervention that improves circulation, land use, or resilience.
• Demonstrate understanding of preservation theory and practice by conducting a conditions assessment and drafting a brief conservation strategy for a historic building or district that addresses significance, appropriate intervention approaches, and stakeholder considerations.
• Evaluate the design approaches and legacies of selected contemporary architects (e.g., Ando, Diller + Scofidio, Gehry, Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, Koolhaas, Libeskind, Nouvel, Piano) by producing a comparative analysis that links their solutions to historical precedents and contemporary architectural challenges.