The course

1
The course

• CON E 101, New GE course
• Part of new degree program
• Catalog description

Cultural context of construction, emphasizing its
centrality in the evolution and expansion of
built environments as expressions of ethical and
historical value systems. Relationship between
culture, geography, construction materials, and
built expressions of cultural legacy.
Interdependence of built environment and society.
2
The Big Picture

• This class is not about how things are built,
  its about why, and what happens afterwards.

3
Innovations

• Augmenting text with video readings
• Journaling in a virtual blog format
• Panel discussions via a virtual panel

4
Video Readings
Video readings augment the text with a more
engaging medium. Sufficient content is available
for frequent interaction.
5
Virtual blogs
Blogs ladder to a final project analyzing a
structure.
6
Virtual Panels

• Both synchronous asynchronous content
• Two planned
• Balboa Theatre
• Sunrise Powerlink

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Virtual Panels

• Economic value propositions
• Non-economic value propositions
• Confrontations of perspectives

8
Architecture and eloquence are mixed arts, whose
end is sometimes beauty and sometimes use.
9
We cannot ask What? in the presence of any
architectural feature without also asking Why?
If we ask the reason why, we are brought at once
to the study of the constructional facts.
10
Not infrequently men have hit upon new methods of
construction in endeavoring to meet utilitarian
necessities, and these new methods have
stimulated new artistic expressions.
11
Mechanical invention and aesthetic feel were
never separated in the minds of the Gothic
builders The Gothic movement, though wonderful
as a structural organism, is even more wonderful
as a work of art.
12
The ribs and bars and shafts are all at bowstring
tension. A mason will tap a pillar to make its
stress audible we may think of a cathedral as so
high strung that if struck it would give a
musical note.
13
When I say artist I mean the man who is building
things -- creating molding the earth -- whether
it be the plains of the west -- or the iron ore
of Penn. It's all a big game of construction --
some with a brush -- some with a shovel -- some
choose a pen.
14
Noble life demands a noble architecture for noble
uses of noble men. Lack of culture means what it
has always meant ignoble civilization and
therefore imminent downfall.
15
Architecture in general is frozen music.
16
Architecture is the will of an epoch translated
into space.
17
She well knew the great architectural secret of
decorating her constructions, and never
condescended to construct a decoration.
18
Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New
ideas must use old buildings.
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