Global Urbanism and Preservation

This unit examines the evolution of cities, urban planning models, and historic preservation across global contexts, from ancient towns and Islamic architecture to Renaissance plans, modern suburbs, and contemporary smart-growth strategies. It also introduces leading contemporary architects and their design philosophies to connect historical precedents with current practice, building on foundational design principles and preparing students for applied design and preservation work in the final unit.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze historical and cultural influences on architectural form and urban order using global case studies (e.g., mosques, Greek/Roman town plans, Renaissance ideals, Baroque plans, American grids) and identify patterns of continuity and change.
• Compare major urban planning models (medieval defensive towns, Renaissance ideal cities, Baroque grand plans, industrial-grid cities, suburbs, and smart-growth) by producing annotated diagrams or written summaries that explain their spatial logic and socio-economic drivers.
• Evaluate historic preservation and adaptive-reuse strategies by assessing at least two case studies and proposing preservation solutions that balance authenticity, functionality, and regulatory/ethical considerations.
• Apply critical analysis of selected contemporary architects (e.g., Ando, Diller & Scofidio, Gehry, Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, Koolhaas, Libeskind, Nouvel, Piano) by relating their design philosophies to historical and urban contexts and producing a brief design rationale for a hypothetical site.