Paper details:
THE ASSIGNMENT: RESEARCH: You will research both places in-depth and provide the following information in written and visual form for your essay. Research should be conducted from a minimum of FOUR CREDIBLE SOURCES. At least 2 of the 4 sources must be reputable print sources (scholarly book, academic journal or magazine, nat’l or int’l newspaper, etc). You may list your textbook as an additional source but it does not count as one of your four required sources. Internet sources should be reputable and written by credentialed academics, researchers or institutions (examples of acceptable sites: National Geographic, Smithsonian, The British Museum, New York Times, etc). They may NOT come from TikTok, Snapchat, YouTubers, for-profit tourism websites, travel/lifestyle blogs, paid advertisements etc. If you are unsure if your internet source is credible, please ask early and often! Include in your research and in the introductory areas of your essay: • Basic “biographical” information on the building or place – Building/place name and any meaning or symbolism associated – Architect(s), if any and their biographical information – Location & map (city, state, country, geographical region, etc) – Time period of design & construction – Type of building or purpose of building (temple, home, school, etc) – Describe the key architectural features of the building – Why is this building significant in architectural history? • Visual Information – Site Plan(s) – Plan(s) – Elevation(s) – Section(s) – Perspective/Paraline drawings – Photos ANALYSIS (COMPARE & CONTRAST): Using the information gathered from your research, you will compare and contrast your buildings/places by providing the following visual analysis: • Visual analysis (3 pairs required)—Choose three of the following visual elements of architecture and apply them to both of your buildings/places (refer to Lectures 1&2 for a review of these principles). You will then compare and contrast the two buildings/places in terms of the elements you have chosen. You must compare/contrast using self-drawn diagrams that show your thought process (not just pictures downloaded from the internet or a paragraph of text) for the visual portion of your essay. You should have at least 3 pairs of diagrams for this part of the assignment, one pair for each element you choose to analyze. You will use written text in your essay to explain the visual compare and contrast diagrams you draw. • Point • Line • Plane • Volume • Shape • Size • Color • Pattern • Texture • Position • Orientation • Organization (Centralized, Linear, Radial, Clustered, or Grid) • Proportion • Symmetry/Asymmetry • Hierarchy • Rhythm • Spatial Analysis (2 pairs required)—Choose two of the following topics (or create a topic of your choosing, with approval from the instructor) to compare and contrast for your buildings/places. Again, use primarily self-drawn diagrams (you will have at least 2 pairs, one pair for each topic) for your presentation and primarily text for your essay • • Circulation • Views/Vistas • Spatial Progression • Environmental Context • Construction Techniques • Structure • Exterior vs. Interior • Massing • Interpretation—Based on your research and analysis, explain why you believe your two buildings/places were designed the way they were. Answer the following questions in the written portion of your essay: • What kind of response was each place intended to create for the viewer/visitor? • How did the similarities and/or differences, help each place achieve its intended effect? • Could either building have used the other building’s characteristics successfully to achieve its design goals? DELIVERABLES: Visual Research paper: A 1500 word research paper that provides a written synopsis of your research, your compare/contrast analysis and integration of your collected, relevant images and diagrams that help support your compare/contrast analysis. The paper will be written in a scholarly manner with reputable references properly cited. The visual images and diagrams should be formatted and well integrated into the body of text. Captions should be included with images and diagrams to help identify them. The paper will be submitted online via the link on Vancko Hall on the due date listed in the syllabus. Late papers will not be accepted unless there is a documented and approved reason for the lateness.
