[...]... relative smallness of the discipline of architecture, there is a large amount of architectural theory, including an array of anthologies and compendia There are a variety of ways in which architectural theory compilations have been organized Some books are organized chronologically, some are organized geographically, and some are organized thematically.3 There are benefits and drawbacks to each organizational... less easily circumscribed.8 Architectural theory is vast and diverse, and encompasses at least three main areas: 1 2 3 theories of architectural technology: principles of structure, ventilation, drainage, lighting, etc theories of architectural history: social phenomena and patterns, linguistic analyses, analyses of physical artifacts, etc theories of architectural design: organizational strategies,... religion In early Eastern Christian theology, theoria was the enlightenment materializes As such, theory is central to architectural education Understanding architectural theory is essential On the first day of the semester, in the architectural theory course I teach, I always ask students several questions: What is theory? ” How is it useful? What excites you about theory? What scares you about it? Many students... change in the future? These questions prod us and they cause architecture to change New materials are invented New spaces and forms are made New uses are accommodated Architects form new ideals about what architecture could be and must be You have the opportunity to participate in this debate, and the chapters ahead will facilitate this THE CHAPTERS AHEAD Each of the 12 chapters explores a particular... part of the faculty? With little control over cultural factors and greater authority over curricular matters, the faculty at a public university in the United States where I was teaching, brainstormed a variety of pedagogical changes Among them was an architectural theory course, which Dr Darell W Fields and I developed We contended, as does this book, that architectural theory is vital to undergraduate... entertainment value aside, the debate serves as a clear example of the dialectic Alexander, building on a mathematics background and a precedent-based approach to architecture, discussed the importance of “harmony” in architecture, the proportional relationships among the spaces and elements of a building or urban design Eisenman challenged these views and stated that, for “harmony” to be recognized and... undergraduate and beginning graduate design education, and that the absence or marginalization of architectural theory exacerbated the problems stated above The faculty concurred, but vacillated on how to best integrate architectural theory into the curriculum We confronted a number of practical issues The course had to fit within the larger curricular structure, and it had to be developmentally appropriate... “Preface,” in Architectural Theory from the Renaissance to the Present (Los Angeles: Taschen, 2002), 6; Hanno-Walter Kruft, A History of Architectural Theory from Vitruvius to the Present (New Introducing Arch Theory- 01-c 7/12/11 13:24 Page 6 DEBATE IN ARCHITECTURE York: Princeton Architectural Press), 21–29; Harry F Mallgrave and Christina Contandriopoulos, Architectural Theory, Volume II: An Anthology... Rizzoli, 1993) are organized chronologically Architectural Theory from the Renaissance to the Present (Los Angeles: Taschen, 2002) is organized geographically Hanno-Walter Kruft, A History of Architectural Theory from Vitruvius to the Present (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1994) is a combination of both of these strategies, as is the case for Harry Francis Mallgrave, ed., Architectural Theory: ... which history and theory are often delivered It allows for a thematic approach, contemporary and prospective in its trajectory, which better resonates with student cognition Thus, Introducing Architectural Theory: Debating a Discipline is an attempt to bring architectural theory back to the center of the architectural education experience xiv Introducing Arch Theory- 01-c 7/12/11 13:23 Page xv Acknowledgments . theory. Introducing Architectural Theory: Debating a Discipline stems from curricular and pedagogical conversations I have had with colleagues near and distant. Several colleagues, especially those. undergraduate curricula. Undergraduate architectural education is often composed of a triad— architectural history, architectural technologies, and architectural design. Coupled together, these areas promote a comprehensive. and greater authority over curricular matters, the faculty at a public university in the United States where I was teaching, brainstormed a variety of pedagogical changes. Among them was an architectural