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Histart 24

FRESHMAN SEMINAR: LOOKING AT BERKELEY BERKELEY BUILDINGS (1 unit)

Attendance at the first seminar meeting is necessary. This seminar will meet for twelve weeks, beginning August 31, 2009 and ending November 23, 2009. Food for Thought dining arrangements will be discussed in class.

This seminar is based on close study of the best buildings on campus and includes comparison with some of the worst. The goal is to learn to analyze buildings objectively, to understand the rationale behind buildings in different styles, and to develop criteria for a balanced judgment of them. We will also study the 1899 ideal plan for the campus, the official 1914 plan, and the present state of the arrangement of buildings, plazas, and planting on campus. There will be weekly study assignments to look closely at specific buildings, to make very simple drawings of them (no experience or talent expected) and to write short descriptive comments. Two-hour classes will normally begin with a discussion of the current assignment, will include a short slide lecture for background for the next assignment, and will end with a collective visit to a building involved in the assignments. No reading; lots of walking, looking, and discussing; some drawing and writing. The final very short paper will be a critical report on a building chosen by the student. This is a Liberal Arts course, but students of Civil Engineering are specially invited to enroll. This seminar is part of the Food for Thought Seminar Series.

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