Learn fundamental principles of architecture — as an academic subject or a professional career — by studying some of history’s most important buildings.
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What you need before starting this The Architectural Imagination course:
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This course is designed for absolute beginners. No prior knowledge needed.
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Everything you need to know about this online course, from duration to certification
Architecture engages a culture’s deepest social values and expresses them in material, aesthetic form. This course will teach you how to understand architecture as both cultural expression and technical achievement. Vivid analyses of exemplary buildings, and hands-on exercises in drawing and modeling, will bring you closer to the work of architects and historians.The first part of the course introduces the idea of the architectural imagination. Perspective drawing and architectural typology are explored and you will be introduced to some of the challenges in writing architectural history.Then we address technology as a component of architecture. You will discover ways that innovative technology can enable and promote new aesthetic experiences, or disrupt age-old traditions. Technological advances changed what could be built, and even what could even be thought of as architecture.Finally, we'll confront architecture’s complex relationship to its social and historical contexts and its audiences, achievements, and aspirations. You will learn about architecture’s power of representation and see how it can produce collective meaning and memory.Architecture is one of the most complexly negotiated and globally recognized cultural practices, both as an academic subject and a professional career. Its production involves all of the technical, aesthetic, political, and economic issues at play within a given society. Join us as we examine how architecture engages, mediates, and expresses a culture’s complex aspirations.—Members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) who earn a verified certificate may be eligible to receive AIA Learning Units (LUs). Enroll now to learn how you can apply.
Difficulty Level
Introductory
Suitable for motivated learners
Subject Category
Architecture, History
Part of our Architecture, History curriculum
Course Language
English
All materials in English
This online course offers comprehensive training with expert instruction, practical exercises, and a certificate of completion. Join thousands of students advancing their careers through quality online education.
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Investment around $99
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