Erin Sassin
Assistant Professor of History of Art & Architecture
Email: esassin@middlebury.edu
Phone: work802.443.5830
Office Hours: Monday 1:30 - 2:30, Wed. 1:30 - 3:30 and by appointment
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Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
HARC 0230 - Modern Architecture
Modern Architecture
Rotating skyscrapers, green roofs, and avant-garde museums: how did we arrive in the architectural world of the early 21st century? In this course we will survey the major stylistic developments, new building types, and new technologies that have shaped European and American architecture since the late 18th century. Students will learn about the work of major architects as well as key architectural theories and debates. Special emphasis will be placed on the cultural and political contexts in which buildings are designed. 2 hrs. Lect./1 hr. disc.
Spring 2013
HARC 0331 - Architectural Utopias
The Utopian Impulse in Architecture
In this seminar we will explore the impulse to create the world anew through urban planning and architecture. From St. Augustine to the New Urbanism, the imagining and building of utopian communities has played a central role in architectural thought. We will see that while some utopias were built (and generally failed), many were never meant to serve as real prescriptions for human progress, but instead functioned as critical devices that challenged the status quo (while remaining impossible dreams of a more perfect world). By the conclusion of this course you will see architectural utopias as nuanced and complex constructions, and will be able to confidently read, describe and analyze scholarly secondary and primary texts in the field of architectural history, as well as buildings and urban spaces. 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2013
HARC 0339 - Home: The Way We Live
Home: The Why behind the Way We Live
In this course we will examine the development of numerous housing types in America (with references to Europe). The prevalence of the single-family home today and its importance as the symbol of the "American dream" was never a forgone conclusion. In fact, the American home has been the focus of and battleground for: cooperative movements, feminism, municipal socialism, benevolent capitalism, as well as government interventions on a national scale. Therefore, the class will examine texts and visual material that introduce the numerous debates related to the form the American home should take.
Fall 2012
HARC 0530 - Independent Architect. Design ▹
Supervised independent work in architectural analysis and design. (Approval Required)
Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
HARC 0711 - Senior Thesis: History of Art ▹
Senior Thesis: History of Art *
This course is a continuation of HARC 0710 which consists of ongoing, supervised independent research with an advisor, plus organizing, writing, and presenting a thesis, which will be due on a Friday, two weeks before the end of classes. (HARC 0301 and HARC 0710)
Spring 2013, Spring 2014
HARC 0730 - Methods & Theories/Arch Design
Methods & Theories in Architectural Design
Architectural design might be described as a critical and creative form of problem solving. In this course, students will examine the various ways in which architects have conceptualized and responded to fundamental architectural problems involving form, technology, and society. Students will be encouraged to think critically about the kinds of problems that design can address; compare various methodological and theoretical approaches; and identify the issues, methods, and theories that interest them the most in their own work. This course is required of seniors in the Architectural Studies track and designed to prepare them for the senior design project. (HARC 0130 and HARC 0330, or an approved substitute course in studio design for the latter) Note: Students may be enrolled in HARC 0330 and HARC 0730 concurrently.
Fall 2012
