The City In Theory - Her Agency
Seminar History and Theory of Urban Design (052-0850-22)
Organizer: Chair of the History and Theory of Urban Design
Lecturers: Dr. Cathelijne Nuijsink, Dr. Léa-Catherine Szacka
Time: Spring 2022, Thursdays 15:45-17:30
Location: ETH Zürich Hönggerberg, HPT C 103
Denise Scott Brown (1931 - ) in Las Vegas, 1966, photo Robert Venturi.">
Denise Scott Brown (1931 - ) in Las Vegas, 1966, photo Robert Venturi.
Architecture and urban culture operate along axes, which sometimes run parallel and sometimes cross each other. Traditionally, these axes have been defined and dominated by male figures. In the post-war era, however, the “female professional” emerged (in the role of architects, politicians, urban designers, journalists, editors, curators, philanthropists, etc.) who started to critically engage in discussions on urban design and actively contribute to the design of cities. This seminar intents to follow the work and life of a series of these female professionals of the post-war era, showing how, while operating in different contexts and networks, these women have forged the discourses and practices of their generation. By fully acknowledging the contributions of these female protagonists as both an inspiration source and as designer, this seminar sets out to make a correction to the existing, male-dominated histories and theories of urban design.
During the seminar, we will study the concept of agency – that is, the action or intervention producing a particular effect— of women through their contribution to urban theory and design. Parallel to that, we will explore to what degree ideas on cities have changed in the post-war period because of women's thinking and actions. Questions we will address in class discussion include but are not limited to, in what different roles did professional women operate and put their agency to work in sharing their ideas? How can we use critical writing to assess the agency of women on the city?
This course is based on weekly, two-hour seminars structured around a series of input sessions on the themes of “agency” and “professional women,” as well as the acquisition of critical writing skills. During the first class, students will be asked to choose one female protagonist (from a pre-selected group) on which to focus their individual research to be carried out over the course of the entire semester. As part of their research, students will actively gather relevant sources in the library that can contribute to the research questions posed above. The semester-long individual research will culminate in a short piece of critical writing to be included in the collaborative online exhibition.
The final grade consists of:
Active participation in class discussions (15%)
Individual research project and piece of critical writing (55%)
Collective online exhibition (30%)
cathelijne.nuijsink@gta.arch.ethz.ch
Organizer: Chair of the History and Theory of Urban Design
Lecturers: Dr. Cathelijne Nuijsink, Dr. Léa-Catherine Szacka
Time: Spring 2022, Thursdays 15:45-17:30
Location: ETH Zürich Hönggerberg, HPT C 103
Denise Scott Brown (1931 - ) in Las Vegas, 1966, photo Robert Venturi.">
Denise Scott Brown (1931 - ) in Las Vegas, 1966, photo Robert Venturi.
Architecture and urban culture operate along axes, which sometimes run parallel and sometimes cross each other. Traditionally, these axes have been defined and dominated by male figures. In the post-war era, however, the “female professional” emerged (in the role of architects, politicians, urban designers, journalists, editors, curators, philanthropists, etc.) who started to critically engage in discussions on urban design and actively contribute to the design of cities. This seminar intents to follow the work and life of a series of these female professionals of the post-war era, showing how, while operating in different contexts and networks, these women have forged the discourses and practices of their generation. By fully acknowledging the contributions of these female protagonists as both an inspiration source and as designer, this seminar sets out to make a correction to the existing, male-dominated histories and theories of urban design.
During the seminar, we will study the concept of agency – that is, the action or intervention producing a particular effect— of women through their contribution to urban theory and design. Parallel to that, we will explore to what degree ideas on cities have changed in the post-war period because of women's thinking and actions. Questions we will address in class discussion include but are not limited to, in what different roles did professional women operate and put their agency to work in sharing their ideas? How can we use critical writing to assess the agency of women on the city?
Course structure
This course is based on weekly, two-hour seminars structured around a series of input sessions on the themes of “agency” and “professional women,” as well as the acquisition of critical writing skills. During the first class, students will be asked to choose one female protagonist (from a pre-selected group) on which to focus their individual research to be carried out over the course of the entire semester. As part of their research, students will actively gather relevant sources in the library that can contribute to the research questions posed above. The semester-long individual research will culminate in a short piece of critical writing to be included in the collaborative online exhibition.
Assessment
The final grade consists of:
Active participation in class discussions (15%)
Individual research project and piece of critical writing (55%)
Collective online exhibition (30%)
Schedule
- Seminar 01 - 24 February – Download Essential Reading Kathleen James-Chakraborty, “The Diversity of Women's Engagement with Modern Architecture and Design: Three Case Studies”
- Seminar 02 - 03 March - Download Essential Reading Rebekah Lee, “Reconstructing ‘Home’ in Apartheid Cape Town: African Women and the Process of Settlement” Betty Spence,“The Problem of the Location: A Report of Housing Conditions in Ten Transvaal Locations”
- Seminar 03 - 10 March - Download Essential Reading Chloethiel Woodard Smith, “Cities in Search of Form” Jane Jacobs, “Washington”
- Seminar 04 - 17 March - Download Essential Reading Scott Murray, “Critical Engagement: The Role of Ada Louise Huxtable in the Evolution of 2 Columbus Circle” Ada Louise Huxtable,“Architecture: Huntington Hartford’s Palatial Midtown Museum” Thomas Weston Fels, “Phyllis Lambert: An Interview”
- Seminar 05- 31 March - Download Essential Reading Ellen Shoshkes, “Jaqueline Tyrwhitt: a Founding Mother of Modern Urban Design” Hannah le Roux, “The Networks of Tropical Architecture”
- Seminar 06- 07 April – Download Essential Reading Lori Brown and Karen Burns, “Telling Transnational Histories of Women in Architecture, 1960–2015” Rixt Hoekstra, “Women and Power in the History of Modern Architecture: The Case of the CIAM Women”
- Seminar 07- 14 April – Intermediate Presentation
- Seminar 08- 28 April – Writing Workshop 1
- Seminar 09- 5 May – Online Exhibition
- Seminar 10- 12 May – Writing Workshop 2
- Seminar 11 - 19 May - Final Reviews
Contact
cathelijne.nuijsink@gta.arch.ethz.ch
