Dr. Jhennifer A. Amundson
Professor of Architecture
Architecture history courses are intended to fulfill main objectives from three constituents that overlap in their intent:
For the discipline of architectural history, it comprehensively studies history revealed through the built world.
Architectural historians study people through the evidence of architecture; these lessons are steered to serve students who intend to practice architecture in the twenty-first century. In addition to covering specific cultures and monuments, this course serves as an introduction to the methodology of architectural history. Your ability to understand basics of historiography is a goal of the course, as is the development of your own skills of looking at and thinking about architecture and its related arts.
For the department of architecture, it is designed to compliment the professional program.
As Judson’s curriculum in architecture aspires to convey ways in which architecture can influence and reflect society (see Department Mission Statement), we dwell upon those historical examples that can prove this idea both positively and negatively. Architectural history courses offer regular opportunities to consider the cultural and physical context of buildings. While concern for community, justice, ethical behavior and sustainable practices are not unique to Judson’s program, our reasons for promoting them –biblical mandates and the example of Christ—are.
For the university, it is conceived in Judson’s liberal arts tradition, intended to acquaint you with cultural values of the world as evidenced in created objects, and this objective flows from Judson’s Mission Statement:
Judson . . . represents the Church at work in higher education, equipping students to be fully developed, responsible persons who glorify God by the quality of their personal relationships, their work, and their citizenship within the community, the nation, and the world.
Like other subjects in this institution which serve the professions and the liberal arts, architectural history allows regular integration of faith and learning, and opportunities to cultivate your awareness of the importance of faith to value judgments made in all arenas of life. It is intended to integrate with other courses you take this and other semesters: history, sociology, biblical studies, structures, drawing and design, among others. Lastly, because architecture has been long considered a mode of communication, and because communication is essential to the success of any significant endeavor (certainly architecture—just look at Babel), this course and its professor place a great emphasis on writing and speaking skills. Everything you learn in English classes should be brought to bear on your work for architectural history. In other words, writing skills count.
The architectural heritage of industrialized cultures illustrates varying degrees of preserved tradition and invented modernity. Modernity and Tradition in Scandinavian Architecture approaches this global tendency through an investigation of the specific case of Scandinavia, with an emphasis on Sweden. This focused study allows a detailed consideration of a unique vernacular culture and mythology adapted to and changed by waves of influence from beyond its borders, including Christianity, Humanism and the Renaissance, and the Industrial Revolution (each of which reached these northern lands much later than elsewhere in Europe). The years 1890-1940 tell a story of special interest as Nordic architects drew influence from the Classical, Modernist (in Sweden, “Funktional”), and National Romantic modes to create buildings, landscapes, and cities that, while connected to global traditions, remain particularly Scandinavian.
Course-Level Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes
- learn main contours of Scandinavian history in a global context
- acquire technical vocabulary in architecture and its history
- understand frameworks for visually identifying main typologies, methods and styles of Scandinavian architecture (with particular emphasis on the years 1890-1940)
- consider architecture as a language expressive of social custom and national values
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to
- Identify architectural typologies and eras on the basis of visual inspection (knowledge)
- Interpret change in design during the period in cultural context (understanding)
- Explain terminology specific to technique, style and structure (knowledge)
- Summarize the main concepts of architectural change in Scandinavia (and especially Sweden/Stockholm) between the years 1890 and 1940 (understanding)
- Relate Swedish architectural traditions to others by virtue of their time and/or place (analyze)
This 3-hour (credit) class comprises three units:
- Pre-Travel (Online) Modules
- Travel in Stockholm
- Post-Travel Debriefs & Projects
A significant portion of the course is delivered via this website, the specific course page, and links provided within it. Bookmark it!
Dr. Amundson oftentimes sends important information electronically using the University’s email system. You are responsible for checking your Judson email account daily. Use email when waiting until the next class meeting is impossible, or when you wish to schedule an appointment to see me, in which case the subject line should read “Emergency” or “Meeting request.” Ideally, conversations take place in person to address concerns most efficiently.
Instagram Account [to post some assignments]
Moleskine notebook [to collect weekly end-of-class reflections]
- Ashby, Charlotte. Modernism in Scandinavia: Art, Architecture, and Design (Bloomsbury, 2019)
- Additional texts and other materials made available online
- Miller, William C. Nordic Modernism: Scandinavian Architecture, 1890-2015 (Crowood, 2017)
- Elmlund, Peter and Johan Martelius (eds.). Swedish Grace: The Forgotten Modern (Axel & Margaret Ax, 2015)
Attendance and participation (passive and active) is expected in every class. You must sign in before the start of each class. Much of the verbal and pictorial information presented in lecture is not repeated in your textbook. Be there, take notes, participate.
Readings are assigned from the textbook and other sources, many of them online. It is essential for you to stay current with the readings and complete them thoroughly. The lectures do not exist to repeat all that you should have read in the book; we meet to add to the knowledge base that you will gain from the weekly readings. In addition to the textbook, which is a secondary source (written by historians who have a distance from their material), you will read primary literature (historic materials) distributed in-class or electronically. Treat online resources (e.g., SmartHistory and YouTube videos) like texts.
Quizzes usually test recognition and memory. Quizzes tend to be section-specific.
Tests assess the variety of information and ideas through a variety of question types, including essay, and cover only the material presented since the time of the last test. Tests tend to be cumulative.
Projects are completed individually or based on group work, conducted in class with external preparation, with individual reflections to follow. Students who are absent on project days will be given an alternate, written assignment.
Workflow for Hybrid Courses
ARC 1015 is offered as a hybrid course, meaning that it blends aspects of online and face-to-face (F2F) interaction.
To maintain social distancing guidelines during the fall 2020 semester, the additional step will be taken to rotate the F2F meetings so that one-third of the class will complete the entirety of their work online while the remaining two-thirds will complete the course as scheduled.
The workweek for blended courses begins the day following a F2F meeting and concludes with the next in-class meeting). As with any 3-credit class, you should plan to spend 9 hours (on average) per week on this course: roughly 2 hours in F2F meetings and 7 hours completing online work and other independent study outside of class time. For each module (week of work) listed on the course calendar, expect the following general activities:
- Take online comprehension quizzes before, during, and/or after the other independent (out-of-class) study. Print or take notes on your results for future reference.
- Read the textbook(s) (preview chapter sections, make note of subject headings and illustrations that will begin to form a mental outline; return for careful reading and note-taking).
- Engage online work: watch videos, VoiceThreads, visit websites (etc.) as directed in each module, in the order in which they are listed. Give them your full attention; avoid multi-tasking.
- Post on the discussion forums according to prompts. Treat these with the care and formality that you would dedicate to a traditional paper turned in for a grade. When you leave comments on colleagues' work, give the kind of critique that you would like to receive: fair, in-depth, encouraging, and constructive. Return to the discussion to review comments made by colleagues & Dr. Amundson.
- Note: Take care when posting words and images that are not your own. For text, provide credit lines according to the CMS (see format guide elsewhere in this syllabus). To make sure your use of images is legal, when you search, use filtering criteria (in Google Images, navigate through Tools > Usage Rights > Labeled for noncommercial reuse with modification).
- Consistently review and study to reinforce your learning.
- Note: Having tech problems? For BU service issues, contact the Helpdesk; for specific applications, troubleshoot via web services; for missing/broken links on this website, email Dr. Amundson).
The following guidelines will explain criteria used for assigning grades:
A: Student performance demonstrates excellent familiarity with and understanding of facts, concepts and theoretical issues, and produces creative, stimulating, well-organized, thoughtful, and factual work, assignments are completed with care, accuracy and creativity; students offer intelligent discussion on a regular basis. “A” indicates excellence.
B: Student performance reveals above-average familiarity with, and understanding of, concepts, facts, and theoretical issues; assignments are factual and well as well-written; graphic work is above-average; students take part in discussion. “B” indicates good, above-average success in all aspects of an assignment.
C: Student performance exhibits a general understanding of basic concepts and facts; assignments are complete and factual; graphic work is competent; students may occasionally take part in discussion. “C” indicates average work and completion of minimum requirements.
D/F: Student performance exhibits little or no understanding of basic concepts and facts; assignments are incomplete and/or inaccurate; graphic work is poor; students do not add to discussion. “D” indicates poor work and a failure to complete minimum requirements.
Majors for whom this is a required course must receive a grade of “C-” or higher to proceed in the architectural history sequence. A grade book spreadsheet will be posted regularly on the course website so that you can keep track of your performance with a great degree of precision. Participation in this posting is optional; participants will each choose a pin to maintain their anonymity.
If your absence during an exam is unavoidable due to a situation beyond your control, you must contact Dr. Amundson as soon as possible. If you know in advance that an event will call you away from campus, usually you can arrange to take the test prior to your departure. If a school-related activity will take you away from campus when an exam is scheduled, you must complete the assignment prior to departure. The grades of late and incomplete projects will be reduced every day they fail to appear in complete form and cannot be resubmitted (an option sometimes available for some assignments).
There is no extra credit. Concentrate on the regular credit.
Style Guide for Written Work
All written work (as well as visual work that requires documentation) will abide by the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style and use the “Notes and Bibliography” format.
Neither audio nor photographic records may be made during class.
Shoes are required. Hats are discouraged.
Phones, laptops, or other devices may be used from time to time for special activities but should not be used for habitual note-taking. (Laptops provide distractions to the user and people around her as well as the professor. It is human nature to give in to distractions, and distraction inhibit your ability to participate in class and learn. Furthermore, studies show that note taking by hand increases comprehension because the note taker must be selective and actually think while he is writing. Research also suggests a strong correlation between comprehension of paper material vs. digital versions.)
Some exercises make use of on-line reading material; you may comprehend more by using a paper copy.
Cell phones should be silenced during class. Students whose cell phones ring during class will receive a bonus opportunity to address the class in the following week with a five-minute speech on a topic of Dr. Amundson’s choosing.
Images and Use Thereof
Images used in these classes may be under copyright protection. When you make a digital copy of them, it is like making a photocopy from a print source and subject to certain regulations. You are welcome to use these images for your own academic purposes. Those on the course website have been screened for proper usage rights, but you are responsible for your use of them; you are also responsible to ensure that images you find and use in your own work (e.g., papers and projects for class) are eligible for this use. To make sure your images are not prohibited, select the proper filters during your search (look for "usage rights" as an option in your search menu). As soon as you place a copyrighted image in a context in which it could be viewed by anyone from outside of the course community you are breaking the law. People who are part of a faith-based community and interested in living biblically will want to think very clearly, and be very careful, about image use as a matter of integrity.
Dr. Amundson: For all concerns about the course or curriculum.
Learning Center: students who need extra assistance with their writing or study skills are encouraged to visit the Learning Center early and often in the semester.
Students with disabilities: Belmont University is committed to making reasonable accommodations to assist individuals with disabilities in reaching their academic potential. If you have a disability which may impact your performance, attendance, or grades in this class and are requesting accommodations, you must contact the University's ADAA Compliance Coordinator, who is responsible for coordinating accommodations and services for students with disabilities. Accommodations will not be granted prior to receipt of a current licensed clinician report outlining the disability, possible limitations and reasonable accommodations in order to meet the needs of the post-secondary coursework. Accommodations are never provided retroactively – prior to finalization of the Letter of Accommodation.
Writing issues: The University organizes assistance for writing in the library. You can also find a wealth of information online, starting with Harvard's Writing Center, which provides good advice on how to write a thesis, for example.
This syllabus is not a legal contract, but serves as a general outline for the semester. The professor reserves the right to make adjustments to the course as the need arises.