Lecture Credits: 2, Prerequisites: 102, 160

This seminar is an in-depth analysis of the relationship between theory, practice, and socio-historical considerations in architecture and interior design. Beginning with a discussion of the various approaches to and functions of "theory," both traditional and critical, the course focuses on a close reading of major primary texts by design theorists from Claude Perrault to Le Corbusier. These theories and the built works they inform will be analyzed in their appropriate historical and critical contexts. Through lecture and discussion of assigned readings, the course will stress the importance of theory for the achievement of a socially appropriate and responsible design.