Scope of topics required for the M.Sc diploma exam.
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Structural mechanics
Define and characterise constraints to system freedom.
Define and characterise internal and external forces acting upon a static rigid body.
Define and characterise a bent-beam strain condition.
Define and characterise a bent-beam deflection condition.
Define and characterise elastic buckling of slender columns.
Define and characterise non-elastic buckling of slender columns.
Present the nature and distribution of strains in a bent-beam.
Define and characterise strain at eccentric loading of columns.
Present and define the core of a cross-section of a compressed column.
Present and define skew bending of beams.
Define and present the essence of statistical indeterminacy of beams and frames.
Present the solution method for statistically indeterminate beams.
Architectural designing
13. Components of architectural composition in architecture according to Juliusz
Żórawski.
14. Golden proportion in architecture, construction manner, examples of applications.
15. Modulor in architecture, construction manner, examples of applications.
16. Office buildings, shaping principles, type of office rooms.
17. What is the definition of architecture? Own definition of the term coined by the
following authors thereof: Vitruvius, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusuier, postmodernists.
18. Role of an architect as a participant in the designing and construction process.
Stages of the designing and construction process.
19. Participation in architectural designing Role of the user in the designing process.
20. Role of analyses in the designing process.
21. Components of architectural composition in architecture according to Juliusz
Żórawski.
22. Canon of proportions in architecture based on the example of: golden proportions,
'vitruvian man' and modulor. Principles of construction, examples.
23. Pritzker Prize winners in the last 10 year period. Characteristics of their output.
24. Bilbao effect. Characteristics of the phenomenon and analogous examples.
25. Architecture in the 19th - 21st century. Trends, directions, main propagators and
their creations.
26. Iconic buildings of modern architecture in Poznan and in the world and their
creators.
27. Sustainable architectural designing.
28. High rise buildings in Poland. Constructed facilities, competitions.
29. Modern sports facilities in Poland and in the world. Football stadiums constructed
in Poland for the purpose of Euro 2012 matches - creators, locations.
30. Principles of designing modern office facilities. Types of rooms, functional zones
and connections between the zones.
31. Principles of designing modern commercial facilities in the light of the provisions of
the 'Building Law' and the 'Regulation on technical conditions governing the
constructions and their location.'
32. Principles of designing residential units. One family and multi-family development.
33. Classification of high rise buildings with regard to fire protection principles.
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History of architecture and urban planning
34. Architectural orders in Ancient Times, in Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism:
genesis and interpretation.
35. Manners of shaping the cities in the Ancient Times: Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece,
Rome.
36. How much of Roman architecture and urban planning was passed down to Roman
Catholic Europe.
37. Medieval monasteries: types of religious orders, location of monasteries, functional
and structural solutions.
38. Evolution from Roman Catholic to Gothic construction versus spirituality of these
epochs.
39. Gothic outside the territory of France - various reasons behind divergence from the
French cannon of a church.
40. Urban planning theory and practice against the background of the epoch-making
events and works.
41. Donato Bramante and Michael Angelo – creation of the central space.
42. Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola and Andrea Palladio: parting of Italian Renaissance:
43. Renaissance in Poland: Zamość and stronghold cities of Eastern Borderlands of
the Polish Commonwealth.
44. Italian Baroque, French Baroque, Baroque in other parts of Europe - reasons
behind the differences.
45. Rococo in architecture and arts - period of changes in Europe.
46. Baroque manor houses in Poland - sources of inspiration.
47. Classicism in 18th and 19th century in Europe - various sources of inspiration and
various forms.
48. Grand Exhibitions and their role in the changing Europe and America.
49. Role of secession in architecture and arts in the view of the phenomena taking
place in the 19th century.
50. Reinforced concrete structures: beginnings - and achievements in the 1960s.
51. Modernism and expressionism in architecture at the beginning of the 20th century.
52. High-tech and minimalism in architecture and their relation to trends in modern
arts.
53. Reconstruction of the Old Town in Poznan and modern retroversions.
54. Maintenance of ruins, manner of their expositions.
55. Types of wooden structures characteristic of Polish folk architecture.
56. Garage works and production devices driven with water and wind.
57. Wooden, Catholic churches, Greek Catholic churches and synagogues.
Colour, light, wall painting
58. Basic differences between easel painting and wall painting. Name several
exemplary techniques.
59. Name types of 3D view and briefly characterise each of them.
60. What are primary colours, supplementary colours and achromatic colours? How is
colour defined in design specifications?
61. What is simultaneous contrast?
62. Present the psychological impact of colour.
63. Present the concept of impressionism in painting.
64. Present the concept of cubism in painting.
65. What is the impact of distance upon the object colour and what is this type of 3D
view called?
66. What do you know about additive and substrative colour mixing?
67. Present the features of colour - quality, saturation, intensity of colour.
68. Present the concept of pop art in art.
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Present the concept of expressionism in art.
Explain the concept of temperature - feature characteristic for colour.
How to define the concept of the ground, as well as alla prima, impasto and glaze.
Present the psychological impact of colour.
Explain the concept of the composition: open and closed; static and dynamic.
"Genius loci" - explain the concept. How is it related to architectural designing?
"Genius loci" in the architectural space of Poznan.
Present the differences and similarities between chiaroscuro drawing and colour
intensity drawing.
Present the interdependencies between light and shade colour.
Present the concept of abstractionism in art.
Architectural object as the sign, symbol, carrier of meaning.
Architecture - source of artistic inspiration.
Rural architecture
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Rural planning types and soil type distribution.
Functions (circulation) of farms, advantages and disadvantages.
Soil cultivation techniques as a factor shaping rural settlement in Poland.
Concept of sustainable development in spatial planning of rural areas.
Typical rural architecture - common features and region related characteristic
features.
86. Home farm management. Functional parts assumed for manor farms.
Zieleń
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Green areas and their classification.
Municipal greenery systems according to Władysław Czarnecki.
Basic trends in shaping parks these days, examples.
Characteristic features of Renaissance and Baroque gardens, Polish and
European examples.
Characteristic features of the English gardens, romantic and natural gardens.
Principles of shaping greenery in the cities.
Principles of designing greenery in open spaces.
Principles of designing windbreaks. Types, dimensions, distances. Examples of
historical forest cover systems in Wielkopolska region.
System of greenery in Poznan and in its suburbs. Authors of concepts,
characteristic features.
Types of 'green' roofs, designing principles, selection of plants.
Green areas and their classification.
Urban planning
98. Give the definitions of the following concepts - spatial planning, de-urbanisation,
suburban-sprawl, re-urbanisation.
99. Characterise the concepts: traditional town, urban agglomeration, conurbation,
metropolis and metropolitan area.
100. Define and explain what sustainable development is, how it is implemented, name
documents related to the implementation of the said principle.
101. What is the Charter of Athens? How many of such documents have been worked
out so far, what did they relate to and where were they drawn up?
102. Classification of settlement systems according to Bronisław Malisz.
103. Increase thresholds in settlement systems according to Bronisław Malisz.
104. Characterise endo- and egzogenic conditions behind the spatial development of
the Polish cities.
105. What is revitalisation and how is it implemented in the town?
106. Give examples and provide characteristics of the revitalisation of post-industrial
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areas in Europe.
107. Importance of cultural values in the composition of the town - panoramic views and
places of sightseeing.
108. Public space of the town - types and their spatial, social and economic role.
109. Issues related to perception and kinaesthetic possibilities of the recipient of the
urban space in the aspect of its creation.
110. Name and characterise basic spatial management tools at the local level.
111. Characterise and present the contents of the binding in Poland urban planing
regulations at different levels of spatial management policy.
112. Development of urban theories in Poland - great urban planners and their wellknown achievements.
113. Development of urban theories in the world - grand ideas, great creators and their
creations.
114. 19th century towns - present and characterise the development trends.
Water in architecture
115. Role of water in architectural composition
116. Modern trends in shaping urban water fronts
117. Urban and natural revitalisation of river valleys in the towns.
118. Threats related to water in the light of EU directives and Polish legal provisions
119. Flood protection methods
120. Principles and methods of rain water management in urban areas
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