Chabot College
Spring 2002
Removed Fall 2006
Course Outline for Architecture 20
ARCHITECTURE OF THE SPIRIT
Catalog Description:
Architecture 20 - Architecture of the Spirit
3 units
Architecture and the traditions of sacred buildings from around the world. Exploration of
designs in the context of beliefs, rituals, and ceremonies. 3 hours lecture.
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
communicate how religious ritual and ceremony affect the form of sacred structures
identify a variety of funerary structures and how various cultures design for an
afterlife
identify how sites are selected for religious buildings
assess how a religion's conception of the cosmos affects the designs of a
religious building
distinguish a variety of ancient sacred structures and identify the culture
and basis for the construction of the structure
identify various forms of sacred Classical Greek and Roman architecture
articulate a general understanding of the development of the Christian Church,
including an ability to distinguish between Medieval, Romanesque, Gothic,
Renaissance, and modern churches
communicate the fundamental elements of religious structures of other religious
traditions, including: churches of Byzantium and the Eastern Orthodox, Islamic
Mosques, Jewish synagogues, Buddhist stupas, Hindu and Sikh temples, and Shinto
and Taoist temples and shrines
identify and analyze a variety of Native American religious structures
assess the design of modern houses of worship in the context of traditional
sacred designs and modern needs
Course Content:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The role of religious ritual and ceremony in the form of sacred structures
Funerary structures and buildings for an afterlife
Site selection for religious buildings
Religious models of the cosmos and the design of a religious structure
A sampling of ancient sacred structures including megaliths of Europe, Ziggurats of
Mesopotamia, the city of Persepolis, and the Pyramids of Egypt
The orders and fundamental principles of sacred Classical Greek and Roman
architecture
Chabot College
Course Outline for Architecture 20, Page 2
Course Content (continued)
7.
8.
9.
10.
The development of the Christian Church from Roman and Mid-Eastern roots
to present times, including Medieval, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and
modern churches
Religious structures of other religious traditions, including churches of Byzantium
and the Eastern Orthodox, Islamic mosques, Jewish synagogues, Buddhist stupas,
Hindu and Sikh temples, and Shinto and Taoist temples and shrines
Principles of Native American religious structures
The process and art of design for contemporary houses of worship in context of
traditional sacred designs and modern needs
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
Lectures
Fields Trips
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1.
2.
Typical Assignments
a.
Reading from textbooks, handouts, and reserve library reading
b.
Seven-to-ten page research paper on a particular religious structure,
including written and graphic documentation, analysis of the building
in context of its liturgical use, comparison with other similar structures
c.
Field trip notebook
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a.
Research paper
b.
Notebook
c.
Midterm exam
d.
Final exam
e.
Class participation
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Spiritual Path, Sacred Place, Thomas Barrie, Shambhala, Boston & London, 1996.
Sacred Architecture, Piers Vitebsky, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, New York,
Toronto, London, 1997.
Special Student Materials:
1.
2.
Camera and film (may be disposable)
Binder or photo album
kh Zip/Curriculum2000/ARCH 20 S02
New: 9/13/00