Philadelphia University
School of Architecture and Design
A312 Design IV
Project 2
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Urban Single Family Housing Types
Culture/Climate Analysis
This project entails research, analysis, and documentation, both written and visual, of a historic, vernacular dwelling type.
Potential choices include: the Chinese courtyard house, Chinese underground dwellings, the Roman atrium house, the Saudi
Arabian (or Islamic) urban atrium house, the Charleston single house, the Southwestern pueblo dwelling, the traditional
Japanese screen house, the Tibetan domestic dwelling, the Indian mandala house, the Turkish rowhouse, the urban
Afghanistan house, and the Javanese courtyard house. You will conduct library research and document your findings through
writing, visual analysis and model building. The project will culminate in individual oral presentations and a comparative
analysis of the dwelling types by means of class discussion.
The analysis of the dwellings selected from different historical periods and cultures enables one to study the various factors
that have influenced the physical form of the dwelling. The function of rooms that make up the house; their interior
furnishings, colors, and materials; their orientation and assembly; the structure and materials of the dwelling; and the
relationship of the dwelling to the urban context are all influenced by a particular set of conditions. These conditions reflect
the social, economic, political, climatic, and spiritual/symbolic needs of the particular culture. How design accommodates
human activity, elicits responses, and communicates meaning is determined by the elements of space and form. Your task is
to write a paper which addresses the following question: “How did the cultural, climatic and urban contexts influence the
physical characteristics of the dwelling?”
Objectives
To develop the ability to speak and write effectively on architectural concepts.*
To develop the ability to employ basic methods of data collection and analysis.
To develop the ability to make a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of a building.
To develop an awareness of the diversity of needs, values, behavioral norms, and social and spatial patterns that characterize
the different cultures, and the implications of this diversity for the societal roles and responsibilities of architects.
To develop the ability to provide a coherent rationale for the programmatic and formal precedents employed in the
conceptualization and development of design projects.
To develop an awareness of the parallel and divergent canons and traditons of architecture and urban design in the nonWestern world.
To explore how different cultures have responded to and affected their domestic architectural settings.
To develop an understanding, both technical and conceptual, of using a variety of resources.*
To develop the ability to identify the appropriate sources for the information needed.*
Research
Most of your research will be in the library, using online databases, and on the internet. You will be expected to use the
library’s online catalogue and online databases, especially the Avery Index to locate journals in the library. You are
expected to become familiar with many of the options you have for finding information and the differences concerning
content amongst them. A good source for questions on doing research can be found at
http://www.philau.edu/library/researchguide/generalresearchguide/startpage.htm .
Some of your resources may not be architectural books or periodicals. You are being asked to link cultural and climatic
information to the reasons why a particular dwelling took a certain form. Broaden your search to include historical,
sociological, and cultural sources. If you have trouble finding information on your topic, try other key words in your
search. Information exists on all the topics. However, you will need to search off-campus. The quality of your research
and resulting analysis will depend on the thorough collection and deep analysis of textual and graphic information. (see
Resource section for more specific information.)
Writing
It is essential that your paper be analytical. This is a research paper, not a book report. Your paper should have a thesis
or controlling idea that directs the way that information is presented. The thesis should be reflected in the title. Also,
your paper should not merely be a string of quotes. You need to synthesize information from different sources into a
coherent analysis of the topic. The information should interrelate and should help strengthen or develop your main idea.
Final presentation: Minimum requirements
 Appointment with a writing tutor at the Learning Center
Make an appointment on the first day of the assignment. This is a requirement for the project. The appointment will be
useful at any point during the course of the assignment. Leave enough time after the appointment to incorporate
suggestions made by the writing tutor.
 Topic Paper
Papers will be a minimum of 1000 words in length (assume 250 words per letter size page), typed on a word processor,
using a standard size font and double spaced with a 1” border. Use both upper- and lower-case letters. Diagrams,
images and architectural drawings will be included to illustrate your points.
Papers and illustrations shall be presented in an 11”x17” format that will be pinned up and later submitted as a book or
package. Diagrams and images should be interspersed with the text to illustrate the points of your thesis.
Please follow MLA Guidelines. You will use in-text citations. Visuals should cite the resource from which it taken. At
the end of the paper, note your sources in a list entitled “Works Cited.” All submittals, including drafts should be
digital. If you have any questions, please refer to the following Learning Center website:
http://www.philau.edu/learning/mla.htm
http://www.philau.edu/learning/mlaworks.htm
http://www.philau.edu/learning/mlasample.htm
Citation and documentation of sources is an extremely important issue. Not taking it seriously can result in plagiarism.
Plagiarism is prohibited by article 4 of your Student Code of Conduct. This article will be strictly enforced. Most
plagiarism is unintentional, but it is wrong none the less, and ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse. Plagiarists
misrepresent the ideas, words, or work that rightfully belongs to another as their own. The proper use of the ideas,
words, or work of another requires that you acknowledge your source: quite simply that you give your audience or
reader all the information needed to read or view the original. In terms of writing papers, you will use MLA standards.
You must use citations and document sources. If you do not, it will be considered plagiarism.If you have any questions,
ask your instructor. If it is determined that any portion of the paper is plagiarized, you will fail this assignment.
 Model
A well-crafted, analytical model of the dwelling shall be sized approximately 11”x17” or smaller. Issues to be analyzed
will be discussed with your critic. The model may also be integral to the design of the paper. For example, it may act as
a container or a structure.
 Oral presentation
This project will culminate in individual oral presentations. Each student should plan to present his/her paper using the
models and 11”x17” boards as visual aids.
Schedule:
Day 2 Final Review of Project 1. Assign Project 2. Resource presentation. Start research for next class. Use
various databases and libraries. Construct an annotated bibliography for review with your professor for next
class. Make an appointment at the Learning Center.
Day 3 Review research/thesis with critic. Work on diagrams and models in class.
Day 4 First draft of paper due, typed and proofread. Include copies of illustrations and drawings. Mockup of
models due.
Day 5 Draft returned / Review work with critic
Day 6 Final Review, final paper and models due. Assign Project 3.
Resources:
Gutman Library - Most of the relevant books in Gutman Library will be on reserve under Design IV or Susan Frostén.
You will use Gutman’s and other libraries’ online catalogs to locate and access materials. You will need to use offcampus resources. Several useful websites include:
 WorldCAT (a FirstSearch database) can also be used to locate materials held in other libraries.*
 Gutman Library link to TCLC Libraries Member Page- This links to online catalogs at local libraries.
http://www.philau.edu/library/locallibs.html
The most useful local libraries relative to the field of architecture include:
University of Pennsylvania, particularly Fisher Fine Arts (898-8325) and Van Pelt
(verify when non-Penn students may use)
http://www.library.upenn.edu/index.html
Temple University, Engineering and Architecture (204-7828)
http://www.library.temple.edu/
Drexel University
http://www.library.drexel.edu/
Free Library of Philadelphia (686-5322)
http://www.library.phila.gov/
Univsersity of the Arts
http://library.uarts.edu/
Be prepared to take notes and/or make copies. You probably will not be given lending priviledges at any of
these libraries. Also, please verify hours before making a trip to access the resource.
 Information Resources for Architecture Students
http://staff.philau.edu/krasulskim/arch/architecture.htm
This web site has suggestions for finding articles and books within the field of architecture both online and in print. It
also links to tutorials for using online indexes. Avery Index is a particularly useful online tool for locating topical
periodicals. It also has links to relevant internet websites, as well as suggestions for evaluating internet sources. From
the library webpage, you can access from the link to electronic resources, databases that are specifically relevant to
architecture students. (See http://www.philau.edu/library/aanddbinfo.htm .) For a tutorial on using the Avery index, as
well as others, go to http://www.philau.edu/library/tutorials.html .
 Use JournalList to determine Gutman Library’s electronic full-text access to a publication. WilsonWeb and ProQuest
are particulary relevant online indexes that often include the full text of the article.
 Internet (World Wide Web) sources are vastly different from the previously mentioned online databases and electronic
journal collections. If you use internet sources, critically evaluate the source. Differentiate between different types of
websites, e.g. academic, commercial, personal, and advocacy. Realize that there is no one verifying the integrity of the
website for you. Contents of the internet site may be false or plagiarized. You will need to determine the reliabilty of
the information for yourself. Please refer to the following website for evaluation criteria:
http://www.philau.edu/library/Pubs/webresource3.htm . For a tutorial on finding and evaluating information on the
internet, go to http://staff.philau.edu/shanej/tutorials/internet071101/ .
Required Reading: (on reserve)
Norberg-Schulz, C. The Concept of Dwelling, Chapter II.
Hall, Edward T. The Hidden Dimension, pp. 101 - 112, pp.131 - 148, pp. 149 - 164.
Recommended Reading: (on reserve)
Rockcastle, Garth. “The Value of Type: A Debate,” from Type and the (Im)possibility of Convention:
Midgard Monograph of Architectural Theory and Criticism.
Rapoport, Amos. House Form and Culture.
Philadelphia University
School of Architecture and Design
A312 Design IV
Project 2
______________________________________________________________________________________
Evaluation Criteria:
This project will comprise 15% of your grade, with the paper counting towards 75% of the project grade. Your project
grade will be based upon the following criteria:
Identifiable thesis or controlling idea
Excellent
Above Average
Average
Below Average
Unacceptable
Below Average
Unacceptable
Ability to critically evaluate and use resources*
Excellent
Above Average
Average
Appropriateness of information to research topics in terms of: accuracy, authority, timeliness, scope, depth of coverage.
Excellent
Above Average
Average
Below Average
Unacceptable
Ability to generalize about ideas and to see formal issues and their relationships
Excellent
Above Average
Average
Below Average
Unacceptable
Clear organization, good transitions, and thorough development of ideas
Excellent
Above Average
Average
Below Average
Unacceptable
Paragraphs with clear topic sentences, concise explanations, and use of supporting detail
Excellent
Above Average
Average
Below Average
Unacceptable
Below Average
Unacceptable
Below Average
Unacceptable
Below Average
Unacceptable
Average
Below Average
Unacceptable
Average
Below Average
Unacceptable
Language which is clear, precise, and free of jargon and slang
Excellent
Above Average
Average
Proper use of grammar, spelling and punctuation
Excellent
Above Average
Average
Proper citation and documentation of all resources*
Excellent
Above Average
Average
Clarity and effectiveness of supporting graphic illustrations
Excellent
Above Average
Clarity and effectiveness of analytical model
Excellent
Final Grade
Above Average