Structural Design and Construction in Medieval and Renaissance Times (U03357)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : ACE-3-ACE

The course will survey the relationships between building and structural design, materials and construction through the medieval and renaissance periods. The design process of 'constructive geometry'and its irrationality will be reviewed in relation to the possibility of intuitive judgement; then the eventual adoption of more rational 'rules of thumb', particularly following the collapse of Beauvais Cathedral in 1284. Decisions as to what constituted sufficient structure for stability will be considered, as against the requirements of security or fortification. The qualities and limitations of naturally occuring materials will be introduced and the course will also explore the process of construction itself, particularly where it has a bearing on the structural design.
No more than a very fundamental ability in mathematics is required for this course.

? Keywords : structure, architecture, engineering, structural design, medieval, renaissance, masonry, constructive geometry, rules of thumb,

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Architectural History 1 or 1A or 1C or Honours entry to History of Art or its combined degrees, or Honours entry to BMus (Music), or Structural Engineering year 1, or Civil Engineering year 1, or Medieval and Renaissance History 2, or by agreement with the Head of Subject Area.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Architecture - History, (School of Arts, Culture and Environment, Schedule A)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) 40 minutes per week for 11 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	09:00	10:50	Central
Lecture	Friday	09:00	10:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

- a thorough knowledge of the design and construction processes of masonry building in the medieval and renaissance periods in Britain and parts of Europe, and an awareness of the conceptual distinction between these and modern techniques.
- an appreciation of the limited rationality of geometric structural design, of the uncertainty of the medieval condition generally, and the possibility of unstable building construction in particular;
- an appreciation of the multiple role of the master mason as architect, engineer and building contractor, and the consequent synthesis of architecture, engineering and construction in medieval times;
- the ability to analyse and discern the original design basis of simple buildings of the medieval and renaissance periods;
- the development and honing of critical intelligence as students work with original source material such as building accounts & contracts, as well as secondary sources, in the formation of original analysis of historical processes.