S0904 In our Particular Way. The City and the Residential Architecture of Venice

Venice and its buildings offer an extraordinary opportunity to investigate the relationships between the physical environment and human creativity throughout the centuries: the almost impracticable site conditions of a place for ultimate escape in the medieval age proved to be the basis for a most artificial city that is still enchanting for its peculiarity, richness, and beauty.

In this course we will consider the characteristics and the developments of the city of Venice and of its residential architecture in relation to environmental, functional and social issues from the earliest surviving buildings, dating to the thirteenth century, to our day. Attention will be paid to as various as possible features of the Venetian architectural history, such as building materials, the architects’ work, and the ways in which Venice, its palaces and its houses have been variously perceived and described.

Course structure and requirements
The course will be structured into lectures, visits, class discussions, and on-site seminars. There are no prerequisite but the commitment to actively participate in all the activities, which will include a weekly submission of a brief statement to be discussed in class or during the seminars.