Which is more important in architecture. Function or beauty
Assignment: Choose any topic covered in class (Nineteenth, Twentieth, or Twenty-First Century Architecture and Design) and write a thorough (5-7 typed, double-spaced pages, plus bibliography, notes, images) paper. The paper should focus on a specific topic and be analytical in nature. At a minimum, your paper should include:
• an introduction that contains a thesis statement
• a thorough analysis of the topic
• for topics that relate to a building, a thorough description of the building
• for topics that relate to an architect, a biographical sketch of the architect
• use of primary and/or secondary sources to support your arguments
• a conclusion
• reproductions of any works you reference in the paper (black and white images are acceptable)
• a list of sources consulted during your research on the topic (see the “Turabian Quick Guide”) – five sources is a minimum, with ten to fifteen being average. These can include dictionary and encyclopedia entries as well as general survey texts, books on a particular architects or period, and articles specific to your topic. Use of on-line sources should be limited to academically- or professionally-related web sites.
Grades will be assigned based on the quality of writing, the content of your research, proper use of citations (footnotes or endnotes), proper bibliographical formatting, and staying within the specified length (5-7 pages).
HINTS ON WRITING
First, think about your topic (it is important here to be both comprehensive and inclusive) and next, think about what sorts of problems or issues you would like to deal with in your paper. Then, think about WHY the problems or issues are important. These will likely include historical, political, social, economic, technical, philosophical or aesthetic concerns in addition to the obvious reason, that you think it’s important!
Now, organize your thoughts, and as you do, begin to write these thoughts down in the form of a simple list. Organization is key for creating any kind of cogent essay, and an outline is the simplest tool to achieve this. So now, create a simple outline based on an organization that includes ALL the thoughts you have. Once you have completed this, you are ready to edit your outline. Your edited outline should be organized in a way that includes and identifies all the themes you wish to discuss and, just as importantly, arranges these ideas so they flow logically from one to the next. Your outline will also serve as the starting point for writing your paper.
Finally, you can begin writing, but be aware that essay writing is a learned skill that takes both patience and practice. Here are a few pointers:
• Normally, each paragraph of your paper will address a single concept, introduced in that paragraph’s first sentence. And similarly, each paragraph ends with a summary / transition sentence that leads the reader to the next thought
• The easiest way to do all this is to begin by writing a series of “topic” sentences based on your outline. These sentences should tell the reader the overall topic of each paragraph
• Once these topic sentences are written, you can go back and use your outline to begin writing the sentences that will form the body of each paragraph
• As you write, be aware that you don’t need to write EVERYTHING you know, just the ideas that are relevant to that paragraph
• Avoid repetition, and try to make each word in your sentences count
Finally, once you’ve completed all the above steps, you still need to do two important things. First write an introduction and conclusion; and finally, EDIT!! These steps are crucial, and normally make the difference between a good paper and an excellent one. An introduction can be very simple, but it should alert the reader to the specific questions and concerns you are asking and the overall content of your paper; a conclusion normally offers a summary of the paper and reiterates your main points. As you edit, think about grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc., but also about clarity, word choice, and style (flow, syntax, verb tense, etc.). Each is important and they all combine to form an excellent paper.
FORMAT
Papers should be typed and completed on 8 ½ x 11” paper, using a normal font of 10- or 12-point size and 1” margins throughout. Please include a cover page that includes your name, the course name, the semester, the date, and the paper’s title. For convenience, no folders or plastic binders should be used: simply staple your pages together and hand in! Students can also submit their assignments on Canvas.
