DS 501: CULTURE & BUILT-ENVIRONMENT

Jung-hye Shin, Assistant Professor in Design Studies
Office: SoHE 247, Design Studies Department
Tel: 608-262-6502, Email: jshin9@wisc.edu

This seminar will explore the idea of culture as embodied in buildings, drawing on materials from the United States, South America, the Middle East, and East Asia. Buildings shape our everyday life and we shape our buildings. This conversational quality of the relationship between buildings and people makes it possible for us to understand the culture and society in which particular buildings are built. This course will focus on analyzing and reading cultural values embedded in places through understanding: (1) physical configurations, (2) social organization, and (3) practiced/symbolic/representational aspects of buildings. Through this learning process, students will develop skills and methods to analyze and learn from building designs, and ultimately understand the building process, i.e., how the built environment shapes and is shaped by people as a group. Preliminary schedule for class topics includes, I. Theoretical consideration of culture and architecture
II. Exploring regional culture and architecture: case studies
III. Globalization and changing places: does globalization challenge authenticity of place?
IV. Embodying identity, authenticity, and traditions in place: historical preservation and boost of
tourism
V. Ethnic enclaves in the U.S., domestic life and community development
VI. Glocalization: localization in the era of globalization

This course will be held in a seminar format and include class instruction, reading assignment/response
paper, term project/presentation, and individual consultation. The term project will involve a case study
of an ethnic culture of your choice as manifested in their buildings, using archival research and analysis
of popular media (e.g., tourist books, internet materials, movies, and other types of advertisement).
When: Mondays and Wednesdays 2:30 -3:45
Where: TBA
Open only to junior, senior, and graduate students