| dc.description.abstract | Course Description
The study of the history of the built environment provides a general understanding on how human societies
have adapted the form of the built environment to their unique cultural, political, economic, climatic, and
environmental challenges across time. This is the second of two courses which explore the history of the built
environment through the lens of the six global climatic zones, providing an opportunity to explore the built
environment across the world and throughout various cultures. This course provides an overview of the history
of the built environment at the city, building, and landscape scales and covers the built environment in selected
climates. Students will learn examples from the past to help inform solutions to the multiple and complex
challenges that our built environment faces today and in the future.
This is the second course out of two courses, and they are organized in modules that correspond to different
climatic zones. These are:
1. Hot and dry
2. Hot and humid
3. Cold and dry
4. Cold and humid
5. Temperate and dry
6. Temperate and humid
This second course includes the last three climate zones (cold and humid, temperate and dry, and temperate and
humid). In addition, this course includes a global module that corresponds to history periods when
characteristics of the built environment became globalized. For cold and humid climates, this course focuses on
civilizations that flourished in high latitudes/elevations, including Native Nations of North America, the Inca
Empire, and the Russian Empire. For temperate and dry climates, we focus on civilizations that emerged in
Mediterranean Europe and study Ancient Rome, the Byzantine Empire, the Carolingian Empire, and the
Renaissance. For temperate and humid, we explore Chinese Dynasties, Ancient Japan, Reformation and
1Counterreformation, and Colonial U.S. The global module includes the Age of Enlightenment, Colonialism and
Globalization, and the Industrial Revolution.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are required. As this is an online course so students will require a computer, reliable internet
connection, and working knowledge of D2L are expected of all students. | |
