Introduction to Western Architecture

For this paper you need to consider two buildings featured in the textbook that you feel are completely different in terms of their design. First choose a building that you would like to learn more about. Then choose a second building that was designed to serve a similar purpose (e.g. residential house, commercial building, theatre, church, etc.) but that differs from your first choice in terms of: the conceptual ideas that inspired its design or its architectural style; and/or its structural and material qualities. 

Note: Choose two buildings from the textbook’s chapters listed in our course readings (they can be from two different chapters or from the same one). 

Your essay will consist of two parts. 

Part 1 (500-600 words): 

Begin your essay by describing: 

 who designed the buildings 

 how their designs relate to ideas / intellectual concepts / theories 

 how they were intended to be used 

 any earlier styles or buildings that influenced these buildings’ designs 

 how their designs relate to social, political, and cultural aspects and intellectual trends 

 if applicable, discuss whether each building’s patron had an influence on the design 

Part 2 (1200-1300 words): 

Explain how these buildings differ in terms of their designs by using illustrations as examples. Describe the similarities and differences between the buildings’ structural and material qualities and how this relates to the points you addressed in Part 1. Your essay must include twelve images – six of each building. These can be photographs of the interior and exterior, ground plans, sections, or other architectural drawings. In this written component, you will need to describe what is depicted in each image and why this matters in terms of your comparison of these two buildings. You can structure this section by writing each paragraph as a comparison of two images (one of each building). In your conclusion, explain which two images (one of each building) best illustrate why these two buildings differ in terms of their designs. 

Images: Include one image on each page and make sure that they are as large as possible – they need to fill the width or the height of the page The images are a key part of this assignment, so make sure that they are not blurry. Include a figure number and caption below each image (John Nash. Royal Pavilion, Brighton, England. 1815-1822). Number your figures based on the order that the images appear in the written component of your essay. Refer to the images as Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. in your paper. 

Your essay needs to be written using full sentences and paragraphs. Your research will need to be based on 6 to 8 publications comprising of books and articles. These sources are to be listed in a correctly cited bibliography that is to be attached at the end of the paper. You will need to use footnotes throughout your essay to cite your sources. Illustrations are to be attached at the end of the essay, not embedded within it. Refer to “How to cite your sources and include images in your essay” for examples on how this should appear in your paper. 

The paper is to have approximately 1800 words of continuous text (no fewer than 1700 words and no more than 1900 words) with proper footnotes, a bibliography, illustrations, and a cover page considered as extra. Include a word count on your cover page. Essays must be double spaced and in 12-point font. Make sure your name is on the header or the footer of each one of the pages. 

In your bibliography 

 List your sources. 

 Include a separate list for the sources for your paper’s images. List the URLs, journal articles, books, etc., and include the page numbers.