In general terms, the laboratories guide the students to the research of historical sources (graphic or textual, material, bibliographical and/or archival), to their analysis and interpretation, to their discussion and finally to the conclusion and presentation of the research carried out through tools such as writing or graphic analysis. Through an in-depth experience conducted on specific case studies, each laboratory aims to provide students with the critical and methodological skills necessary to conduct an autonomous and conscious study and research project. The laboratories also aim to strengthen students' critical skills with regard to some central themes of contemporary historiographical debate. More specifically, the laboratory History of architecture and cities Lab B will allow the students to gain an appropriate terminology, methodology, and tools using the most up to date concepts and approaches of the historic disciplines with a critical lense in a wide diachronic range. The specific aim is to develop critical lenses towards the study of the past in line with the contemporary debates with a holistic approach that extends conventional lecture-based history courses covering contemporary issues and debates. At the end of the laboratory, students will be able to use in operational terms the critical knowledge that they have gained. In particular, they will gain the capacity to: • Contextualize the historical background of architectural and urban transformations, • Read, write, and critically think about architectural and urban history, • Communicate the outcomes of a historic research through digital tools, • Identify the range of documentation available at different periods, organize and use information with a capability to control digital opportunities, and reflect critically on knowledge and understanding as presented in specific literature; • Questioning historical background of urban transformation processes considering social, political, and economic points of view including issues such as gender, migration, and health with a capacity to link these issues to the notion of cultural heritage; • Ability to develop and communicate historical research through reading and writing, • Exercise to use personal knowledge skills and social abilities to collaborate within a group for designing, executing, and producing a historical research project.

For a full comprehension of the themes that the course covers, it is recommended that the student has passed the History of Contemporary Architecture exam (1 st year) and attended the History of Modem Architecture exam (2nd year).

Under the title “Societal Equity and Cities in History: Revealing the potential of urban heritage in relation to communities and societies in a holistic vision”, the 2022/23 edition of the History of Architecture and Cities Lab B will introduce the various ways to develop a critical approach for studying the histories of architecture and cities (particularly in urban contexts) as they relate to the issues of social equity. The theme of the laboratory is framed to evoke a critical approach with a historical awareness towards history of architecture and cities. This framing is intended to evidence the links between historical developments and today’s contemporary debates, particularly on the issues highlighted in the sustainable development goals. The course topics will cover issues of gender, health, migration, public history as an integral part of the history of architecture and cities. Main temporal focus will be the contemporary ages.

The laboratory will guide students through a plurality of exercises aimed at developing specific skills: bibliographic research; identification and critical use of primary and secondary sources; critical readings of key texts; paper writing exercises; visual analysis of cities; individual and group presentations; collective discussions; etc.

The laboratory (60 hrs) will alternate between: - lessons and lectures on specific topics by teachers and international speakers (20 hrs); - specific exercises to be conducted either in small groups or individually (25 hrs); - collective discussions on some issues of common relevance (15 hrs). The students are expected to work in groups for the successful delivery of a historical research project executed and presented with a digital narrative (evaluation as a group). Depending on the circumstances, when possible, field trips are foreseen.

An introductory bibliography is established as follows; the knowledge of only some parts specifically indicated for the students will be required. The basic material (in the form of handouts and collections of documents) both for the lessons and exercises will be available, through the course web portal. Mandatory Reading: - Lewis Mumford, The City in History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects, Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (1961) 1968. - Michel de Certau, The Practice of Everyday Life, Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1980 (Chapter VII: Walking in the City, pp. 91-110.). - Peter Clark, "The Oxford Handbook of Cities in World History", Oxford University Press, Oxford 2013. - Francis Ching, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikram Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. John Wiley & Sons, 2017 (“Introduction”). Recommended Sources: - Beatriz Colomina and Jennifer Bloomer. Sexuality & space. Vol. 234. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1992. (“Introduction”). - Michel Foucault, “Of Other Spaces ("Des Espaces Autres)”, Diacritics, Vol. 16, No. 1 (1986): 22-27. - Pier Paolo Pasolini, La forma della città, documentary.

Exam: Compulsory oral exam; Group graphic design project; Individual essay; Group essay; Group project;

The final evaluation of the course will include the final submission of the project (%40), the oral presentation of the project (%30 – group presentation/individual evaluation), and the research essay (%30).

In addition to the message sent by the online system, students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are invited to directly inform the professor in charge of the course about the special arrangements for the exam that have been agreed with the Special Needs Unit. The professor has to be informed at least one week before the beginning of the examination session in order to provide students with the most suitable arrangements for each specific type of exam.