Course Title: INTDSN 66, Visual History of American Housing
Units: 3
Date Submitted: Feb., 1996
Updated: April, 2007
IGETC Area:
CSU GE Area:
Transfer:

1. Catalog Description:

   Prerequisite: None

   Comprehensive slide lecture study of housing from the 17th century through the 20th century. Recognition of major design movements with concentration on all elements of the interior including floor plans, walls, fireplaces, floors, ceilings, and lighting. On-site study of local installations and development of portfolio notebooks for correct client installations of historical and contemporary rooms. Course for careers in interior design, set design, construction design, preservation, restoration, and real estate.

2. Required Text and References:
   • Carley, Rachel. The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture. Owl Books; Reprint edition (March 15, 1997) ISBN-10: 0805045635
   • Phillips, Steven. Old-House Dictionary: An Illustrated Guide to American Domestic Architecture: 1600 to 1940. The Preservation Press (National Trust for Historic Preservation): Washington, D. C., 1994. [ISBN: 0-89133-171-9]
3. Course Objectives:

   Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

   1. Understand basic interior/architectural vocabulary; use correct terminology to describe historical and contemporary exteriors and interiors.
   2. Understand the development of domestic interiors/architecture in America from the 17th century through the 20th century; understand and recognize the significant styles.
   3. Review the changing use of surface materials through the centuries: floors, walls, windows, fireplaces, and ceilings and apply the correct backgrounds for historical and contemporary installations.
   4. Incorporate design elements from historical interiors into contemporary environments.
   5. Recognize contemporary structures and interiors with “mis-guided” improvements; apply classroom information for style solutions.
   6. Recognize and identify historical reproductions and historical influences in contemporary design.
4. Student Learning Outcome(s):

   The student will:

   1. Students will demonstrate the ability to identify and describe both historical and contemporary interiors, and analyze them within both historical and contemporary contexts.
   2. Students will visit two historical home sites in Southern California and develop a graphic, analytical comparative analysis of interior and exterior architectural details.
5. Methods of Presentation:
   
   1. Illustrated lecture/discussion
   2. Slide presentations.
   3. Films.
   4. Trade sources, on-site visits to local housing examples.
6. Course Content:
   

   Percentage of Term / Topic

       
   • 5%     Introduction
   • 10%   Native American Dwellings/Continental Influences: “American Vernacular”
   • 5%     Early English Colonial
   • 5%     Test #1; The Georgian Era “American Colonial”
   • 5%     Neo-classic Styles: “Am Federal & Empire”
   • 5%     Conclusion of 18th Century and Beginning of 19th Century
   • 15%   Project #1 Due with Oral Report; Review
   • 5%     Test #2; Folk and Frontier Houses The Victorian “American Victorian”
   • 5%     19th Century Continued
   • 5%     19th Century Continued; Review
   • 15%   Test #3; Classicism and the Revivals/New American “Am Arts and Crafts & Crafts and American Beaux Arts”
   • 5%     20th Century Continued
   • 5%     20th Century Continued; Field Study Due
   • 15%   Test #4; Early Modernism/The Postwar Era/Contemporary Trends “The Twenties and Thirties,” “The Modern Movement,” “Beyond Modern”
   • 15%   Final Exam (Test #5); Conclusion
   • 100%  Total
7. Methods of Evaluation:
   

   (Actual point distribution will vary from instructor to instructor but approximate values are shown.)

   Topic / Percentage

   • Tests:  200 points total (5 tests; students drop the lowest score: 4 tests are for credit for a total of 50 points each)
   • Field Study:  40 points (required of all students)
   • Project #1:  80 (project: 70 points plus 10 point oral)
   • Project #2:  80 (project: 70 points plus 10 point oral)
   • TOTAL POINTS:  400 POINTS
   • Grades are determined on a percentage basis:
   • Grading:
   • A = 91% to 100%
   • B = 81% to 90%
   • C = 71% to 80%
   • D = 61% to 70%
   • F = Below 60%