Course syllabus for Architecture: The built environment

Course syllabus adopted 2026-02-06 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameArkitektur: vår byggda livsmiljö
  • CodeATH101
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMTS
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyArchitecture
  • ThemeMTS 7.5 c
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingUG - Pass, Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 99134
  • Open for exchange studentsNo

Credit distribution

0126 Written and oral assignments 7.5 c
Grading: UG		 4 c3.5 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level studies

Aim

This course is an introductory course in architecture for engineering students. 
Its main purpose is to provide a fundamental understanding of architecture as the design of the built environment—one of the most essential expressions of the relationship between people, technology, and society. 
Particular focus is on understanding the cultural, technical, and societal conditions of a site, and on how the design of the built environment requires a holistic perspective in which different interests must be balanced, not least from an ethical point of view.
By designing a small building, the course also aims to explain how architectural design can be approached from a holistic standpoint. Both manual and digital tools and methods will be introduced and applied in the course.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

1. Describe architecture as a technical construction, a cultural expression, and as a built living environment.
2. Give an overview of the major periods of architectural history.
3. Reflect on and articulate opinions about buildings and urban spaces from both historical and contemporary perspectives.
4. Apply an architectural holistic perspective in the design of a small building, taking into account the site conditions, historical context, user requirements, technical demands, and construction.
5. Use text, drawings, and images to communicate architectural experiences, analyses, and design proposals.
6. Identify and value conflicts of interest in the design of buildings and cities, and explain ethical and aesthetic design decisions.

Content

Architecture is a complex field of knowledge that will be studied through a range of perspectives and activities. The course consists of three connected parts. The first is primarily theoretical, the second more experience‑based, and the third more practical.
The first block consists of lectures on architectural history. These are accompanied by a writing assignment in the form of an essay in which a building is analysed. Students may choose a building whose design or function is relevant to their own engineering discipline. The writing process includes literature studies and seminars.
The second part focuses on contemporary architecture. It consists of lectures and study visits. Practicing architects present their projects and working methods. The study visits are intended to provide opportunities to actively experience and reflect on the built environment. Short writing assignments accompany the lectures and study visits.
The third block consists of a design assignment in which the knowledge and insights from the previous blocks are applied in a practical exercise: designing a small building. As in a real architectural project, the design must respond to specified user requirements and technical constraints, while also engaging with the site’s history and contextual conditions.
The course offers flexibility for students to explore topics connected to their individual areas of interest. This may be expressed through the choice of study object, the reflective writing, or a personal approach to the design task. Areas such as equality, equal treatment and diversity (JML), ethics, power, and sustainability may be addressed, as well as more engineering oriented themes such as building technology, structural considerations, or geometric analysis.

Organisation

The course is based on lectures, literature studies, writing exercises, seminars, study visits, and a design project. The course is organised into three separate parts.

Literature

Michael Fazio, Marian Moffett, Lawrence  Wodehouse, A World History of Architecture (Thames and Hudson, 2013).

Examination including compulsory elements


The examination of the course consists of:
 
-    an written essay
-    a design assignment, which is also to be presented orally
-    written assignments linked to lectures and study visits
as well as active participation in seminars, study visits, and other mandatory components.

Requirements for submissions and mandatory activities will be communicated at the start of the course.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.