Drawings and Numbers (Five Centuries of Digital Design) OpenCourseWare: Free Online Graduate Level Architecture History Course by MIT

Published Jan 16, 2009

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Students who are interested in the seldom-studied technical aspects behind classical Architecture may enjoy this class. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers 'Drawings and Numbers: Five Centuries of Digital Design' through its OpenCourseWare website. In this free Master of Science in Architecture Studies course, students can explore the relationship between past and present architectural theories and data-processing technologies.

Drawings and Numbers (Five Centuries of Digital Design): Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Graduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

Drawings and Numbers (Five Centuries of Digital Design): Course Description

This class was designed to promote an understanding of how today's computer-aided architectural designs relate to the theories and data processing of the past. The course concentrates on architectural design from the 15th and 16th centuries. Students can ponder the relationship between today's quantifying tools of architectural design and those used by historical architects. Some of the themes studied in this course include numbers, printed images and the alphabet. Students can also study numeracy's ascent and geometry's fall as instruments in building, as well as the continuing conflict between those who prefer one over the other. Originally taught by Professor Mario Carpo, this course lasted 16 weeks. This presentation-focused course was offered at MIT as part of the Master of Science in Architecture Studies.

This free online Architecture course includes student-written lecture notes and a comprehensive list of recommended reading. To discover more about this Architecture course, visit the digital design course page.

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