The Hashemite University

Faculty of Engineering /Department of Architecture.

History and Theory of Architecture I
(0407241) 3 credit hours
Instructor: Prof. Shaher Rababe'h
Semester: Summer 2016
E-mail: srababeh@hu.edu.jo
Time/Place: 9:20-10:20.West Theatre (all the week)

History and Theory of Architecture I

Course Description

This course aims to provide the students with an

understanding of the historical evolution of
architecture chronologically from its early
prehistoric period up to the end of Roman
architecture. The focus will be on studying and
analyzing selected monuments/ cities from
Prehistoric, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian,
Canaanite, Phoenician, Hittite, Greek (Minoan,
Mycenaean, Archaic, Classic), Hellenistic, Etruscan
and Roman Architecture.

Description
Concentration will be on the study of architectural
characters and styles by making a comparative
analysis for the principal features. We will also
examine the structural plans of growing spaces and
spans, the technical and material background
affecting the structurefunctionform relation, the
knowledge and profession of the building human.

. Description
Although the course is designed in a chronological
sequence, the focus will be on influences which
played and shaped the built environment of the
examined civilizations, in relation to aspects of
socio-cultural, socio-political, theological, and the
environmental factors.

Course Objectives
At the end of this semester, student should be
able to:
Understand the meaning of the Architectural
History and it's relation to Architecture.
Deal with architectural history vocabulary.
(Terminology).
Understanding of the historical periods to develop
students analytical skills, in order to understand
architecture as physical response to human need at
certain time and place. (Space- time theory)

..Objectives
Understanding of the influences of Orient;
Mesopotamian and Egyptian Architecture on
Western Architecture; Greek and Roman.
(Transmission of style and technology).
Integrate architectural history with students
approach to develop the students' knowledge of
conservation sciences and architectural heritage.
The true value of this course to teaching history of
architecture to be gauged by the way that students
apply the knowledge gained to their own designs in
studio.

Teaching Aids

Series of lectures with data show illustration.

Short fieldtrips to Amman city center, Gerasa,

Gadara and other historical sites.

Course evaluation and examination dates

Mid exam (40%)

Participation ... (10%)
Final Exam and project......... (20+30%)

Contents and schedule of the Course

Introduction and Overview of the Course:
Course syllabus (overview).
Understanding the meaning of "Architectural
History: A grand tour ".
Why we study "History of Architecture".
Documentary sources and tools
General Factors affecting the shaping of built
environment.

Prehistoric Architecture
When did Architecture begin?
Caves and Huts (Camp).
Proto-Urban: the creation of agricultural villages
(Beidha, Jericho, Amman -Ain Gazal, Catalhoyuk)
Geometric trend: Meaning of Geometry and the
concept of Angle.
The First Monuments: Menhir, Dolmen, Gromliche.
Urban Revolution: Early City States

Mesopotamian Architecture

General Influences (Land, Materials, Religion).

Temples and Ziggurats (High Place).
Tombs
Palaces, Fortification and Gates.
Dwellings and City Planning.

Egyptian Architecture

General Influences (Social, Religion, Land).

The Burial of Kings: Mastabas and Pyramids (Giza).
Deir el-Bahri: Valley of Kings and Queens
Meanings and Philosophy
Temples (Thebes: Karnak and Luxor)
Interrelation (Pyramid-Temple-Obelisk)
City Planning (Grid system: Tell Amarneh)
Buildings for Defense
Comparison between Egyptian & Mesopotamian
Architecture.

Greek Architecture
The Aegean and Asia Minor Architecture
General Influences.
Asia Minor ( Hattusas, Beycesultan and Troy: Gates and
Castles)
Minoans and Mycenaeans(Knossoss and Mycenaea;
Palaces and Tombs).
Archaic: Dark Age; Classical: Golden Age
Greek Temples (Origin and Classification system).
Orders and Proportions.
Greek Refinements
Polis and Acropolis.
Public Buildings and Dwellings.

Hellenistic and Roman Architecture

General Influences.
Refining thought (Hellenistic)
Rock-Cut Architecture
City Planning (Hippodamian).
Early Roman Architecture (Etruscans).
Roman Temples.
Public Buildings (Concrete Discovery)
Dwellings.
Comparison between Hellenistic, Greek and
Roman Architecture.
General Revision.

Text Book
Spiro Kostof (1995). A History of Architecture:
Settings and Rituals. 2nd Edition, Oxford: Oxford
University Press, pp. 21- 159, and pp. 191-215
Sir Banister Fletcher (1987). A History of
Architecture. First published, 1886, Nineteenth
edition.

Introduction
Understanding the meaning of "Architectural History:
A grand tour ".
Why we study "History of Architecture".
Documentary sources and tools
General Factors affecting the shaping of built
environment.

History
A usually chronological record of events (The
branch of knowledge that records and
analyzes past events )

Architecture
(Etymology)

Architecture from Latin, architectura and

ultimately from Greek,
(Apxitecton), "a master builder", from
(Apxi)- "chief, leader" and (Tecton),
"builder, carpenter"

Architecture

is the art and science of designing and erecting

buildings and structures.
Artnon-material object.
Science..Material.

Architecture.A wider definition

The design of the total built environment, from
the macro-level of town planning, urban
design, and landscape architecture to the
micro-level of creating furniture.

Architecture.A wider definition

Architecture is an interdisciplinary field, drawing upon
mathematics, science, art, technology, social
sciences, politics, history, and philosophy.
-It is a social act
-It is the outcome of teamwork

According to the very earliest surviving work on

the subject, Vitruvius' De architectura, good
buildings satisfy three core principles:
Firmness, Commodity, and Delight;
architecture can be said to be a balance and
coordination among these three elements,
with none overpowering the others.

A modern-day definition sees architecture as

addressing
aesthetic (Delight),
structural (Firmness), and
functional (Commodity)
considerations.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

Planned architecture often manipulates

-Space,
-Volume,
-Texture,
-Light,
-Shadow,
-or abstract elements in order to achieve pleasing
aesthetics.

History of Architecture
Is the study of what we built in the past chronologically (put
in order or sequence; bringing time under control).
Is the study of the social, economic, and technological
systems of human history.
-The Names of buildings and their makers (SOCIAL)
-When and how they made (TIME)
-What they are (PURPOSE)
-Why they are the way they are (MEANING)
-How they came to be (Function and Technique)

Documentary Sources
The primary task is to insist on the recapture of the true physical reality of things built
(Reconstruction); Covered or uncovered, damaged or preserved through:
-Literary documents
-Archaeology
-Paintings and sculptures
-Mosaics
Coming up with a building that is a fair interpretation of the source.

Documentary tools
-Drawings (plans, sections, elevations, details)
-Photographs (digital images)
-Paintings and sculpture in relief
-Models

The oneness of architecture..

General Factors affecting the shaping of built

environment.
-Geomorphology, Topography (Fall and rise..)
-Climate (Temp., Rain, Humidity)
-Geology (Building Materials)
-Building Techniques (Technology)
-Social Structure
-Political Structure
-Religion (Believes and thoughts)
-Water Resources
-Economy and wealth
-Culture
-History (Memories stored in the site)

PRE-HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE
-When did Architecture begin?
-Caves and Huts (Camp).
-Proto-Urban: the creation of agricultural villages
(Beidha, Jericho, Amman -Ain Gazal, Catalhoyuk)
-Geometric trend: Meaning of Geometry and the
concept of Angle.
-The First Monuments: Menhir, Dolmen, Gromliche.
-Urban Revolution: Early City States

ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIC LINE:

LINE:

When did Architecture begin?

Where do we start with a history of

architecture?
Arrangement of nature: ridges, rivers
dividing this expanse, hills punctuating it,
caves gouging it (business of architecture).
Architecture marks off one area to
distinguish it from others.
Contain sheltered space

Historic Line
Pre history was divided into four periods: Paleolithic, EpiPaleolithic (Mesolithic), Neolithic and chalcolithic. Each
period was divided into sub- periods.

During the Paleolithic period human settled in:

1.

Open space

(the need for a shelter against, savage predators, sun or rain: a

roof over a head).
2.

Rock shelters.

3.

Caves.

living outside the cave , with the freedom to roam widely for
the purposes of hunting and gathering, suggests the need for at
least a temporary shelter. However, physical environment
affected the way of the first mans life, and forced him to
settle in other temporary camping.

HUNTERS HUT
Homo erectus-Acheulian-Lower Paleolithic

During the Lower Paleolithic

human began the use of oval huts
as temporary place. An example
for the oval hut that can be seen
in (Terra Amata) south of France
(ca. 400000 from present). It is
oval in shape, measured about 815 m in length and 4-6 m in
width. It consists of:
-Hearth
-Workspace

First Artificial Structure

The branches can be leant against each
other, creating the inverted V-shape of
a natural tent. The bottom of each branch
will need some support to hold it firm on
the ground.
And this, even at the simplest level, means the
beginning of something approaching architecture.

HUNTERS HUT: Enclosed space

The huts were built of branches set close together in the

sand (slanted roof), braced on the outside by ring of
rubble stones. Within the long axis
was lined with larger posts to help
hold up the roof.
Wooden spears, hand axes would have
been used as building tools.

EPI-PALELIOTHIC
Epi-Paleolithic (Mesolithic): is that transitional
period between the Paleolithic and Neolithic.
This period was divided into two periods:
Kebarean and Natufian. During the Natufian,
the temporary hunters camp was changed to
permanent villages
(i.e.Beida, Jericho
and Chirokitia).

Beidha (south Jordan).

Circular houses (Natufian)

Arpachiyah in Mesopotamia: Tholos type house.

Tholoi were beehive houses entered through an outer rectangular
apartment

Chirokitia: Cyprus
Neolithic village of circular houses, 8,000 BCE.
Domed structure, brick
Some of the round stone houses
have been reconstructed, and UNESCO has declared it a World
Heritage Site

THE USE OF OVAL SHAPE

The main shape of houses was
semicircular. The human inspired this
shape from the nature around him like
sun and moon or even from cutting trunk
of trees.
This shape was used because its
applications were easy to build and also
the first man still didnt know any other
shape.

The PPNB
architecturally is
very important. It
includes the first
appearance for the
rectangular houses
that appeared in
many sites like Ain
Ghazal, Beida,
Catalhoyuk, Jarmo
and Jericho.

NEOLITHIC
was the beginning of Holocene. This
period can be divided into PPN (A, B & C)
and PN as shown in. During this period
human lived near valleys and springs. He
developed his house and duplicated the
elements, especially after the
domestication of animals, and plants.

Public buildings: atalhyk is a 9000 year old town, one of the earliest in the
world, with rich art and sculpture in its houses, 220 . (unfired mudbrick)

To get to your house, you

had to climb up on top of
the city, walk along until
you got to your chimney
and climb down. Youd
live in your couple of
rooms, and bury your
dead under the floor.

atalhyk

However the Neolithic man

didnt reach the concept of
the corner directly. There
was a transitional form,
which is the rectangular
with curved corners
(Apsidal). This transitional
form can be seen clearly in
Hacilar (SW Anatolia) and
Beida layers (Jordan).

The advantages of the applications of

corner
1.Gathering of units.
2.Growth of houses.
3.Internal space can be used
completely
4.Joining corners (bonding).
5.Shared walls.
6.Material building is suitable with
corners. i.e., sun dried mud brick.

During the Chalcolithic period

the rectangular shape was used
widely and freely. The growing
human needs to live and to save
his belongings were the reason.

Regarding to public
buildings, the first sign of
cult appeared in Jericho
and Catalhoyuk, and the
first sign of fortification
appeared in Jericho at that
time.

Jericho

The first sign of

cult

Jericho
The first
sign of
fortification

Ain Gazal Statues

the first sign of cult appeared also

in atalhyk

MOREOVER, during the

Neolithic and Chalcolithic
there were few signs of
the monumentality
(symbolism).

MENHIR:
Tall stones have been
constructed upon the
ground like primitive
obelisks. It could be
interpreted as:
i.

Religious purposes.

ii. Memory for important

people or events.
iii. Undressed milestone
or landmark.
iv.Altar made from stone.

DOLMEN:
(Stone table) Tombs consist of large
stone, which form rectangular
chamber covered by another flat stone
(post and lintel).

Gromliche
Circular enclosure
of long stones
with a table shape
structure in the
center.

Stonehenge- England
Salisbury Plain, west of Amesbury

(3000-1600 BC Britons)
The first period of Stonehenge
was basically a circular
enclosure outlined by two
banks and a ditch with an
entrance to the northeast and a
standing stone a bit away from
the entrance.

Proposed functions for the site

include: usage as an
astronomical observatory (Sun
and Moon), or as a religious
site.
Other theories have advanced
supernatural or symbolic
explanations for the
construction. Their aim was not
to communicate with powers of
the underworld.Heavenly
events.

The stones are great

And magic power they have
Men that are sick
Fare to that stone
And they wash that stone
And with that water bathe away their
sickness

Stonehenge is composed
of earthworks surrounding
a circular setting of large
standing stones (sarsen hard
sandstone (Marlborough) and
bluestone)

the standing stones were

erected around 2200 BC
and the surrounding
circular earth bank and
ditch, which constitute the
earliest phase of the
monument, have been
dated to about 3100 BC.

Each standing stone was around 4.1 ms high, 2.1 ms wide and weighed
around 25 tons. The average thickness of these stones is 1.1 m and the
average distance between them is 1 m. A total of 74 stones would have
been needed to complete the circle. Of the lintel stones, they are each
around 3.2 m, 1 m wide and 0.8 m thick. The tops of the lintels are 4.9 m
above the ground.

Post and Lintel

megalithic Structure
Monolithic Blocks

Conclusion:
the achievements of the pre-historic (Paleolithic, EpiPaleolithic (Mesolithic), Neolithic and Chalcolithic)
architecture can be summarized as follow:

The private Dwellings:
1.Clustered blocks of houses (oval-apsidal-quadratic).
2. Building materials in this period were: Mud brick (sun
dried), fieldstone, trunks and branches of trees, and plaster
for walls floors.

Public:
1. The first sign of cult appeared in Catalhoyuk and Jericho
(Hexa-style).
2.The first sign of fortification appeared in Jericho (Solid stone
tower).

The monumentality:
1. Tombs like dolmen (that include post and lintel) and
Gromliche.
2. Symbolism (Menhir).