Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Foros III
Other languages of instruction: English
Teaching staff
Attention to students is given at all times when it is required, throughout the planned class schedule, both theoretical and practical. On the other hand, a specific schedule of personalized, individual attention is also established, which is set every Monday between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Without detriment to the choice of another time that can be arranged by appointment.
Appointment, professors:
Dr. Alberto T. Estévez - estevez@uic.es
Dra. Yomna K. Abdallah - yomnaabdallah@uic.es
Introduction
Desde la fundación de la ESARQ la asignatura de Foro se incluye cada año dentro del programa académico y docente de la Escuela y tiene carácter obligatorio para los alumnos de entre 2º y 5º curso. Foro es una asignatura distintiva y motivo de orgullo de la ESARQ y, como su nombre indica, es una asignatura dedicada al debate y a la reflexión en torno a la realidad arquitectónica.
Foro ESARQ pretende a través de las conferencias impartidas por invitados de prestigio nacional e internacional despertar preguntas y tratar cuestiones tanto de actualidad como reflexiones y debates sobre aspectos de vital importancia para el arquitecto. Es por ello que se invita a los participantes, tanto a conferenciantes invitados como a alumnos, a plantear cuestiones alrededor de la disciplina arquitectónica, ya sea por su afectación temporal como por su profunda relevancia para la profesión. En definitiva se trata de una asignatura orientada al saber, entender, ver, recapacitar, pensar, experimentar, y aproximarse mejor a la Arquitectura.
PRINCIPLE, FORM, CONSERVATION OF ARCHITECTURE.
The paradigm of Sacred Architecture
Modernity changed some of the principles that were essential to the soul of architecture for more than 2500 years. At a time when, after the passage of more than a century, the triumph of form as the principle of architecture is in crisis, new perspectives are opening up. Globalization and climate change have provoked a revisionist effect, based on the loss of some of the germs that generated the architecture of the past and that the modern movement was supposed to overcome.
The architecture recognized in its anthropological sense can be understood as the product of a set of factors and institutions, ranging from the objective and symbolism of the order, embodied in a design and its execution. This circumstance causes the consequent maintenance and subsequent conservation, turning it into heritage, and where the communication of the initial message has to be readjusted temporarily at each moment.
Pre-course requirements
No requirements are necessary.
Objectives
Likewise, as described in the Official Document of the Degree in Architecture Degree, on the contents of the subject of FORO, it is taken into account below, that the objectives of the degree that especially affect this subject are:
1. Aptitude to create architectural projects that satisfy both aesthetic and technical requirements;
2. Adequate knowledge of the history and theories of architecture, as well as related arts, technology and human sciences;
3. Knowledge of the fine arts as a factor that can influence the quality of architectural design;
4. Ability to understand the relationships between people and buildings and between buildings and their environment, as well as the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale;
5. Ability to understand the architectural profession and its role in society, in particular by developing projects that take into account social factors;
6. Knowledge of the methods of research and preparation of construction projects.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 65 - Ability to recognise contemporary characteristics and freedom in the understanding of architecture.
- 66 - Ability to internalise architectural form.
- 67 - Ability to understand and analyse architecture and the city in relation to philosophical and societal systems.
- 68 - Ability to apply the aesthetics, theory and history of Fine Arts to architecture and urban planning.
- 69 - Ability to discover the critical-cultural dimension of the role of the architect
- 70 - Ability to understand the main ideas in complex texts, both on specific or abstract topics in English, as well as participate in technical discussions in the professional field of architecture.
- 71 - Ability to speak to native speakers of English with a certain degree of fluency and spontaneity and without strain for the speakers.
- 72 - Ability to produce clear, detailed text in English in a wide range of topics, especially on architecture and express a point of view in English on an issue stating the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
- 73 - To acquire adequate knowledge of research, experimentation and innovation in architecture.
- 74 - To acquire adequate knowledge of new architectural concepts and practices.
Learning outcomes of the subject
The 9 sections collected as Contents of the subject, are in turn the learning results to be demanded to the students for the evaluation of the competences.
Syllabus
The desire to understand architecture beyond a single agent, that of the postmodern architect's own function of power, so in vogue at the turn of the millennium, proposes to incorporate other managers who have traditionally participated in the debate on the architectural project. The one who perhaps harbors this complex vision of Architecture is the so-called sacral in its Universal sense. For this reason, and from it, it allows us to reflect hermeneutically on the past, and where this past can become the future.
The temporal limitation of the Forums will make it necessary to reduce the pedagogical scope and debate on sacred architecture, focusing it on Christian architecture. It is justified by its religious and aesthetic influence in the Western world, but it is perfectly transportable to monotheistic religions. This sacred architecture has had to be readapted from the 4th century onwards and continually updated. Starting from a heritage of a late-classical model, it has had to do it through different architectural models: Paleochristian, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, or from modernity. Forms that in their evolution are readjusting both to the evolution of the thought of the Church, as well as to the technical. Factors still in force in the debate this first quarter century, both for its adaptation, as for its maintenance and use of these buildings.
This open temple container, unlike the temple of the classical world, has been introducing in its interior, other elements of aesthetic character, such as music, sculpture or painting.
These disciplines have been arranged on the architecture and are used as instruments that provoke a spiritual elevation leading to God.
Hence, essential elements that build architecture, lighting, acoustics, environmental health, habitability of space, need a certain specialization. The need and convenience of this knowledge is applicable today to any field of architecture and therefore useful for any form of construction and complementary to the pedagogical objective that completes these Forums.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
Foro is a series of conferences where prestigious personalities show their special ideas and their unique work. In each cycle the selection of speakers is related to the theme to which the cycle is dedicated.
PROGRAM:
Session Sacred architecture / Wednesday, April 9, 2025 (starting at 3:30 pm).
Section The experimentation of the interior / Thursday April 24, 2025 (from 3:30 pm)
Session The management of the great sacred heritage. The Sagrada Familia / Wednesday, May 21, 2025 (from 4:00 p.m.)
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
El sistema de evaluación propuesto permite valorar los resultados de aprendizaje obtenidos por los estudiantes. Asimismo, se trabaja en un sistema de evaluación donde los criterios de evaluación primarán la creatividad y profundidad crítica, su inteligencia, su eficacia de fascinación, la capacidad de análisis y síntesis, así como la cientificidad y profesionalidad (erudición, precisión, laboriosidad, puntualidad, presentación, corrección tipográfica, ortográfica y sintáctica). Se animará también a la participación activa con posibles preguntas que puedan surgir por cada conferencia, que se valorará especialmente. Y, por supuesto, se tendrá en cuenta la asistencia e interés del alumnado.
Entonces, los contenidos de esta asignatura se regirá por el siguiente sistema de evaluación:
Presentación del trabajo (libreta e imágenes), el 80% de la calificación final.
Presencialidad, participación, atención, 20% de la calificación final.
Por otra parte, el sistema de calificaciones queda definido de acuerdo con la legislación vigente, definido en el artículo 5 del REAL DECRETO 1125/2003, de 5 de septiembre, según la escala numérica de 0 a 10, con expresión de un decimal, a la que podrá añadirse su correspondiente calificación cualitativa:
0-4,9: Suspenso (SS).
5,0-6,9: Aprobado (AP).
7,0-8,9: Notable (NT).
9,0-10: Sobresaliente (SB).
Bibliography and resources
ESTÉVEZ, Alberto T., Biodigital Architecture & Genetics: writings / escritos, ESARQ-UIC, Barcelona, 2015.
ESTÉVEZ, Alberto T., Biodigital Architecture & Genetics: writings 2 / escritos II, iBAG-UIC, Barcelona, 2021.