Environmental histories of architecture
AR-694 / 2 crédits
Enseignant(s): Chachereau Nicolas Christophe, Cogato Lanza Elena, De Pieri Filippo, Franco Caterina
Langue: Anglais
Frequency
Only this year
Summary
The course explores the emerging dialogue between environmental and architectural history, examining how architecture related with climate, energy, non-human agency and pollution in the past. The programme consists of lectures by guest professors and discussions based on shared bibliography.
Content
INVITED LECTURERS: Daniel Barber (Eindhoven University of Technology); Alexandre Elsig (Université de Neuchâtel)
A dialogue has started in recent years between architectural research and environmental history. This doctoral seminar aims at exploring the heuristic value of further interweaving these fields: How does environmental history, in all its diversity, bring new insights to the study of architecture and of urban and built spaces more generally? Conversely, to what extent can urbanism and architectural history, broadly conceived, enrich historiographies concerned with the reciprocal relationships between human societies and the natural world?
The seminar will provide an opportunity for PhD students and more experienced researchers from the fields of history and architecture to exchange. The event is also the occasion to create a collaboration with the doctoral program in Storia e Progetto at Politecnico di Torino, where a group is developing research in environmental history.
The seminar will include lectures given by professors coming from European universities and thematic sessions, animated both by PhD students and by researchers coming from the field of environmental history and working in Swiss universities.
The discussions will address the complex relationships between architecture and environmental issues such as: the mobilisation of energy and natural resources; weather and climate; waste and pollution; humans and non-humans interactions and agency. Furthermore, the seminar will deal with transversal issues, for instance the new archives and sources mobilised by environmental history, the move away from an author-centred approach of architectural history, and the interdisciplinary nature of environmental studies.
Phd Candidates will be asked to actively participate to the whole 2-days seminar, both reacting to lectures and animating the roundtables, basing on the reading of bibliographical references which will be shared in advance.
Note
In order to facilitate the organisation of the course, participants are requested to submit a concise abstract of their thesis research upon registration by April 30, 2026.
Please contact: caterina.franco@epfl.ch
Keywords
environmental history, architectural history, energy, climate, pollutions, infrastructure, non-human agency
Learning Prerequisites
Required courses
A basic knowledge of history and architectural history of the 20th century is welcomed, but not compulsory.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Learn about a recent scientific literature on environmental histories
- Increase awareness of the methodological and epistemological aspects of historical research
Dans les plans d'études
- Forme de l'examen: Exposé (session libre)
- Matière examinée: Environmental histories of architecture
- Cours: 16 Heure(s)
- Exercices: 24 Heure(s)
- Type: optionnel