Architecture Program Report Tulane University New Orleans ...

110 during the year) focus intermittently on non-Western traditions. In
addition, studio precedent research has broadened significantly to include
non-Western traditions.
With highly-developed backgrounds in Caribbean, Latin American and East
Asian culture, several faculty (Professors Cizek, Gonzalez, Reese and
Thomas) are deeply committed to architectural and cultural traditions that
fall outside the Western tradition. This material is often presented in
specific Platform Studios; in addition, faculty interested in these areas often
teach within the required Design Studio sequence. However, Professors
Gonzalez and Reese offer courses cross-listed with Latin American Studies
(AHST 632 and AHST/RBST 691 respectively), both of which qualify for
non-Western coursework. Dr. Robert Gonzalez also offers the elective
course Representations of Culture and Ethnicity in the Public Sphere
(AHST 632)
As one of their requirements, students have to take at least one non-
Western University elective. While this elective may not always pertain to
the study of the arts and architecture, most university courses that do focus
on non-Western subject matter contain a significant amount of material on
culture, with an emphasis on the divergence of a particular culture from the
traditions of the West.
It should also be noted that two of the required courses in the Master in
Preservation Studies/Certificate in Preservation Studies curriculum, History
of the Architecture of the Americas I and II (PRST 661-01-01, PRST
662-01-01), showcase the national and regional traditions and heritage.
While not a required course, Professor Owen’s the professional concerns
elective on “Ethics, Efficacy, and Architecture in the Globalized Economy
(APFC 610), looks at the critique of Western traditions in light of
burgeoning globalization and the reconfiguration of the socioeconomic and
cultural maps of the West, as noted above.
These opportunities are supplemented by several elective courses,
including the Urban Design/Problems (RBST) courses, whereby students
are introduced to non-Western formulas for urban design and development.
Several of Professor Grover Mouton’s projects (RBST 341: Interpretive
Urbanism) have been located in China. The University’s recognition of non-
Western traditions is reflected also in course listings across campus,
including courses and degree programs in Anthropology (Maya and Aztec
Literature – ANTH 683), History of Art (Pre-Columbian Art – ARHS 370,
Aztec Arts – ARHS 672), History (West African Culture and Society - HISB
312, African American Religious History – HISU 344, Introduction to Latin
American History – HISL 171, among others), Languages (Japanese,
Chinese), Asian Studies, African and Diaspora Studies, Cultural Studies,
and Latin American Studies (LAST 301, LAST 302).
10. National and Regional Traditions
Understanding of national traditions and the local regional heritage in
architecture, landscape design and urban design, including the vernacular
tradition.
The understanding of the national traditions and the local regional heritage