School/Faculty/Institute Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture
Course Code ARC 429
Course Title in English Architecture in the Age of the Anthropocene
Course Title in Turkish Antroposen Çağında Mimarlık
Language of Instruction EN
Type of Course Flipped Classroom
Level of Course Advanced
Semester Spring
Contact Hours per Week
Lecture: 3 Recitation: - Lab: - Other: -
Estimated Student Workload 126 hours per semester
Number of Credits 5 ECTS
Grading Mode Standard Letter Grade
Pre-requisites None
Co-requisites None
Expected Prior Knowledge 4 semesters of design studio
Registration Restrictions Only Undergraduate Students
Overall Educational Objective To learn to explore the relationship between geology and architecture with a particular focus on the Anthropocene thesis
Course Description Originating as a hypothesis in Earth System sciences, the term ‘Anthropocene’ designates a new geological epoch in which humans are defined as a dominant geologic force, acting upon the Earth’s planetary system. “Following the Climate Change thesis, the Anthropocene is the latest planetary imagination that describes massive extinction, brutal resource extraction, and irreversible environmental damage. It reveals that the long-accepted division between nature and culture does not exist and therefore has been regarded as creating a paradigm shift in knowledge production.” Through emphasizing planetary scale and deep time, the Anthropocene provides a rich conceptual framework for situating architecture in a broader set of interrogations. It unsettles conventional understandings and epistemologies in architectural theory and practice. This course will firstly investigate a theoretical body of work on the Anthropocene from a range of disciplines including science and technology studies, geography and environmental humanities as well as newly emerging fields such as geo-humanities and Anthropocene studies. Then it will explore how this planetary imagination and geologic thinking can influence architectural theory through a close reading of related texts that investigate the intersection between the two fields of enquiry. Through reading essays from diverse disciplines the course will rehearse and explore new thinking tools, interpretive strategies and design epistemologies that are attuned to the Anthropocene. Benek Çinçik, “Planetary Imaginations and the Anthropocene: Tracing Geoaesthetic Acts between 1968-1972”, Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Edinburgh, 2021.

Course Learning Outcomes and Competences

Upon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:
1) read and interpret texts from a wide variety of disciplines;
2) reflect on the readings and write critical texts;
3) develop an Anthropocenic lens and practice Anthropocenic thinking;
4) integrate Anthropocenic thinking into architectural theory and design.
Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes 1 2 3 4
1) Has a broad foundation and intellectual awareness with exposure to mathematics, history, economics, and social sciences
2) Demonstrates knowledge and skills in different functional areas of business (accounting, finance, operations, marketing, strategy, and organization) and an understanding of their interactions within various industry sectors
3) Applies theoretical knowledge as well as creative, analytical, and critical thinking to manage complex technical or professional activities or projects
4) Exhibits an understanding of global, environmental, economic, legal, and regulatory contexts for business sustainability
5) Demonstrates individual and professional ethical behavior and social responsibility
6) Demonstrates responsiveness to ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity values and issues
7) Uses written and spoken English effectively (at least CEFR B2 level) to communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions
8) Demonstrates skills in data and information acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting
9) Displays computer proficiency to support problem solving and decision-making
10) Demonstrates teamwork, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills
11) Displays learning skills necessary for further study with a high degree of autonomy

Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences

N None S Supportive H Highly Related
     
Program Outcomes and Competences Level Assessed by
1) Has a broad foundation and intellectual awareness with exposure to mathematics, history, economics, and social sciences N
2) Demonstrates knowledge and skills in different functional areas of business (accounting, finance, operations, marketing, strategy, and organization) and an understanding of their interactions within various industry sectors N
3) Applies theoretical knowledge as well as creative, analytical, and critical thinking to manage complex technical or professional activities or projects N
4) Exhibits an understanding of global, environmental, economic, legal, and regulatory contexts for business sustainability N
5) Demonstrates individual and professional ethical behavior and social responsibility N
6) Demonstrates responsiveness to ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity values and issues N
7) Uses written and spoken English effectively (at least CEFR B2 level) to communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions S Presentation
8) Demonstrates skills in data and information acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting S Participation
9) Displays computer proficiency to support problem solving and decision-making N
10) Demonstrates teamwork, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills S Participation
11) Displays learning skills necessary for further study with a high degree of autonomy S Participation
Prepared by and Date BENEK ÇİNÇİK , December 2023
Course Coordinator AKTS1
Semester Spring
Name of Instructor

Course Contents

Week Subject
1) Introductory lecture and discussion on the Anhropocene
2) Art and Architecture in the Anthropocene
3) Introduction to the Anthropocene Debate
4) Transcalar Imagination
5) Thermodynamic Imagination
6) Anthropocene Aesthetics
7) The Whole Earth Imagery
8) Anthropocenic Thought Experiments in Architectural Theory
9) Problematisation of the Anthropocene Debate
10) Contemporary Anthropocenic ManifestatIons
11) The Question of Ethics in the Anthropocene Debate
12) Nonhuman Rights
13) Presentations
14) Final discussion and submission
15) Final Assessment Period
16) Final Assessment Period
Required/Recommended ReadingsRecommended Readings: -Rania Ghosn and El Hadi Jazairy. Geostories: Another Architecture for the Environment. Barcelona: ACTAR Publishers -Etienne Turpin and Heather Davis (eds) Architecture in the Anthropocene: Encounters Among Design, Deep Time, Science and Philosophy. London: Open Humanities Press, 2013 -Joanna Zylinska, Minimal Ethics for the Anthropocene. Michigan: Open Humanities Press. 2013 -Bruno Latour, “Inside: A Performance Lecture” http://www.bruno-latour.fr/node/755.html Required readings for weekly discussions will be posted on Blackboard.
Teaching MethodsSlideshow, movie, discussion and reading.
Homework and Projects3 Assignments and 1 Presentation
Laboratory Work-
Computer UseYes
Other ActivitiesField study
Assessment Methods
Assessment Tools Count Weight
Attendance 1 % 10
Homework Assignments 3 % 20
Presentation 1 % 30
Final Examination 1 % 40
TOTAL % 100
Course Administration cincikb@mef.edu.tr

Office: Benek Çinçik Email: cincikb@mef.edu.tr Attendance is essential for this course. The students are responsible of watching the presentations in advance, as well as follow the instructions in each presentation and come prepared to class. Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism: YÖK Disciplinary Regulation.

ECTS Student Workload Estimation

Activity No/Weeks Hours Calculation
No/Weeks per Semester Preparing for the Activity Spent in the Activity Itself Completing the Activity Requirements
Course Hours 14 1 3 1 70
Homework Assignments 14 4 56
Total Workload 126
Total Workload/25 5.0
ECTS 5