Paysage et Patrimoine

The teaching unit « Built Heritage and Landscape » [Patrimoine et Paysage] consists of two distinct and complementary parts :

• Built heritage theories (Yves Robert, coordinator – 2,5 ECTS)
• Landscape theory (Axel Fisher – 2,5 ECTS)

The inclusion of a course dealing with the Theory of conservation and restoration of built heritages within a School of architecture's curriculum testifies of the ambition to raise awareness among the future actors of the built environment concerning the societal stakes of heritage issues. The course aims at awaking among students in architecture the need of a pluridisciplinary and critical approach to the options available in matters of cultural heritage, in order to allow them to aresss the cultural issues to which society expects them to respond within the frame of their professional practice.

The Landscape theory [Théorie du paysage] course aims at introducing students to the plurality of landscape theories, to their main formal imaginaries and conceptual repertoires acorss a selection of key historical moments in Western landscape history.

LINK TO ARPA-P3101 SPACE ON UV (Université Virtuelle) E-LEARNING TEACHING PLATFORM

« Built heritage theories » – Syllabus

The first part of the course exposes the principles of the heritage "grammar" by analyzing the mechanisms of thought in matters of conservation and restoration established throughout the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th centuries, whose arguments built upon the equivocal notions of "historical monuments", of "golden age", of "in-style" versus "critical" restoration, and of "authenticity" by figures such as Viollet-le-Duc, Ruskin, Boito, Giovannoni, Benjamin, Brandi, Jeudy, etc.

The second part of the course deals with the principles exposed in the charters, conventions and other recommendations (ICOMOS, UNESCO, etc.) in matters of architectural conservation and restoration.

The third part of the course corresponds to different focuses on projects and heritage issues within the Belgian and international contexts.

« Landscape theory » – Syllabus

The course is organized in 10 thematic lessons:

• 1. Landscape: a few definitions – multiple meanings of the "landscape" notion
• 2. The idea of landscape in geography
• 3. Rationality and modern sciences: ideal cities, formal gardens and agrarian reforms in Italian Renaissance
• 4. Picturesque and sublime, of the "naturalisation of agrarian capitallism"
• 5. Gilles Clément : lessons at the Collège de France
• 6. The green origins of modern urbanism: parcs, promenades and plantations in [London,] Paris and New York
• 7. Contemporary theories: The territories of landscape, between description and project
• 8. Landscape urbanism for dummies
• 9. Landscape myths and Nation building
• 10. The happy home, or why do "Belgians have a brick in their stomach"

By the completion of this teaching unit, students will be capable to :

TBC

« Landscape theory »

• to recognize and situate a landscape thought (a narrative on a landscape, a reading of a landscape, a landscape design layout) within the history of the major landscape ideas ;
• to recognize the works and attitudes of contemporary actors within the landscape field ;
• to critically identity the consistency or discrepancy between the "narratives" of landscape designers and the "reality" of their works ;
• to make use of the specific vocabulary and terminology of landscape designers ;
• to take a personal and argument-based stand in the face of a landscape issue.

Required and Corequired knowledge and skills

Pre-required Courses

• HIST-P1002 – Histoire de l'architecture jusqu'à la période moderne (Marianne PUTTEMANS, 5 crédits ECTS)
• HIST-P1010 – Architecture - modernités (Pablo LHOAS, 5 crédits ECTS)
• ENVI-P1003 — Interactions avec le milieu (Suzanne GIOVANNINI et Bernard DEPREZ, 5 crédits ECTS)

« Built heritage theories »

conventional readings supported by slide-shows

« Théorie du paysage »

The student may opt for two different ways of participating to the course: in-class : pre-recorded

• In-class model – 10 lessons, 2h/week = 20 hours in class
  • Before every class :
    • Read one or more texts related to the forthcoming themed lesson (available on ARPA-P3101 E-LEARNING SPACE)
    • View last year's podcast of the forthcoming themed lesson : https://podcast.ulb.ac.be/ezplayer/?action=view_album_assets&album=ARPA-P-3002-pub&token=ZVIGBOKY
    • During the in-class lesson (2 hours) :
      • Conventional lecture by the teacher (±1 hour) + interactive activities (e.g., Wooclap questions / understanding exercizes)
      • Questions & Answers session (± 20 minutes)
      • On-line multiple choices comprehension test (±20 minutes) through (UV) = this is a certificative test (see below) dealing with the themed lesson.
• Pre-recorded model (e.g. for students having other parallel classes at the same time)
  • View last year's podcasts : https://podcast.ulb.ac.be/ezplayer/?action=view_album_assets&album=ARPA-P-3002-pub&token=ZVIGBOKY
  • Choose 2 themed lessons (ARPA-P3101 E-LEARNING SPACE): 1 among lessons #2 to #5 + 1 among lessons #6 to #10
  • Prepare for being examined on the texts available on UV for the 2 chosen lessons + 1 mandatory lesson (see below)

Contribution to the teaching profile

Within ULB Bachelor of Architecture's teaching profile, this teaching unit contributes to the following targeted skills:

1. INVESTIGATING AN ARCHITECTURAL QUESTION

•     Relying on theoretical knowledge and personal, sensitive and critical exploratory reading
•     Analysing, documenting, understanding and prioritising the stakes in a heritage and landscape issue
•     Reading and describing architecture (in its heritage and landscape dimensions) using the appropriate vocabulary
•     Looking at, understanding and valuing a physical and human context
•     Building up an architectural culture (heritage and landscape)
•     Illustrating and questioning a project with relevant examples identified in the history of architecture, art and/or other disciplines (heritage and landscape).

2. DEVELOPING A SITUATED SPATIAL RESPONSE

•     Appropriating the verbal, written and graphic languages of heritage and landscape composition
•    Understanding and problematizing the surrounding context (heritage and landscape)
•     Integrating different fields (history, society, culture, etc.)
•     Demonstrating the complementarity of ATTITUDES (making sense: "the Why?") and APTITUDES (know-how: "the How?") in the practice of the heritage and landscape project.
•     Knowing how to move from ideas to objects.
•     Learning how to conduct a critique of heritage and landscape objects
•     mastering issues measurement and use.
•     Knowing and handling the elements of heritage and landscape composition
•     taking into account constraints and values (heritage, cultural, socio-economic, artistic, historical, environmental, landscape, etc.)

    3. INTERACTING WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS

•     communicating, with clarity and structure, to both expert and lay audiences, information, thoughts and ideas about heritage and landscape issues and their spatial resolution.
•     Mastering verbal communication in order to transmit and dialogue within the framework of an architectural, heritage and landscape production

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

Main sources upon which this teaching unit has been built (and recommended bibliography)

Built heritage theories

• BABELON Jean-Pierre, CHASTEL, André, La notion de patrimoine, Paris, Éditions Liana Levi, 1994, 141 p.
• BOITO, Camillo, Conserver ou restaurer, les dilemmes du patrimoine (traduit de l'italien par Jean-Marc Mandosio), Besançon, Les Éditions de l'Imprimeur, 2000, 109 p.
• BRANDI, Cesare, Théorie de la restauration, (traduit de l'italien par Colette Déroche), (introduction par Georges Brunel), Paris, Éditions des Monuments nationaux / Monum, Éditions du patrimoine, (1ère édition en 1963), 2001, 207 p.
• CHOAY, Françoise, L'Allégorie du Patrimoine, Paris, Éditions du Seuil, 1992, 272 p.
• GIOVANNONI, Gustavo, L’urbanisme face aux villes anciennes, Paris, Éditions du Seuil, 1998, 349 p. L’ouvrage fut publié originellement en italien en 1931 sous le titre Vecchie città ed edilizia nuova.
• GRAVARI-BARBAS, Maria (sous la direction de), Habiter le patrimoine, enjeux, approches, vécu, Rennes,  Presses universitaires de Rennes, 2005, 624 p.
• HEINICH, Nathalie, La fabrique du patrimoine, « de la cathédrale à la petite cuillère », Paris, Editions de la Maison des sciences de l’Homme, 2009, 286 p.
• JEUDY, Henri-Pierre, La machinerie patrimoniale, Paris, Éditions Sens & Tonka, 2001, 127 p.
• RIEGL Aloïs, Le culte moderne des monuments, son essence et sa genèse, (introduction de Françoise Choay), Paris, Éditions du Seuil, 1984, 122 p. (L’ouvrage est paru à Vienne en 1903 sous le titre original de Der Moderne Denkmalkultus).

Landscape theory

• Denis E. COSGROVE, Social formation and symbolic landscape, Croom Helm, Beckenham (GB) - Sidney, 1984
• Geoffrey and Susan JELLICOE, The landscape of man: shaping the environment from prehistory to the present day, Thames and Hudson, Londres, 1975 (1987, 1995)
• Jean-Pierre LE DANTEC (sous la dir. de), Jardins et paysages: textes critiques de l'antiquité à nos jours, Larousse, Paris, 1996
• Monique MOSSER, Georges TEYSSOT (sous la dir. de), Histoire des jardins: de la Renaissance à nos jours, Flammarion, Paris, 1991 [trad. de L’architettura dei giardini d’Occidente. Dal Rinascimento al Novecento, Electa, Milan, 1990].
• Norman T. NEWTON, Design on the land: the development of landscape architecture, Belknap press of Harvard university press, Cambridge (MA), 1971
• Alain ROGER (sous la dir. de), Théorie du paysage en France (1974-1994), Seyssel: Champ Vallon, 1995
• Michel VERNES, Divagations. HYX, 2000.
• Charles WALDHEIM (sous la dir. de), The Landscape Urbanism Reader, New York : Princeton Architectural Press, 2006

Course notes

• Syllabus
• Université virtuelle
• Podcast

Additional information

Targeted support is made available by ULB for students with specific needs (EBS status), such as :

• ESH : Students with handicap
• SHN : High-level sports students
• EE : Entrepreneur students
• AHN : High-level artist students
• Emprisoned students
• Pregnant students and (future) young parents

For more :Accompagnement des étudiant·es à besoins spécifiques

Check the SAA tips for studying at university
https://uv.ulb.ac.be/course/view.php?id=82423

Contacts

« Built heritage theories »: yrobert@ulb.be

« Landscape theories »: both general and individual questions: in class or though the "Forum" tool on the course's UV space, here

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• Personal work
• written examination
• Oral examination

Personal work

written examination

• Open question with short answer
• Open question with developed answer
• Closed question with multiple choices (MCQ)
• Open question with fill-in the blanks text
• Visual question
• Closed question True or False (T/F)
• Closed question with Multiple Answers (MAQ)

Oral examination

• Examination with preparation

• Open question with short answer
• Open question with long development
• Visual question

Each part of the teaching unit has a distinct and separate evaluation method.

« Built heritage theory »: a written exam in-class under the form of a multiple choices test. In case of lockdown, a personal work may be requested instead (details to be communicated by teacher).

« Landscape theory »: Two methods are proposed

• Continuous attendance to in-class lessons : at the end of each lesson, students respond to a short multiple-choice test (through the ARPA-P3101 E-LEARNING SPACE) dealing with the contents of the day's themed lesson. When obtaining a pass mark for all tests taken individually, students are exempted from further examination in January or August. Their grade is obtained by the simple mean of their online test results.

• Occasional attendance or none at all (Exam session in January + Resit session in August):
  • written examination. ± 1 hour: online multiple choice test (through test on the ARPA-P3101 E-LEARNING SPACE) dealing with 3 themed lessons (1 imposed, two others chosen: see details in ARPA-P3101 E-LEARNING SPACE) counting for 8/20 of the final mark. Obtaining a pass mark (4/20) opens access to oral examination.
  • oral examination (5 to 10 minutes): responding to open questions on one of the themed lessons studied.
  • Final grade (landscape theory) = 40% or 8/20 online test results + 60% or 12/20 oral examination).
  • In case the number of students concerned is limited, there will be no multiple choice test during the August resit session, and all students concerned will have automatic access to an oral examination (10 to 15 minutes) responding to open questions on the three themed lessons studied (the teacher may ask questions on part or all of the studied lessons' contents).

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

Lowest mark in case of partial fail mark, otherwise weighted mean of partial scores for each activity (50% + 50%).

Automatic transfer of partial pass marks from one session to the next (January > August) and from one year to the next.

Language(s) of evaluation

• french
• (if applicable english, Italian )