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A42O2A Orientation; History, Theory and Technology of Architecture 4:2 3.0 credits

Administer About course

Introduction

The orientations course consists of a series of lectures and seminar presentations related to architectural questions, analytical methods and design methodologies. All students produce material for a final examination. There are two assignments, one individual, and one group assignment.

Norm-critical perspectives to site-analysis and representation

As an architect, you have the opportunity to work pedagogically with your skills and create dialogue and interaction with stake holders through your design process. This is not primarily about educating stake-holders but offering tools for the participants to be able to express their experiences and understand their living environment. As an architectural pedagogue you aim to raise awareness among citizens about the built environment, architecture, urbanism and sustainable development. Knowledge in these fields will enable citizens to make their voices heard and influence the political, economic and social strategies that  shape their cities and their environment.

However, it is equally important to reverse the process, and to develop methods by which you, as an architect, learn from stake holders and value the specific knowledge and experiences that are articulated by others. This process demands that you are able to reflect critically on you own position - as an expert professional, but also personally, who you are, where you come from, what norms and biases you may carry with you to the situation - and to recognise other positions - including positions outside the norm. What may be most 'common' or valued as 'normal' in the given context? What might not have been considered? What blind-spots could you have yourself?

Information per course offering

Choose semester and course offering to see current information and more about the course, such as course syllabus, study period, and application information.

Termin

Information for Spring 2026 Start 13 Jan 2026 programme students

Course location

KTH Campus

Duration
13 Jan 2026 - 13 Mar 2026
Periods

Spring 2026: P3 (3 hp)

Pace of study

25%

Application code

60090

Form of study

Normal Daytime

Language of instruction

English

Number of places

Min: 5

Target group
Only for ARKIT year 4 or TARKM year 1 and exchange students coming through an exchange agreement within the Degree Programme in Architecture.
Planned modular schedule
[object Object]
Schedule
Schedule is not published

Contact

Examiner
No information inserted
Course coordinator
No information inserted
Teachers
No information inserted

Course syllabus as PDF

Please note: all information from the Course syllabus is available on this page in an accessible format.

Course syllabus A42O2A (Spring 2023–)
Headings with content from the Course syllabus A42O2A (Spring 2023–) are denoted with an asterisk ( )

Content and learning outcomes

Course disposition

Course description

To develop your skills to recognize and include both your own and others specific multiplicities of positions and variations within and beyond normative perceptions of place you will be introduced to in this course to specific research and design practices relating to children's rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, on spatial accessibility in relation to cognitive disabilities, on perceptions of gender discrimination and rasism in architecture, and on feminist art and design practices.

You will work individually and in groups with two assignments. The individual assignment will give you an opportunity to summarize and reflect on a selection of particular positions and perspectives. In the group assignment you will together with your peers pursue a site-analysis at an assigned location. You are expected to produce a representation of the site that includes and articulates a variety of positions that you have studied in your individual assignment and that you find relevance for at the site.

The presentations will be presented to the whole course and discussed in mixed peer-groups on the final course day.

The course is based on lectures, seminars, material production and a final presentation.

Course contents

The course consists of a series of lectures and seminars presentations relate to a architecture frågeställning. All students produce material for a final examination.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Analyze concepts, artifacts or processes within architecture and urbanism with tools and methods related to research.
  • Be able to argue for and present discoveries and results with text, image, design and/or prototypes.
  • With support of text and in discussion be able to present critical analysis of theoretical texts in architecture and urbanism.
  • Developed the ability to reflect on aspects of sustainability in the course, with the support of texts or in discussions.
  • Developed the ability to reflect on one’s own learning, with the support of texts or in discussions.

Literature and preparations

Specific prerequisites

Bachelor’s degree in architecture, or similar to the Basic Level of KTH Degree programme in Architecture (180hp).

Recommended prerequisites

Bachelor’s Degree, or an equivalent level, within the field of Architecture.

Literature

You can find information about course literature either in the course memo for the course offering or in the course room in Canvas.

Examination and completion

Grading scale

P, F

Examination

  • MOM1 - Moment 1, 3.0 credits, grading scale: P, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

Other requirements for final grade

A requirement for examination is 80% attendance and active participation at lectures, seminars and tutorials. Completed and approved written assignement.

Special regulations for completion apply. The rules for completion can be found on the programme web.

Examiner

Profile picture Jonas Runberger

Profile picture Stefan Petersson

Ethical approach

  • All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
  • In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
  • In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.

Further information

Course room in Canvas

Registered students find further information about the implementation of the course in the course room in Canvas. A link to the course room can be found under the tab Studies in the Personal menu at the start of the course.

Offered by

ABE/Architecture

Main field of study

Architecture

Education cycle

Second cycle