Architecture, understood as the process of projecting, constructing, and maintaining buildings and structures embodies values of the past; diverse actors have used the built environment to achieve political, economic, social, or cultural goals. This course explores the ways in which architectural practice has evolved to respond to historical paradigms, responding to and shaping global and local societal conditions and frameworks.

Through a series of lectures and seminars, the course situates architectural practice within the global histories and historiographies of architecture. Specifically, the proposed seminar, offered during the academic years 2020–2021 to 2022–2023, examined the history of architecture and urban planning with a focus on social and political history, gender theory, and cultural studies. Topics included the social values embedded in architecture and urban design, particularly those developed in connection with the feminist movement over the centuries, as well as uncovering the hidden history of women’s contributions to architecture, often devalued or appropriated within the field.