Modern Architecture is a survey of architecture from the late 19th century to the early 21st century, primarily in Europe and North America, with some attention to modernism in other areas of the world. We study examples ranging from the turn-of-the-century innovations of the Arts and Crafts Movement to work of contemporary “Starchitects.” The course considers the impact of industrial materials and modern institutions on the built environment and new forms and functions such as art museums and skyscrapers. It includes discussion of architectural theory and important movements including the International Style and Post Modernism. We will emphasize major figures such as Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Frank Gehry.

The twentieth century was the golden age for "hero-architects" who expressed their personal aesthetics and convictions in buildings built for elite patrons. Is this model still relevant to 21st-century issues? We will look at other approaches that have emerged in recent years: collaborative design, social engagement, environmental consciousness, integrative design, computer aided design, as well as new urbanism.

The course will work with LoFab, an exhibition of the work of MASS Design, co-founded by CC alum Alan Ricks, in the I.D.E.A Space and participate in related events including talks by John Cary and Alan Ricks.

We will study trends in architecture of our region including the City Beautiful Movement in Denver, as well as contemporary Denver architecture by Michael Libeskind, David Adjaye and Brad Cloepfil through field trips to Denver. We will also visit the United States Air Force Academy by Skidmore Owens and Merrill, a pristine example of mid-century modernism and architectural consistency. Buildings on the CC campus, on the other hand, provide diverse structures from the 19th and 20th centuries that we will assess critically. We will discuss how campus architecture has shaped the image and identity of our own institution over the decades and also follow plans for new construction on campus.