Course Information: ARCH 4621
Department of Architecture, Cornell University

ARCH 4621 Sustainable Architecture: the Science and Politics of Green Building

Spring 2021

Jonathan Ochshorn

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Assignment for week 2

Read the following:

Vitruvius, De Architectura (Book VI, chapters 1,4,5,6,8, also available online)
Eitel, Feng-Shui (Chapter 4: The Breath of Nature)
Markham, A Brief History of Pollution (Chapter 1)
Diamond, Collapse (Prologue and Chapter 3)

Optional: Thoreau, Walden (Chapter 1 Economy)

For all students:

Read all selections.
Email the writing assignment (selected students only) or paragraph response (all other students) to me no later than 11:00 am on the day of class. Writing assignments can be sent as attachments (PDF or word.doc). Paragraph responses can be embedded directly into the body of the email.

Writing assignment (only for selected students)

Choose any two of the readings and compare similarities and differences in their attitudes toward the environment. Feel free to compare the selections in terms of attitudes toward the environment argued from the standpoint of "science," "pseudo-science," "morality/ethics," "economics," and/or "politics."
Be prepared to read (or otherwise present) a condensed version of your paper in class (7–10 minutes).
Paper should be 1000–1300 words, or approximately 3–4 typed pages, 1.5 line spacing.

For all students except those selected for the writing assignment.

Write a short (1-paragraph) response to a sentence extracted from one of the readings that you found interesting or provocative. Provide a footnote citation for the quotation you have chosen using the "notes and bibliography system."¹

¹ You can find information on citations in the Chicago Manual of Style. (You can leave out page numbers.)