Working Through Architecture: Architecture and Agritecture

In an era filled with McMansions, cubical farms, and warehouse-style superstores, it's hard to imagine what pleasant things historians will have to say about some of our modern architecture. Then again, for every one person checking out an old thatched hut, you probably have several thousand traveling to tour through the castle. This is perhaps an angle that the new lecture series, Working Though Architecture, would appreciate. The series will focus on the ridiculously beautiful homes of the wealthy, the notably loaded visionaries who sought to beautify the cityscapes they called home, and the photographers who understood how a building could look as alive and full of personality as any human celebrity. The series kicks off with a talk led by U of M professor Leon Satkowski, who will expound on the virtues of architect Andrea Palladio, a 16th-century Italian architect perhaps best known for his villas. Bringing it into the present tense, the prof will also explore Palladio's ideas on sustainability and location planning.
Tue., Feb. 5, 7 p.m., 2008