5B CAT SYLLABUS FOR THE ORAL TEST

Topics you must study for the oral test:

1. PATH: A SHORT HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
  • Prehistoric architecture (cf pp 218, 219)
    • megalithic architecture
    • the most famous megalithic structure in England, i.e. Stonehenge
    • other prehistoric sites in Britain
  • Roman heritage in Britain (cf notes and pp 226, 227)
    • cities and towns
    • road system
    • buildings, i.e. Hadrian's Wall and forts 
-> Here the slides shown in class.
  • Architecture in Medieval Britain (cf notes, pp. 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236 extra worksheet on Lady Chapel and Poets' Corner) 
    • English Gothic architecture
    • an example of Gothic cathedral in the UK, i.e. Westminster Abbey in London
    • Norman architecture (-> here the slides shown in class)
    • two examples of Norman castles, i.e. Dover Castle and Windsor Castle
    • half-timbering building technique
    • black and white half-timbered houses in Chester and York
  • Renaissance architecture in Britain (cf notes, p. 238)
    • the Renaissance
    • Pietro Torrigiano and Hans Holbein as those who brought the new ideas of the Renaissance to Britain
    • Inigo Jones as the responsible for introducing the classical architecture of Rome to Britain
    • Inigo Jones's works in England
    • Hampton Court Palace in Surrey, England
-> Here the slides shown in class.
  • Baroque architecture (cf notes, pp. 240-241)
    • what factors influenced the development of the Baroque building style
    • Christopher Wren as one of the English prominent Baroque architects
    • Saint Paul's Cathedral in London
-> Here the slides shown in class.
  • Georgian architecture (cf notes, p. 242)
    • townhouse as a typical Georgian building
-> Here the slides shown in class.
  • Gothic Revival (cf notes, p. 243)
    • Augustus Pugin as a leading figure in the English Gothic Revival
    • the Palace of Westminster and Tower Bridge in London
-> Here the slides shown in class.
  • Neoclassicism (cf notes, p. 243)
    • Robert Adam as an important figure in the English Neoclassicism
    • the British Museum, Mansion House and the Royal Opera House in London
-> Here the slides shown in class.
  • Norman Foster (cf notes, pp. 256-257)
    • his life
    • his most famous works: the British Museum, the Millennium Bridge, 30 St Mary Axe, Wembley Stadium
-> Here the slides shown in class.
  • Frank Lloyd Wright (cf notes, pp. 248-249)
    • his life
    • his most famous work: the Guggenheim Museum in New York (-> here the slides shown in class)
-> Here the slides shown in class.
  • Frank Gehry (cf notes, pp. 258-259)
    • his life
    • his most famous works: Richard B. Fisher Center, Ray and Maria Stata Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (-> here the slides shown in class)
-> Here the slides shown in class.
  • Richard Rogers (cf notes, pp. 254-255)
    • his life
    • one of his most famous works: the Millennium Dome
-> Here the slides shown in class.

2. PATH: PROFESSIONAL FIGURES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
  • Types of professional figures in the construction industry based on their educational background (cf p 200)
    • operatives: who they are and what they do on the building site (cf p 201)
    • surveyors: who they are, their study path and what their main tasks are (cf p 201)
    • structural and civil engineers: who they are, their study path and what their main tasks are (cf p 202)
    • domestic energy assessors: who they are and what their main tasks are (cf p 204)
    • coordinators for safety and health matters: who they are and what their main tasks are (cf p 205)
    • Renzo Piano as the Italian man who is reinventing architecture: his life and his most famous works, i.e. the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Menil Collection in Houston and The Shard in London (cf. pp 260-261 and his TED talk)
3. PATH: ON THE BUILDING SITE
  • Modern methods of constructions: what they are, when and where they started to be promoted, why they were introduced and some benefits of theirs (cf p 108)
  • Construction machinery, i.e. the tower crane, the digging machine, and the concrete mixer (cf p 109)
  • What to wear on the building site (cf pp 114-115)
  • Restoration: what it is and the three types of restoration, i.e. building cleaning, major repairs and rebuilding (cf p110)
  • Building renovation: what it is and what a renovation project includes, i.e. addition, remodelling or conversion of a room, improving features, reducing energy consumption, adding security measures (cf p 111)
4. PATH: THE VALUE OF BUILDINGS
  • The economic life of a building and the most important reasons for a building becoming obsolete (cf p.166)
  • The real estate market: what it is, what it depends on and the role of the real estate agents (cf. pp.168-169)
5. PATH: BIO-ARCHITECTURE
  • Bio-architecture: definition, principles and aims of sustainable architecture (cf p 32)
  • Sustainable design and eco-design: definition and main goals (cf pp 34-35)
  • Eco-materials and their main characteristics (cf p 33)
  • Sustainable materials and reclaimed building materials (cf pp 62-63)
  • What a green building is and green building programmes such as LEED (cf pp. 36-37)
  • Building green houses for the poor and the Intervale Green project in New York (cf pp. 48-49)
Etichette: ,