Socio-Cultural Aspects of Design

This course is designed to provide students with a background in cross-cultural aspects of both exterior and interior design. The main emphasis is on the use of space and symbolism as both conscious and subliminal forms of communication within a cultural and ritual context. Topics include: symbolic and cultural templates on the image of the home; geomantic/fend shui logic in exterior and interior layout in different cultures; analysis of how pervasive cultural aspects of design, especially spatial and symbolic, are in all societies; the power and significance of symbols and icons in human habitation. The major areas from which course material is drawn include the Americas (both pre-contact and Euro American), East Asia and the Pacific.
Prerequisites: EN 102, COM 101