Adolf Loos’ work and writings have numerous interpretations in architecture, architectural theory, history, as well as in gender studies in architecture. The more known texts analyse Loos as an early proponent of modernity and/or of functionalism. Less known are texts, which discuss the many paradoxes in Loos’ work and life. These are usually ignored or left aside in academic discussions, maybe because they are not explainable according to accepted historical narratives or to meta levels of the turn of the century. This course investigates these paradoxes and asks what the role the theoretical, dominating dichotomy between the concepts of privacy and publicity, as well as the interconnected terms such as secret/disclosure, authenticity/mask, femininity/masculinity, etc., play in this context.

Students will write an academic paper to this topic. Research questions will be detailed in collaboration with the advisors and will base on a literature list, which will be provided by the latter.
The second focus of the course is on methodologies and methods of architectural academic research. Students will further be introduced to principles of argumentation and of scientific research and writing (research, citations, structure of an academic paper, academic databases, software for managing bibliographies, etc.).

The course is bilingual (German/English) and subdivided into three main parts. The units will be detailed further at the beginning of the semester.

a) Supervised research and formulation of a research question
b) Independent research and writing of an academic abstract
c) Oral presentation of the state of the art, construction of the argument and writing of the final paper

11.03.2014 9 am - first unit, seminar romm at architecture theory

Written academic paper. Due at the end of July 2014.