2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
Theory of Architecture and the Earth Circulation
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
- Instructor(s)
- Akio Yasumori
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-8 Fri (M-356(H132))
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- UDE.D425
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2026
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 9, 2026
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course lectures on key topics essential for contemporary architectural and urban design—the relationship between the Earth and materials, and the role of architecture in the emerging circular society—and conducts case studies. Drawing on insights from post-semiotic humanities and social sciences—such as Actor-Network-Theory, the Anthropocene, and Planetary Boundaries—that capture the coexistence of human and non-human entities, this course fosters discussion toward building interdisciplinary intelligence within the fields of architecture and urbanism.
Course description and aims
Acquire theories on architecture and the Earth's circulation, along with an interdisciplinary perspective spanning architectural design theory and humanities and social sciences.
Keywords
Architectural Design, Urban Design, Typology, Ecology, Material Flow
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Combination of lectures on theory, exercises, and presentations.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Course Overview, Studies of Architectural Composition and Semiology to Date |
Understand the purpose, flow and backbround of the class |
| Class 2 | Material Flow, Case Study Introduction |
Theoretical Learning and Debate |
| Class 3 | Agency of Objects |
Theoretical Learning and Debate |
| Class 4 | Translation and Mediator |
Theoretical Learning and Debate |
| Class 5 | Typology and Ecology |
Theoretical Learning and Debate |
| Class 6 | Rereading Modern Architecture |
Theoretical Learning and Debate |
| Class 7 | Exercise and Survey |
Research on own issue and case studies |
| Class 8 | Summary and Presentation |
Summary of the entire course and presentation |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Nothing in particular. Specify reference books.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory, Bruno Latour, Oxford University Press, 2007
Studies of Architectural Composition, Kazunari Sakamoto, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, Akio Yasumori, et al., Jikkyo Shuppan, 2012
Evaluation methods and criteria
Contribution to Class, Grading of Reports
Related courses
- ARC.D421 ： Architectural Design Studio I
Prerequisites
Nothing in particular