49 courses with the subject HSPV, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
HSPV 5210The American Built Environment
This course is a survey of the built environment from North America’s first peoples to the rise of the McMansion. Though oriented towards future preservation practitioners, this class welcomes students from across Penn interested in architectural history, U.S. history, buildings, an landscapes. The organization, while broadly chronological, emphasizes themes around which important scholarship has gathered. Rather than utilize buildings or the works of major architects as a unit of analysis, th course explores the interplay between all human-initiated modifications to our shared environment. Our shared central purpose is to explore how the built environment acts as an agent in broader sociopolitical processes and how those same processes are reflected through our buildings and landscapes. To that end, this class will employ multiple methodological and disciplinary lenses borrowed from architecture, history, environmental history, city and regional planning, and historic preservation to explore the history of the built environment. Our class will also embrace the tension between “high style” and “vernacular” architectures while encouraging you to think critically about and beyond such categories. Finally, we will supplement our conversations in class with frequent trips to Philadelphia-area buildings and neighborhoods to further explore change and continuity in the history of the built environment.
This course will examine the American domestic interior from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries with emphasis on the cultural, economic, and technological forces that determined the decoration and furnishing of the American home. Topics covered include the evolution of floor plans; changes in finish details and hardware; the decorative arts; floor, wall, and window treatments; and developments in lighting, heating, plumbing, food preparation and service, as well as communication and home entertainment technologies. In addition to identifying period forms and materials, the course will offer special emphasis on historic finishes. The final project will involve re-creation of a historic interior based on in-depth documentary household inventory analysis, archival research, and study. Students will create a believable house interior and practice making design and furnishing choices based on evidence. Several class periods will be devoted to off-site field trips.
This course explores the ways history is put to work in the world. It focuses primarily on how communities shape their relationship to and understanding of the built environment. A core premise of this course is that practicing public history requires a distinct professional outlook, set of skills, and ethical stance beyond what is required of historians, preservationists, planners, architects, or designers. As such, our course will analyze the role of public historians in shaping the relationship between communities and the built environment through oral history, museums, historic sites, and national parks; on the internet through digital humanities projects and the evolving role of AI; and explore how the built environment acts as an agent in popular and public understandings of the past through interventions like monuments, memorials, and historic markers. We will consider how versions of the past are created, institutionalized, and communicated through and with the built environment. Ultimately, we will engage key ideas, themes, and practical concerns confronting public historians and preservationists in a variety of professional and institutional settings.
HSPV 5380Cultural Landscapes and Landscape Preservation
The course surveys and critically engages the field of cultural landscape d studies. Over the semester, we will explore cultural landscape as a concept, theory and model of preservation and design practice; we will read cultural landscape historiography and creative non-fiction; is we will examine a range of types (national parks, community gardens, designed landscapes, informal public spaces), and we will map the alternative preservation, planning and design methods that ground cultural landscape studies practically. Readings, class discussions, and projects will draw on cultural geography, environmental history, vernacular architecture, ecology, art, and writing. Not Offered Every Year Also Offered As: LARP 7380 1 Course Unit
Building diagnostics pertain to the determination of the nature of a building's condition or performance and the identification of the corresponding causative pathologies by a careful observation and investigation of its history, context and use, resulting in a formal opinion by the professional. Monitoring, a building diagnostic tool, is the consistent observation and recordation of a selected condition or attribute, by qualitative and/or quantitative measures over a period of time in order to generate useful information or data for analysis and presentation. Building diagnostics and monitoring allow the building professional to identify the causes and enabling factors of past or potential pathologies in a building and building systems, thus informing the development appropriate interventions or corrective measures. In the case of heritage buildings, the process informs the selection of interventions that satisfy the stewardship goals for the cultural resource. In the case of recently constructed buildings, the process informs the identification of envelope and systems interventions for improved performance and energy efficiency.
Architectural Conservation is an introduction to the technical study of traditional building materials. This knowledge is essential preparation for any professional engaged in the conservation and adaptive reuse of structures built before the mid 20th century. The course focuses on these materials’ properties, performance, and especially weathering, and the basic laboratory-based methods that can be employed for their study, characterization, and specification for restoration. Lectures and coordinated laboratory sessions introduce the history of use, composition, and deterioration mechanisms of a wide array of traditional building materials including earth, stone, brick, terra cotta, concrete, mortars and plasters, metals, wood, and paints. The course provides a basic knowledge of the major building materials in use before the Second World War in industrialized as well as pre-industrial traditional contexts. Undergraduate level students may enroll. Basic undergraduate level understanding of chemistry required.
Historic preservation in the United States occurs within a network of laws and policies created by the Federal, state, and local governments. This framework includes regulations and programs that restrict, regulate, frustrate, encourage, and incentivize preservation of a broad range of cultural resources. Preservation professionals, no matter their specialization, need a basic understanding of how this framework enables, constrains, and supports their work. This course explores the origins, purposes, and functions of the most common and influential programs and policies related to historic preservation in the United States, examining the power structures, funding sources, and regulations developed specifically for preservation purposes as well as ancillary policies that both support and challenge preservation.
Heritage is always political. Such a statement might refer to the everyday politics of local stakeholder interests on one end of the spectrum, or the volatile politics of destruction and erasure of heritage during conflict, on the other. If heritage is always political then one might expect that the workings of World Heritage might be especially fraught given the international dimension. In particular, the intergovernmental system of UNESCO World Heritage must navigate the inherent tension between state sovereignty and nationalist interests and the wider concerns of a universal regime. The World Heritage List has over 1200 properties with many such contentious examples, including sites in Iraq, Mali, Syria, Crimea, Palestine, Armenia and Cambodia. As an organization UNESCO was born of war with an explicit mission to end global conflict and help the world rebuild materially and morally yet has found its own history increasingly entwined with that of international politics and violence.
This class examines our enduring fascination with ruins coupled with our commitments to reconstruction from theoretical, ethical, socio- political and practical perspectives. This includes analyzing international conventions and principles, to the work of heritage agencies and NGOs, to the implications for specific local communities and development trajectories. We will explore global case studies featuring archaeological and monumental sites with an attention to context and communities, as well as the construction of expertise and implications of international intervention. Issues of conservation from the material to the digital will also be examined. Throughout the course we will be asking what a future in ruins holds for a variety of fields and disciplines, as well as those who have most to win or lose in the preservation of the past. Also Offered As: ANTH 5805, CLST 7317, MELC 5950, NELC 5950 Mutually Exclusive: ANTH 2805 1 Course Unit 2026-27 Catalog | Generated 08/03/26
HSPV 5880Contemporary Asia and the Historic Built Environment
What place does the historic built environment have in contemporary Asia and what does its enduring care and conservation express about perceptions and values of heritage in daily life? What happens when the historic and the contemporary are treated as separate and distinct categories? This course examines what we will refer to as built heritage in contemporary Asia for what it reveals about the legacies of conservation (indigenous and colonial) and the centrality of heritage to an array of historical and pressing concerns. While heritage conservation in Asia has always been integral to cultural continuity, governance, and spiritual practice, it is increasingly implicated in phenomena of rapid urbanization, rising religious and ethno-nationalism, regional alliance building, the aggressive pursuit of developmental modernism, and resilience strategies in light of climate change. We will investigate how heritage conservation practices in Asia have and continue to shape the built environment and the ways in which they are challenging longstanding conservation discourse erroneously considered as international norms. Through an analysis of regional case studies, a wide array of source materials, and discussions with invited scholars and heritage conservation practitioners from the region, we will address questions such as: What are the genealogies of national heritage legislation and what has been their impact on national prevailing attitudes towards conservation and international best practices? As a practice enacted in the public realm, how are heritage and its conservation leveraged as a form of governance and a medium for public production and subject formation? Who are the principal agents of conservation; what forms of expertise are privileged; and with what outcomes? In what ways are the design philosophies and material building practices of the past resources for contemporary challenges in Asia as outlined above and what can we learn from these experiences?
The goal of this course is to help students learn to research and contextualize the history of buildings and sites. In order to gain first- hand exposure to the actual materials of building histories, we will visit our neighborhood research sites and several key archival repositories. Students will work directly with historical evidence, including maps, deeds, the census, city directories, insurance surveys, photographs, and many other kinds of archival materials. After discussing each type of document in terms of its nature and the motives for its creation, students will complete a series of projects that develop their facility for putting these materials to effective use. Philadelphia is more our laboratory than a primary focus in terms of content, as the city is rich in institutions that hold over three centuries of such materials; students will find here both an exposure to primary documents of most of the types they might find elsewhere, as well as a sense of the culture of such institutions and of the kinds of research strategies that can be most effective. The final project is the completion of an historic register nomination.
Documentation, Research, Recording II. This course provides an introduction to the survey and recording of historic buildings and sites. Techniques of recording include traditional as well as digitally-based methods including field survey, measured drawings, photography and rectified photography. Emphasis is placed on the use of appropriate recording tools in the context of a thorough understanding of the historical significance, form and function of sites. Required for first-year MSHP students; others by permission.
HSPV 6200Topics in Historic Preservation & Public History
These seminars explore ideas related to public history and historic preservation. Themes of the course touch on history, architectural history, art history, cultural landscapes, cultural heritage, and material culture. The course is writing and research heavy. It is open to all interested Weitzman students. Topics vary between semesters, and specific details can be found in the “Section Details” area in course search.
This course will explore connections between heritage, historic preservation (and related design, planning and artistic practices) and the pursuit of social justice. How do historic preservation and other design and humanities professionals contribute to more equitable and just societies? How can our work be organized to result in greater equity, access and social justice? The course will focus on conceptual and theoretical work (how we think about built heritage and social change; how we conceptualize social justice) and practical examples of advancing social outcomes through preservation and design (how social justice concerns reorganize projects, practices, and organizations). We'll draw on work by: designers; historians; public intellectuals; geographers, anthropologists and other social scientists; heritage organizations; artists; entrepreneurs; and more. Subjects will include traditional preservation, reparative practices, creative placemaking, public art, memorialization, and organizational-managerial social innovation. Cases will be drawn from the US and abroad. The course will progress through a series of weekly topics, often including guest practitioners and scholars. Students will have significant agency in helping flesh out the topics and cases; final projects (individual and group) will be envisioned as a statement (in the form of an exhibition or publication) of how social justice concerns have reshaped practice and how they could reshape our fields in the future.
Part one of a required praxis course designed to introduce students to the techniques and application of digital media for visual and textual communication. Techniques will be discussed for preservation use including survey, documentation, relational databases, and digital imaging and modeling. This course requires a weekly laboratory period (1.5 hours), must enroll in both lecture and lab sections to successfully register. Must register for HSPV6240B in the Spring.
Part two of a required praxis course designed to introduce students to the techniques and application of digital media for visual and textual communication. Techniques will be discussed for preservation use including survey, documentation, relational databases, and digital imaging and modeling. This course requires a weekly laboratory period (1.5 hours), must enroll in both lecture and lab sections to successfully register. Must have completed HSPV6240A in the Fall.
The primary objective is to prepare the student, as a practicing preservationist, to understand the language of the development community, to make the case through feasibility analysis why a preservation project should be undertaken, and to be able to quantify the need for public/non-profit intervention in the development process. A second objective is to acquaint the student with the measurements of the economic impact of historic preservation and to critically evaluate "economic hardship" claims made to regulatory bodies by private owners.
This seminar concentrates on a selected topic in the social and cultural history of the built environment. Past themes have included photography and the American city and the relationship between cities and sound. For our current offering, please visit: https://www.design.upenn.edu/historic- preservation/courses
HSPV 6500Material Histories and Ethnographic Methods
What does it mean for students in the spatial disciplines (outside of anthropology, sociology, and history) to engage human subjects as primary sources of evidence? How can students in design, planning, and preservation both learn from the social sciences and transform classic ethnographic and historical methods to address the unique contexts of buildings, landscapes, and cities? This class focuses on how to conduct built environment research that views human subjects as repositories of knowledge and critical sources of primary evidence. We will explore research on the history of the built environment (dependent on maps, plats, documentation of sites) and human centered research as we design—collectively—best practices and spatially oriented interview and observation techniques. We will address multiple scales (sidewalks, commercial store fronts, post offices, neighborhoods) as we problematize human experience, perception, and knowledge of the built world.
HSPV 6510Migratory Urbanism: The Spaces of Transnational Subjects in
US Cities and Beyond Migration is an inherently spatial phenomenon; the study of migration is the study of places, people, processes, and the state. This course addresses the history of 20th and 21st century international migration through the lens of the built environment, place, material culture, space and society. The aim of this course is to bring migration theories and histories into the realm of places and planning to equip spatial practitioners (planners, architects, and preservationists) with tools for thinking through how contemporary movement interfaces with the production of space. An interdisciplinary approach to the study of migration will incorporate urban and architectural histories, political economy, urban theory, migration theory, ethnographies of individuals, families, and communities, material culture, and film to explore how cities, towns, and hinterlands are influenced by the continuous flow of people, ideas, dollars, and desire. We will engage concepts such as assimilation, transnationalism, diaspora, spatial violence, spatial practices, ritual infrastructure, spatial hybridity, and urban design from below. We will investigate international remittance development, multi- scalar migrant neighborhoods, prisons, housing, and more. 1 Course Unit
HSPV 6741Curricular Practical Training: Academic Year
Course Description This course provides international Master of Historic Preservation students the opportunity for practical training in architecture in the United States (CPT). The course develops critical thinking about the organization, operation, and ethics of professional practice in city planning. This course will allow international HSPV students to work in an internship in the United States during the academic year without shortening their limited OPT time. The course is offered for .20 course units. The employment must relate to the major and the experience must be part of the program of study. Course enrollment is by permit only. 0.2 Course Units
The Advanced Preservation Studio is designed to allow students to integrate knowledge from their core and concentration courses, to gain insight into the meanings of professionalism and professional practice, and to reflect on the norms of a discipline and a profession. Studio topics are selected based on faculty research and contemporary issues and therefore offer a range of subjects and methodologies. By focusing on the unique set of issues and problems associated with specific case studies and a project site, advanced students have the opportunity to learn and apply the knowledge and skills required for their documentation, assessment and evaluation, and intervention and interpretation as an integrated activity. For our current offering, please visit: https://www.design.upenn.edu/historic-preservation/courses.
HSPV 7070Historic Preservation Post-Professional Studio
Master of Design Capstone Studio. This intensive on-site studio will explore advanced topics in preservation theory, planning and design as applied to the challenges of a landmark historic site. Readings will focus on background research completed for the site as well as theoretical and local approaches to preservation and site management, supplemented by lectures, workshops, field trips and on-site investigations. Students will prepare a written report as well as design studies. Permission of department required to enroll. Course usually offered in summer term.
Four HSPV Electives 4 Total Course Units 38 Students may substitute an approved History Topics course for American Architecture with approval from the department. In their final year, dual-degree students enroll in HSPV 7100: Thesis I (1 CU) in the Fall and ARCH 7060: Thesis (2 CUs) in the Spring. The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation. The dual-degree program culminates with a joint thesis between Architecture and Historic Preservation. Students are required to apply to the M.Arch thesis program after ARCH 6020: Studio IV is successfully completed. However, acceptance to the Architecture Honors Thesis program is not guaranteed. Without a joint thesis, students will still be able to earn the dual-degree but will follow an alternate course of study. Standard Plan of Study
HSPV 7390Conservation Seminar: Masonry is offered in Fall (due to2
required courses in First Year Fall, students wishing to take Masonry 1 should take it in Fall of their second year) Preservation Design Concentration Course Plan for Preservation Design Concentration Students Completing
Total Course Units 4 Preservation Design Concentration Preservation Design Concentration Requirements In addition to the general degree requirements, the following 4 CUs are required for Preservation Design concentrators: Code Title Course
Hong Kong will be the venue for this year's HSPV 760-901 Heritage Praxis. Collaborators in Hong Kong have already been signed on including iDiscover, an innovative firm that has been doing citizen-based, bottom- up mapping of heritage precincts throughout Southeast Asia. Other university, NGO, and government collaborators are currently being recruited. The course will run from May 27 through June 6, 2019 and students should plan to arrive on May 25 or May 26 and depart on June 7. The first week will be lectures and tours. During the second week all participants will work in teams to conduct original research in under- recognized historic neighborhoods in Hong Kong. Through individual interviews, focus groups, and other social research tools, participants will first identify the "values" assigned by local residents, business and property owners, and others to the neighborhood. This qualitative information will then be matched with GIS-based quantitative data. Using this qualitative + quantitative approach, participants will attempt to estimate the economic values of non-economic value components. Each of the teams will be made up of PennDesign graduate students, PennDesign alumni, and young professionals from Hong Kong. Course is open to all PennDesign graduate students.
Reading and discussion course on selected topics in urban and planning history, with an emphasis on the United States, 1820-2000. We will sample both canonical and more recent scholarship. Interested doctoral students from across the university are particularly welcome. Masters students interested in an intensive reading course are also welcome. All students will read at least one book per week, and the final written assignment can be tailored to individual student interests and needs. Spring, even numbered years only Also Offered As: CPLN 8200 1 Course Unit
An opportunity for a student to work on a special project under the guidance of a faculty member. 0.5-2 Course Units History & Sociology of Science (HSSC)
