Event – Detail

Course Description:  In this monthly course, participants will discuss a chapter, article, or film about one building, building type or landscape in Philadelphia. Sometimes, the text will be about a specific Philadelphia topic, such as a landmark building, a neighborhood or even an individual designer. Other times, the selection will be a classic text on a general issue, such as a debate about style or urbanism, which we will then try to apply to a Philadelphia context based on our personal experiences. For each session, the instructor will make a brief introduction or show slides for reference in order to structure the discussion. Before each session, participants will receive a short guide for an optional, self-directed field trip related to the selected text, experiences which are intended to enrich the group’s discussion.

Who Should Participate:  Anyone! All are welcome. Expect the readings to be 20-45 pages or take somewhere between 2-4 hours to complete.

Schedule & Location:  This course will meet on the first Monday of the month from 6-7pm in the DuBarry Conference Room. Dates are: January 5th, February 2nd, March 2nd, April 6th, May 4th and June 1st.

Other Logistics:  The instructor will email readings, instructions and other related material roughly a month ahead of the next gathering.

Kevin Block is a historian of the built environment and a historical preservation professional with a PhD in the history and theory of architecture from UC Berkeley. He has taught in the humanities and design fields at Berkeley, Princeton, the University of Pittsburgh, and Thomas Jefferson University. Currently, he serves on the boards of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, the Center for the Preservation of Modernism at Thomas Jefferson University, and the Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance, as well as a member of The Athenaeum’s Collections Committee. As the principal of Block Building Research LLC, he has worked on historic preservation projects throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.

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