write a 3,000-word research paper on a topic of your own choosing. Some possibilities include writing about a specific building, architect, building type, style, book, movement, period, or regional architecture.

The final assignment for Art History 145A is to write a 3,000-word research paper on a topic of your own choosing. Some possibilities include writing about a specific building, architect, building type, style, book, movement, period, or regional architecture. You are encouraged to relate modern architecture to artistic, intellectual, social, national, cultural, political, and technological contexts.

Demonstrate to me in your paper that you actually have conducted research and have thought deeply about modern architecture and the ideas associated with it. To complete this assignment, you MUST cite at least 10-12 sources (preferably books or articles). At minimum, this means using 4-6 texts that you find in the Canvas Files or through JSTOR or the Avery Index. A citation can be either a numbered note or a reference to a source in a bibliography, either of which must contain the name of the author, the name of the book or article, and the page number. Online resources such as JSTOR and the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals (both available on the UCI Library website) may be particularly helpful to locate sources. Please note the extensive bibliography at the conclusion of the book by William Curtis. Including page numbers and quotation marks in your citations is essential. You will not receive credit if your citations are all from one or two sources or if you do not include the minimum number of citations. No more than 3 of your citations can be from the Curtis textbook.

You should not write about the same building you analyzed in your midterm essay. Long quotations from the readings should be avoided. If you do include many long quotations, your essay should be longer than 3,000 words. Papers shorter than 3,000 words will not receive full credit. Limit your use of videos, Wikipedia entries, and websites. Do not use blogs. You may cite any of these no more than twice. Visiting the library to check out or consult books is strongly recommended; students who write strong essays usually do this. Try to be analytical and interpret architectural form and ideas rather than merely praise the genius of a particular creative figure. It is essential to bescrupulous when you are quoting from the work of someone else. I will be happy to suggest readings and help you select a topic.