ABSTRACT
What is the relevance of history in architectural education today? The majority of aspiring architects beginning their studies seem pretty clear about how being taught technology or management will assist with the development of their design projects and, eventually, their professional skills – but the role of history remains elusive. This may have something to do with the kind of history students are presented with, but perhaps also with the resistance of the humanities to be translated to mere “skills”. This chapter will revisit history as a non-instrumental mode of enquiry and will argue that such a historical understanding of architecture is inseparable from its proper understanding as a creative act.
