The course takes into consideration some of the main expressions of western architecture within its general outline from the roman imperial age to the half of the twentieth century. The lessons are concerned with the critical analysis of the architectural works, adequately relating them to their historical and cultural context; particular attention is paid to the genesis of the planning process, to the architectural language adopted, to the formal expressions and to the spatial articulations achieved, as well as to the relations with the urban space or with the environment in which the works are set. The building materials, the main building methods and the structural systems adopted are taken into consideration as well, pointing out their connections with the planning purposes and issues.