ARTT 006D. ARCH Studio: Cities, Territories, Infrastructure

The studio considers the Crum Creek watershed as a site of inquiry, using tools from architecture, landscape architecture and urban studies to consider how ecology and infrastructure intertwine within this landscape. We will begin by mapping Crum Creek from its origin in Newtown Square to its entry into the Delaware River. This initial survey identifies dams, highways, railroad trestles, bridges, hard-surfacing, embankments and preservation areas that represent historic efforts to reorient the watershed for different priorities. Their coexistence comprises a sedimentation of history that begins with the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people that occupied the area before European colonization. In the second part of the semester, each student will develop one large section drawing and one section model that puts historical, material and ecological forces into relation. These two outputs will be informed by intensive sketching exercises undertaken during walks along the length of Crum Creek. By the end of the semester, each student will have a better understanding of the complexity of the watershed and a grasp of analytical tools that can serve as the basis for future investigations or design interventions.
Arts and Humanities.
1 credit.
Spring 2026. Devabhaktuni.
Catalog chapter: Art
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/art

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