OVERVIEW
The student will assume the role of the Roman town planner charged with the task of designing a
well-functioning urban center for 10,000 inhabitants. This town can be built anywhere in the
ancient Roman world during the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) or the Roman Empire (27
BC–476 AD).
This project enables the student to explore the Roman settlement, grasp the concept of urban
planning, understand the functions and appearance of civic architecture and architectural styles,
and become aware of a great number of aspects related to designing historical towns. The student
will develop a stronger sense of civic responsibility by helping shape a sustainable urban
environment while considering the socio-political, economic, cultural, and religious needs of the
population.
Assessment: This assignment assesses the student’s ability to comprehend ideas about ancient
Roman town planning and to convey these ideas visually and verbally. The completed project
should demonstrate a thorough understanding of all assignment prompts. Be creative but most
importantly, be historically accurate.
INSTRUCTIONS
Research:
Use the textbook, library resources, and credible websites to further research. The following
links are available under The Case Study: Build a Roman Town Resources:
Roman Architecture
Essential Humanities: Roman Architecture
Roman Architecture: Elements and Innovations
Design Process and Content:
This assignment is comprised of eleven PowerPoint slides with images and texts.
SLIDE 1 is a town plan accompanied by a general town description of at least 150 words.
Town plan – can be either hand-drawn or computer-generated. The student will not be graded on
their drawing ability, but they must present their own, original plan. Include forum(s), temples,
basilica(s), theaters, amphitheaters, baths, libraries, and residential quarters. You may include
colonnades, walls, gates, aqueducts, sewer systems, roads, etc. The size and spatial relations
should be given special consideration. You can either designate each building directly in the
plan or include a numbered legend. The legend is a small box or table on the plan that explains
the meanings of those numbers. Legends usually appear near the bottom of a plan or around the
outer edges. Please see examples below:
ARTS 201
Page 2 of 2
Town description – choose a name for your town and provide information on its history,
geography, socio-political structure, culture, and religion. Address the following queries: Where
is this town located? What buildings were key to Roman civic life at that time? How were these
buildings arranged about one another and in relation to personal homes?
SLIDE 2 through SLIDE 11 is an annotated PowerPoint presentation with images and
written analyses of ten Roman buildings and town structures. The student will search on the
Internet, download, and paste images of ten Roman buildings and structures (either photographs
or artists’ renderings).
Each slide must include one image and a description of at least 150 words.
Individual slide descriptions – analyze the purposes/use of town structures and explain how
each building contributes to the overall function of a town. What building materials and
technologies were used and why? What is the architectural style of civic vs. private buildings?
Why does style matter? Would the buildings have exterior or interior decorations? If yes, what
would these decorative elements look like?
Dos and Don’ts:
Include the buildings and structures found in the ancient Roman world.
Do not include buildings erected in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and later times.
Provide credits for each image. This information does not count toward the required total
word count.
Total slide count: 11 slides.
Total word count: 1,650 words.
Save this Case Study as a PDF to reduce the file size before uploading your assignment.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool
The student will assume the role of the Roman town planner charged with the task of designing a
well-functioning urban center for 10,000 inhabitants. This town can be built anywhere in the
ancient Roman world during the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) or the Roman Empire (27
BC–476 AD).
This project enables the student to explore the Roman settlement, grasp the concept of urban
planning, understand the functions and appearance of civic architecture and architectural styles,
and become aware of a great number of aspects related to designing historical towns. The student
will develop a stronger sense of civic responsibility by helping shape a sustainable urban
environment while considering the socio-political, economic, cultural, and religious needs of the
population.
Assessment: This assignment assesses the student’s ability to comprehend ideas about ancient
Roman town planning and to convey these ideas visually and verbally. The completed project
should demonstrate a thorough understanding of all assignment prompts. Be creative but most
importantly, be historically accurate.
INSTRUCTIONS
Research:
Use the textbook, library resources, and credible websites to further research. The following
links are available under The Case Study: Build a Roman Town Resources:
Roman Architecture
Essential Humanities: Roman Architecture
Roman Architecture: Elements and Innovations
Design Process and Content:
This assignment is comprised of eleven PowerPoint slides with images and texts.
SLIDE 1 is a town plan accompanied by a general town description of at least 150 words.
Town plan – can be either hand-drawn or computer-generated. The student will not be graded on
their drawing ability, but they must present their own, original plan. Include forum(s), temples,
basilica(s), theaters, amphitheaters, baths, libraries, and residential quarters. You may include
colonnades, walls, gates, aqueducts, sewer systems, roads, etc. The size and spatial relations
should be given special consideration. You can either designate each building directly in the
plan or include a numbered legend. The legend is a small box or table on the plan that explains
the meanings of those numbers. Legends usually appear near the bottom of a plan or around the
outer edges. Please see examples below:
ARTS 201
Page 2 of 2
Town description – choose a name for your town and provide information on its history,
geography, socio-political structure, culture, and religion. Address the following queries: Where
is this town located? What buildings were key to Roman civic life at that time? How were these
buildings arranged about one another and in relation to personal homes?
SLIDE 2 through SLIDE 11 is an annotated PowerPoint presentation with images and
written analyses of ten Roman buildings and town structures. The student will search on the
Internet, download, and paste images of ten Roman buildings and structures (either photographs
or artists’ renderings).
Each slide must include one image and a description of at least 150 words.
Individual slide descriptions – analyze the purposes/use of town structures and explain how
each building contributes to the overall function of a town. What building materials and
technologies were used and why? What is the architectural style of civic vs. private buildings?
Why does style matter? Would the buildings have exterior or interior decorations? If yes, what
would these decorative elements look like?
Dos and Don’ts:
Include the buildings and structures found in the ancient Roman world.
Do not include buildings erected in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and later times.
Provide credits for each image. This information does not count toward the required total
word count.
Total slide count: 11 slides.
Total word count: 1,650 words.
Save this Case Study as a PDF to reduce the file size before uploading your assignment.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool
http://www.slideshare.net/mfresnillo/roman-architecture-398210http://www.slideshare.net/mfresnillo/roman-architecture-398210
https://www.slideshare.net/jainvijaya/roman-architecture-elements-and-innovationshttps://www.slideshare.net/jainvijaya/roman-architecture-elements-and-innovations
http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/architecture/roman/http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/architecture/roman/