Human experience is shaped by the built environment. This course introduce students to the interrelated fields of architecture, art history, and engineering and explores great architectural monuments from the ancient to the modern period, from India across the Mediterranean and Europe to the US. The focus will be on understanding these works in their structure and function, both as products of individual ingenuity and reflections of Zeitgeist. Questioning these monuments from a present-day perspective across the cultures will be an important ingredient, as will be podium discussions, guest lectures, excursions, and all kinds of visualizations, from digital walk-throughs to practical design exercises.