Call for Papers: should be submitted until 15 May 2024
This workshop aims to encourage interdisciplinary discussions and international collaborations that explore the intersection of Architectural History and Legal History. As Architectural History expands towards the cultural history of the built environment, surpassing traditional focus on design and artistic aspects, Legal History encompasses a broader scope than legislated law, including legal institutions, practices, and procedures. By intertwining these fields, this workshop seeks to shed light on the complex relationships between law, society, and architecture – an area of research that remains largely unexplored. Through the examination of legal documents, regulations, and practices, we seek to uncover the hidden legal facts embedded within the built environment, from territories and urban spaces to everyday dwellings. In short, this workshop advocates for the significant informational value of legal aspects, revealing and enhancing our understanding of historical building practices.
Topics to be addressed, covering the medieval and early modern periods and the long nineteenth century as a transitional phase between old and contemporary practices, can include but are not limited to:
- Sources, methods, and concepts • Legal frameworks and institutions
- Legal and architectural actors, gender, and their agency
- Public/private dichotomy in legal and built contexts
- Property rights and their impact on building practices
- Building regulations and their societal concerns
- Enforcement of building/planning rules
- Building permits and building contracts
- Legal disputes between builders or neighbours
- Legal transplants and receptions in different/colonial regions and cultures
Case studies and contributions within the workshop theme from scholars beyond architectural and legal disciplines are very welcome.
Submissions: Paper abstracts of no more than 500 words and a brief biography of 150 words, in English, should be submitted by 15 May 2024 to conform@fcsh.unl.pt, in a word file (.docx or similar).
Notification of acceptance will be made on 30 July 2024.
Venue: The workshop will take place in the conference room of the Archive of the University of Coimbra (Sala D. João III) on 26-27 September 2024.
There is no registration fee, but participants are required to register in advance.
Publication Opportunity: The extended version of the papers from the workshop will be invited for submission to an indexed scientific journal special issue.
More information will be provided in due course. For inquiries and submissions, please contact conform@fcsh.unl.pt