Powered by Research Commons at University Libraries. Speaking of Books series features free, open to the community and public talks by UMD faculty authors on their recently published work. Please note that all Fall 2020 events will be held virtually via Zoom. Registrants will receive an event link 24 hours prior to the event.

Join the Research Commons for this exciting discussion with Dr. Joseph Williams, Assistant Professor of Architecture at the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, with introductions by Architecture Librarian Cindy Frank, as he offers a method for studying buildings that, by necessity, adopt hybrid and changing designs. Williams incorporates a variety of digital technologies into his research and teaching, such as digital photogrammetry, parametric 3-D modeling, and GIS mapping.
 

Through careful analysis of the Romanesque cathedral of Molfetta (in Apulia, southern Italy), Williams demonstrates how the commercial boom of the medieval Mediterranean changed the way churches were funded, designed, and built. The young bishopric of Molfetta, emerging in an economy of long-distance trade, competed with much wealthier institutions in its own diocese. Funding for the cathedral was slow and unpredictable. To adapt, the builders designed toward versatility, embracing multi-functionalism, change over time, specialization, and a heterogeneous style.

Joseph Williams is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the School of Architecture, Planning and preservation. Williams holds a PhD. in Art History from Duke University. His research focuses on Romanesque architecture in Southern Italy, with an emphasis on Building process, construction Techniques and pan-Mediterranean exchanges of specialized knowledge.