Larry Speck

Architecture And Society

On the first day of Architecture and Society, you said that architecture was your drug and you wanted to get all of us hooked on it too. I’m hooked. I took your class because someone told me it was an interesting fine arts elective. I knew nothing about architecture and now I cannot go anywhere without noticing my surroundings…
– Amanda M.

You opened my eyes to how buildings really affect our lives and society as a whole and for that I thank you.
– Jessica E.

Uniquely interesting individual and an excellent communicator. I currently work in the field of architectural design part-time and I can tell you, most architects are not very good communicators. They typically keep to themselves and are more introverted. However, Larry is a very interesting person with a load of experience in architecture, world cultures, sociology, etc.. Nearly all the pictures he shows in lecture are ones that he took, and it really shines through that he knows what he’s talking about when he lectures. My one favorites part about taking his class was that he teaches you how to appreciate architecture of all kinds, not just one particular period or style of buildings, but really teaches that there is beauty and art in architecture that we see everyday. The course is very well organized and logically easy to follow, in terms of the buildings that you study as you progress through the semester. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in architecture, design or construction. If I could, I would take it again just to listen to his lectures.

Drawbacks? His tests are not easy and take some studying and really getting to the heart of the subject matter he talks about in class.
-Anonymous- Corporate Communications Major

Great professor. He is a cool guy and knows how to make some slightly boring material interesting. For example, a student fell asleep during a lecture and he walked over next to him, pointed and simply asked, ‘Am I really this boring? Really?!”. Everyone laughed- he is definitely not boring.
– Anonymous

There is a reason why his class is very popular. Though it is not an easy A, if you love architecture or want something different, this course is for you………Sometimes it can be difficult to stay awake during his slides of buildings. His voice is like a soft lullaby and he uses very dramatic words. Sit in the front! YOU MUST read the three books.
– Anonymous- History Major

I just want to let you know that I really enjoyed your lectures and even though it was one of my harder classes it was definitely one I enjoyed attending. The reason I am writing is that although the class is over I feel like I learned so much and I will use the things I learned in your class……..I never thought I would ever hear about any of the buildings or architects or stories you would tell in your lectures outside of class and I came to find that fortunately I was wrong. Thank you so much for making me a well rounded person and I know I am no architecture expert, but your class was a great learning experience. Once again thank you so much.
– A. Benitez

….no attendance policy per se, but you really can’t miss any lectures. He records lectures and posts them online but since when did you sit and listen to a 90 minute class at home? The material really makes a lot more sense while you’re listening to Professor Speck show it to you and it builds on itself, so you really can’t afford to miss class ever.
– Lindsey

Great Professor!!! Probably one of the best professors I’ve ever had.
– Anonymous

Your class did not simply transform aspiring architects; it also encouraged non-architects to value and support the profession. My sister Kathleen, a Plan II/Advertising graduate, took the class in 2000. Though she did not transfer into architecture (having other, more passionate, interests), she now looks back on the class as the best she took at the University. When I asked her why, she said the subject matter was presented in a clear, interesting way, one that made her appreciate my field and made her think about her surroundings. Like I began to do after taking the class, Kathleen now evaluates spaces she inhabits with a more critical eye and is better equipped to understand modern building in a historical context. Kathleen said something else that struck me: when she took notes in that class, she did so to remember the ideas Professor Speck presented for herself, and not for the exam. That attitude is rare among students- and it stems from Professor Speck’s impressive ability to teach.
– Sarah G.

I was a student in your Architecture and Society course and I don’t doubt that it was the course I enjoyed the most and learned the most from during my time at UT- the William Whyte film intrigued me to say the least and now I’m studying for a Masters in Urban Planning at Columbia!
– Danielle T.

…..may I add that today’s lecture was fantastic. I’ve been in art history for two years now and have never attended a lecture that exhilarating.
– Victor B.

He’s like a user-friendly missionary.
– David H.

…..Ever year I would get this unending stream of students stopping in my office who were so excited by what they were learning in Larry’s class, that now they were certain they were going to be architects and therefore they had to be admitted to the School of Architecture.
– David H.

….you are definitely the coolest professor on campus- period. It is because of people like you that the world is a better place.
– Benjamin C.

This class was definitely one of my favorites at UT thus far and has been one of the classes to teach me the most about any sort of topic so far. Thanks for the great class.
– Ben

….This course is probably the best introductory architecture class in the country. It seems impossible, but even in such a large class, he changes the lives of his students. I know of numerous instances where students have gone on to accomplish extraordinary work and they have credited Larry’s class with their inspiration. In one such instance a student of this amazing class was inspired to design a highway viaduct in a new way while working as an intern in the state highway department. That significant piece of work became the most widely published piece of road in the country and he has gone on to be one of the best-known highway designers in the country. Few faculty can handle a class this large with elegance and effectiveness….
– Andrew V.

….I want to tell you that I really enjoy your class. I really do. You facilitate such creative thought in me and it’s rare that a professor cares enough to put forth such energy into his presentation and discussion. In the reading about Hamilton, there was one line that struck me as applicable to you—“I have never discovered in another (so much) matter to captivate the understanding and manner to charm the heart.” You have this energy and passion for design that is inspiring, and it is extremely admirable in a professor. I’m hoping to be a professor someday and I hope I can bring my ‘A-game’ like you do to every class. I don’t really know how to explain it but I really appreciate how you lecture with an honest voice. You aren’t there to sugar coat your lectures/discussion ideas, and you just give us your honest thoughts as they are, and that is truly appreciated.
– Vicki C.

Creative Problem Solving

At the start of the semester, I remember you mentioning that you wanted us all to live and breathe this class, and I didn’t quite understand what you meant at the start, but as these last couple classes have come and gone, I find myself thinking about what we discuss in class, in my everyday life, and I bring it up in conversation with friends too. This class engages some part of my brain that’s been asleep for much too long and I’m quite appreciative of that.
– Vicki C.

The class was incredibly inspiring. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I have a whole new outlook on life……
– Anonymous

The course was really well organized and the instructor really encouraged me to participate and apply the ideas of the class to real-life issues. The discussion in class was extremely conducive to understanding the material in depth. The assignments, think sheets and the project kept everyone thinking about the class and constantly involved.
– Anonymous

This course changed my entire plan. I found the material extremely personalized and both Professor Speck, and the teaching assistants made me feel valued.
– Anonymous

Really enjoyed the readings. One of the few classes in which I looked forward to the homework.
– Anonymous

Larry is amazing. He has pushed us to analyze all of these pivotal figures in our society. Speck’s intensity and love for teaching is inspiring, and this class has become my favorite.
– Anonymous

I really enjoyed this class because I was challenged to think differently. Larry not only taught us valuable information, he inspired us to live meaningful, creative lives.
– Anonymous

This class was so beneficial and interesting as well as challenging. I loved every minute of it.
– Anonymous

This has been one of the most interesting classes I have taken. The interest taken in the students is amazing and the lectures were always interesting. I feel I’ve grown hugely as a person since taking this class.
– Anonymous

What an incredible experience to be in Creative Problem Solving with Professor Speck. I hesitantly signed up for this class not knowing much about the UGS requirement. Within the first few minutes on the first day of class I was blown away. Already! This class has fulfilled every detail of what it means to be a significant course in my time as a college student. It has challenged me many a time. My writing and the content has been relentlessly critiqued. Both TA’s were extremely helpful. I do not have enough room to continue to praise the excellence that is Larry Speck, his vision for life….this course all the way down to his choice of TA’s.
– Anonymous