Dwelling: Dwelling: A lived A lived interior interior Interior is Interior a crucial is aaspect crucialof aspect dwelling of dwelling becausebecause it is where it isthe where inhabitation the inhabitation occurs. The occurs. The understanding understanding of the interior of the here interior is more here is than more justthan the just presence the presence of spaceoflocated space located within the within architectural the architectural boundaries. boundaries. While the While interior the is interior often isrepresented often represented as the as the inside space, inside for space, the inhabitants for the inhabitants of an interior, of an interior, the interior the is interior the “lived” is thespace, “lived” not space, not merely represented merely represented or conceived or conceived (Lefebvre, (Lefebvre, 2011). The 2011). ideaThe of dwelling idea of dwelling as a lived as a lived interior suggests interior suggests how thehow dwelling the dwelling performsperforms to accommodate to accommodate the everyday the everyday living living practice practice of its inhabitants. of its inhabitants. From the From perspective the perspective of dwelling of dwelling as a lived as interior, a lived interior, the the spaces of spaces the dwelling of the dwelling is produced is produced not solely not bysolely the designers; by the designers; space isspace produced is produced and and reproduced reproduced over time over by the timeacts by the of the acts users of the while users inhabiting while inhabiting the space. the space. The making The making of the interior of the interior is the materialisation is the materialisation of the domestic of the domestic living practice. living practice. Baudrillard Baudrillard (1996) suggested (1996) suggested the idea the of “man idea of the“man interior the designer” interior designer” (p. 26) to(p.reflect 26) to reflect on the on active the role active of role the dwellers of the dwellers in dominating, in dominating, controlling controlling and ordering and ordering their their environment. environment. The interior Theisinterior understood is understood as the system as the of system objects of that objects is the that product is the product of of the inhabitants’ the inhabitants’ acts in organising acts in organising the objects the of objects their surroundings, of their surroundings, attaching attaching values, values, meanings meanings and identity and identity to the environment. to the environment. CoupledCoupled with thewith ideathe of idea “manofof“man of relationship relationship and atmosphere”, and atmosphere”, Baudrillard Baudrillard further indicated further indicated that interior that operates interior operates “not “not only between only between the objects the that objects comprise that comprise it but also it but between also between the human thebeings humanwho beings live who live in it” (p.in43). it” (p. Therefore, 43). Therefore, the dwelling the dwelling interior is interior understood is understood as the resultant as the resultant of the of the orderingordering process process performed performed by the dwellers, by the dwellers, while at while the same at thetime same becoming time becoming the the setting that setting provides that provides the relationship the relationship and atmosphere and atmosphere for the dwellers. for the dwellers. As a lived Asinterior, a lived dwelling interior, dwelling becomes becomes a site ofadomestic site of domestic practice practice that involves that involves various various aspects aspects of spatialofoccupation. spatial occupation. For the inhabitants, For the inhabitants, a dwelling a dwelling is a site for is aan site individual for an individual self, as he self, moves as heinmoves between in between the private theand private public anddomain public domain of the world, of theand world, moves and moves along the along past,the thepast, present, the present, and the and future; the“From future;this “From arisethis thearise phantasmagorias the phantasmagorias of of the interior--which, the interior--which, for the private for the man, private represents man, represents the universe. the universe. In the interior, In the interior, he he brings together brings together the far away the far and away the and longthe ago” long (Benjamin, ago” (Benjamin, 2002, p.2002, 6). The p. dwelling 6). The dwelling containscontains the temporal the temporal dynamicdynamic that is part thatofisthe part inhabitants’ of the inhabitants’ life--as alife--as dynamic a dynamic site of site of past traces, pastcurrent traces, events, currentas events, well as asthe wellfuture as thevision. future vision. The understanding The understanding of the dwelling of the dwelling basicallybasically requiresrequires the comprehension the comprehension of the of the inhabitants’ inhabitants’ spatial stories. spatial stories. DwellingDwelling containscontains the narratives the narratives of everyday of everyday life, as the life, as the “territory“territory where the where basicthe gestures basic gestures of ‘waysofof‘ways operating’ of operating’ are deployed are deployed and repeated and repeated from dayfrom to day” day(Certeau to day” (Certeau et al., 1998, et al., p. 1998, 145). Interiors p. 145). Interiors lived by the livedinhabitants by the inhabitants are the are the interiorsinteriors which contain which contain spatial stories, spatial in stories, whichinvarious which various operations operations are established are established (Certeau,(Certeau, 1984), manifested 1984), manifested through through various aspects various aspects of the domestic of the domestic environment. environment. The stories Theare stories full of aresecrets, full of secrets, manoeuvres manoeuvres and strategies, and strategies, conflictsconflicts and negotiation, and negotiation, which are which usually are usually known known only byonly the by inhabitants. the inhabitants. Therefore Therefore the process the process of of materialising materialising the dwelling the dwelling as the lived as the interior lived should interior begin shouldwith begin understanding with understanding the the inhabitation inhabitation stories from stories thefrom dwellers’ the dwellers’ perspective. perspective.
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