Reflective essay- Interior Architecture and design by Bukola Bankole

RESEARCH IN-THROUGH CREATIVE PRACTICE A BRIEF LOOK AT HOW THE TWO DISCIPLINES OF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN INTERSECT, AND HOW TO BEST APPROACH THEM AS STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS

RESEARCH METHODS OLABISI OLUBUKOLA BANKOLE 12398034 MA INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN, UK , 2015

CONTENT I. II. III. IV. V. VI.

INTRODUCTION DEFINITION INTERIOR DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN VS INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE ARCHITECTURE IN DESIGN CONCLUSION

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INTRODUCTION Although the original spatial hierarchy of a building is always established by its first architect, subsequent iterations of the interior may not be, and for obvious reasons, older structures are often modified by designers of a different generation according to society’s changing needs as our cities evolve.

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Historically, the separation of the design of a building from the design of its interior started as a result of speculative building, the shift from corporate ownership to leasing and the need for interior renovation of viable building shells. More importantly, as times are changing, building interiors are becoming more complex and therefore require both expertise and specialisation in professional services. This trend toward specialisation continues, and is evidenced by the arrival of disciplines that continue to fragment expertise of architectural and design services such as: garden design which has evolved to landscape design cum landscape architecture , and most recently called external architecture. Museum and exhibition designers have also carved a niche for themselves.

Nowhere is this more clearly an issue than with the concept of ‘Interior Architecture’. One field of endeavour where we deliberate over territorial claims at the border of ‘insideness’ and ‘outsideness’. There is an increasingly evolving cross pollination of the role of the architect and the Interior Designer; a niche that has created a hybrid, the Interior Architectural Designer.

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This paper is not about the existence of the profession, but rather, it is it’s ownership that is being challenged. Which practices should have jurisdiction? What should they be called? The market share at stake insures that both legal and ideological battles will continue. The question is whether or not we as interior architecture and design students might share an understanding of these underlying concepts. Unfortunately, most of the debates and discourses fail to advance the dialogue or to suggest new models for collaborative practice that can advance the collective profession. So where do we go from here?

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DEFINITION

dIAmeter head office, one of the pioneering Interior Architecture firms in America

Interior Architecture is the design of a space which has been created by structural boundaries and the human interaction within these boundaries. It can also be the initial design and plan for use, then later redesign to accommodate a changed purpose, or a significantly revised design for adaptive reuse of the building shell. The latter is often part of sustainable architecture practices, conserving resources through "recycling" a structure by adaptive redesign.

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Interior architecture is the process through which the interiors of buildings are designed, concerned with all aspects of the human uses of structural spaces, it can also be referred to as the spatial art of environmental design, form and practice.

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE IS THE DESIGN OF AN INTERIOR THROUGH ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSIONS.

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INTERIOR DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE Architects continue to argue that the design of interior space falls under their jurisdiction; that the architect is qualified by education and experience to design the interior; and that they’ve always had this responsibility. These architect believe architecture is incomplete without interior design, but also interior design should be under the scope of the architect’s work, they see no need for interior designers. Similarly, one practicing architects, in his blog claimed that anything short of design-build project is leaving the work halfway.

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An Architecture student’s representation of Architecture

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“..We don't finish it, and finishing matters. I did a residence recently, right from the concept, orientation, design, to electrical, plumbing, HVAC (with consultants), I did everything. But interior wasn't in my scope and given to the interior dept. in my office. They decided the type of paint, flooring, grill design, false ceiling and many stuff. I wasn't happy with the end result, I wanted to do it myself.”

An Interior Architecture student’s representation of Architecture

As a response to architect like him, interior design was brought out of the back room, allowed to prosper and blossom , not as a division or subset of a larger practise, but a stand-alone design profession––This was the birth of Interior architecture. In this context, architects started to practice professional architectural design from the inside out as interior architects. Contrary to this, It is worth knowing that architectural education has not evolved relatively to architectural practice, likely given its longer history and somewhat more entrenched position. These conversation inevitably lead one to wonder if interior designers really do take work away from Architects’ and vice versa, because it is apparent that architects do like to take control of their projects from concept to completion and interior designers likewise.

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WEAR HOUSE by YSY HAUS An example of architecture where Architects have designed the outside to create a distinct interior architecture.

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INTERIOR DESIGN VS INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE The war-of-words is mild, but it does feel like a divide exists not only outside the discipline but also within the discipline. The architect has a clearly defined role and can very much own the project, the designer on the other hand can at times feel like his poor relative, brought into the project as an afterthought ‘to add a bit of colour’. A blogger likened this relationship to the Class System; the architect (upper class), interior designer (middle class), interior decorator (lower class).

Two Ronnies image of the Class System

I don’t think this is the case but I’m not sure this is the universal opinion within the industry, but of course, it is a real sticking point. We are all creative, we are all visionaries and are all offering a different level of design detail from macro to micro . Why then do we have to feel like we need to debate the issue?‘Interior architectural designers’ are the ones really stuck somewhere in the middle.

I for one feel the cross over of my creative practise into the discipline of architecture but to the outside world I always have to state that I am not an interior decorator. When asked, I usually reply the question by asking : is a draughtsman an architect? Is a general practitioner a dentist? Or can a truck driver automatically drive a motorcycle?In this same way, architecture and interior design are both connected but distinct.

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Perhaps the issue lies with the definition of services that an ‘interior designer’ can offer.

For example, I am a designer, I can offer the residential soft furnishings as this is something that is self taught throughout the years. I have a B.SC degree in real estate and a diploma in interior design ,but I am now concentrating on interior architecture and I have been taught by architects. I studied for 7 years and covered everything from history of architecture, to the psychology of design, but I do not call myself an interior architect due to the legal implications. I do not have the level of knowledge to design complete buildings but I do call myself an interior architectural designer and work on design teams with architect, I respect their knowledge and know I can complement their scheme and offer my expertise to enhance the function, safety, and aesthetics of interior spaces.

In line with this, I read a discussion on an american architectural forum, which argues this very matter. It was interesting to read comments from architect, Interior designers and Interior decorators. There is one very good point from one designer;

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“Well, I think that there is no such thing as an “interior architect” and the term actually denigrates interior design. (Are there “exterior architect”?) What’s wrong with being an Interior Designer to the fullest extent of the definition? I had an educator tell me that they used the “Interior Architecture.” term to attract males to the program that didn’t want to be labeled as an interior designer. That’s a sad commentary on the image of our profession”

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Here is my take, I am an interior designer, I do not want to be an architect, but I would like to be recognised for my specialty that compliments architecture, and so I feel that the term “Interior architectural design” better defines my scope of work.

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Nonetheless, the definition of interior designer is so diverse and any individual can give themselves the title, especially those individuals who turn their hand to it as they enjoy it as a hobby. Slowly but surely we will gain the same recognition as other professions in the building industry and yes, we may be more pigeon-holed into either the interior designer or interior architectural designer as defined roles, but I live in hope that my title will one day carry the gravity and prestige it fully deserves.

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INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE IN DESIGN !

In many other disciplines, design has evolved from the production of stuff into a wider, more diffuse set of activities. The focus on the object as the thing that design produces has been pulled so that a whole other range of activities come into view. In part this is due to the rise of digital products, but it is also the design of information, systems, forms of innovation and the power of ideas like “design thinking", which applies a design approach to all manner of things that used to be outside the scope of design. Almost anything from money to healthcare to the functioning of democracy can now be framed as a design problem. Therefore, a designer can also design space, and spatial qualities including exhibition space, galleries, outdoor events, and architecture.

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The real motivations for design's contemporary mutations are not stylistic, they are not unprincipled either, they come from changes in the way the world works. Therefore, new forms of creative design practice have adapted faster to their circumstances; faster at least than architecture and property, two industries with the turning circle of a supertanker.

Similarly, advertising agencies and design consultancies are increasingly converging because the distance between traditional roles of designer, manufacturer and consumer has shrunk, often occurring within the same space, within different components of the same design project. However instead of evolving with the temporality and situation of design process , architects and of course creatives in many other areas of design remain hung up on what they perceive to be their rightful role and their moral purpose.

In our case, designing interior space has become more than “interior architecture� which implies just the structural and architectural components of a space. Interior design will need to evolve into so much more than that. In other words, in parts of what we might loosely describe as the design world, the very idea of what design is and what a designer might do is evolving at a rapid pace.

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Marina + beach Towers Dubai by Oppenheim Architecture and design

Examples of building design that takes a creative design approach to architecture in a contemporary context and places emphasis on excellence in design and innovation.

Roca Showroom, London by Zaha Hadid Architects

Flower building Prospect Place London by Frank Gehry

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When I look at designers such as Phillipe starck or an architect as Zaha Hadid, this issue of labels , titles and names suddenly become trivial. Is it not possible to just be a ‘designer’? At least some designers work in mixed discipline studios, on a variety of projects and still describe themselves as “designer”, certainly not a graphic designer or interior designer, whether they study in one or as none specifically, yet they work in these disciplines. To them, the label of ‘designer’ is enough.

On the other hand, people are busy disputing over territories and boundaries more than they actually produce designs., we could literarily start another debate just by mentioning freelancer or design consultant.

In order not to loose focus of what is important, the task of any contemporary designer should be to incorporate all these diverse forms of media, operations, and systems into something coherent, something appealing, something users want. Using design as a tool, till it becomes a kind of glue between a huge range of scales and services and substances.

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In other words, design should be a link between interior architecture and exterior architecture and not interior architecture being a link between design and architecture. What I mean is that Interior architecture and architecture are physical , but also the place where investment, communications, marketing and media all come together, where these issues congeal into built form.

As a form of good practice, interior design should be the link that embeds ideas and ethics within the built environment, a practice that can develop the services, processes and programmes alongside physical things. It could position itself as the place where building design, engineering, planning, sales and marketing come together.

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Finally, separating ourselves from our design roots into traditional architectural principles will only defuse our potential to engage in the very real politics, vision and social possibility of design. It is in the interweaving of these concerns where we create value (social as well as economic). This is where design meets architecture.

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CONCLUSION I started this MA with the intention of mixing and collaborating with architecture students, and perhaps watching how they apply architectural principles and theories to their designs, but instead, we were plunged in the monday morning research class with other design studios. To an extent this was a bit deflating at first, but in some way, it has shifted my focus from the ’silo mentalities’ and boundaries of interior design and architecture and helped me reflect on my creative practise as an individual. What makes me tick, what makes me unique and valuable as a designer, as well as what I share in common with other designers.

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As we continued to explore the verticality of our various discourses, I have realised that we have more in common than I imagined. On the other hand, our differences has helped me to reflect on interior design’s uniqueness, aspects that should perhaps be reinforced. Interior design has the potential to provide for a complementary view of the world and address issues faced by designers of both the built environment and other disciplines.

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My take is that, if architecture already creates buildings and it's resulting spaces, perhaps interior design should step back from the act of recreating the physical aspects of architectural interiors as its ultimate fulfilment. But instead focus on designing spatial qualities, experience; emotions, and narratives. This will provide a deeper, more significant vision of how people live, work and play and how places can become economically and socially meaningful and sustainable in the long term for the people who live in them.

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In my design project, I chose to work on immersive design and experiential architecture

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found myself in an ironic situation where I had to become less architectural and more all embracing. I applied the concept of “syn-aestetics” in contemporary immersive performance to the design of a live-work studio in interior design.

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Therefore, instead of creating boundaries within the interior space (mediating position between the body) I placed the boundaries within the space (literarily merging the boundaries and immersing them in one another), allowing the body (users) to experience space as a whole (throughout the body), rather than in parts. Doing this created a seamless multi-functional and flexible living and working space for the artists in residence.

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In the same vein, interior design might have to model itself on more youthful and vigorous forms of creative practice. It might have to (or better, want to) learn from communications agencies, from advertising, from digital and interaction design and from research and innovation experts , serving as sociology experts of the construction industry.

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Rather than selling out, we need to escape from the shrinking professional limitations and create a wider definition of interior design. By doing this, we might find ways to strongly argue for the absolute necessity of interior design to architects, clients, the public and to society at large.

2529 words

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Brown, Tim. (2014) Design Thinking Thoughts: The Career Choice Nobody Tells You About .Accessed November 27, 2014. http://designthinking.ideo.com/?p=1412. Accessed 2nd of December, 2014 DEZEEN (2014) "Architecture might have to become less architectural �http://www.dezeen.com/2014/01/16/ opinion-sam-jacob-how-architecture-can-regain-social-significance/ accessed 20th January , 2015 DIAmeter (2014) The Early Years Leading to IA Interior Architects. http://www.interiorarchitects.com/blog/theearly-years-leading-to-ia-interior- Accessed 24th January, 2014 DIAmeter (2014) Establishing IA: Vision and Values. http://www.interiorarchitects.com/blog/establishing-iainterior-architects- Accessed 24th January, 2014 Faculty Of Architecture And Design, Victoria University Of Wellington, New Zealand (2015) : Interior Architecture Course Overview http://www.victoria.ac.nz/fad/study/subjects/itda#overview accessed 20th January , 2015 Frederick, M (2007) 101 Things I Learned In Architecture School. Original from the University of Virginia MIT Press.

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John Weigand. (2013) Design Intelligence. Interior Design and Architecture. http://www.di.net/articles/interiordesign-and-architecture/ Accessed November 27, 2014 Lawson, G and Franz, J and Adkins, B (2005) Rhetoric of landscape architecture and interior design discourses: preparation for cross-disciplinary practice. IDEA Journal: pp. 41-49.

Mind Share (2012) Jack of Trades: How Cross-Disciplinary Skills Enhance Creativity. Accessed November 27, 2014 Silvia, P. J., Kaufman, J. C., & Pretz, J. E. (in press). Is creativity domain-specific? Latent class models of creative accomplishments and creative self-descriptions. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.

Siriporn Kobnithikulwong (2010) Thai Creativity In Interior Design: A Cross-Cultural Examination Of Practitioner Evaluations On Creative Dimensions In Entry-Level Portfolios. Pdf

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