Barriers to the practice of sustainable interior architecture and design for interior renovations: A Parsimonious-Cybernetic Fuzzy AHP approach

Abstract

While the notion of sustainability has long been a major concern in the built environment, the practice of sustainable interior architecture and design still falls short. This study aimed to identify and analyse barriers to the practice of sustainable interior architecture and design. To this end, after identifying 30 potential obstacles through a review of literature, a two-round Enhanced Fuzzy Delphi Method involving 13 qualified experts was employed resulting in the exclusion of 10, and the addition of one new barrier. To prioritise the remaining, a novel Parsimonious Cybernetic Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process was introduced, significantly reducing the number of pairwise comparisons and eliminating the need for a complicated AHP questionnaire. Results showed the highest prioritised barriers are: (1) lack of sufficient sustainability modules in the education of interior architects/designers, (2) designers' lack of experience and technical understanding, (3) lack of codes, regulations and specific legal frameworks designed for different types of projects, (4) lack of interest from the client, and (5) designers’ lack of training. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for professional interior architects/designers, educators, statutory authorities, governments, and policymakers. Considering the dearth of existing literature on this topic, the present study fills this gap by providing a comprehensive list of barriers to sustainable interior architecture and design, establishes the groundwork for future research to build upon, and introduces a novel P-CFAHP that has not been employed before.