Interior Architecture Students Research Articles

Cooperative Learning in an Interior Architecture Studio

Design studio in interior architecture education is rarely conducted as a group learning activity, despite the benefits of preparing students for team-based industry work environments. Students have learnt to be protective of their design ideas and are not always encouraged to share resources, although theories on social learning indicate a deeper learning experience is achieved through collaboration. The theoretical framework for cooperative learning, as a form of collaboration, is extensive and positively supports the virtues of group work as an effective learning activity. This paper describes an action research cycle of preparation, implementation and reflection of a cooperative learning project with third year interior architecture students. For the purposes of this research, cooperative learning is defined as a structured group work activity, with participants working together towards a series of common objectives. The main objectives were for students to experience a typical interior architecture work environment, to promote deeper learning and foster a culture of sharing ideas and resources.

Neurocognitive responses to spatial design behaviors and tools among interior architecture students: a pilot study

The impact of emotions on human behavior is substantial, and the ability to recognize people's feelings has a wide range of practical applications including education. Here, the methods and tools of education are being calibrated according to the data gained over electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The issue of which design tools would be ideal in the future of interior architecture education, is an uncertain field. It is important to measure the students’ emotional states while using manual and digital design tools to determine the different impacts. Brain-computer interfaces have made it possible to monitor emotional states in a way that is both convenient and economical. In the research of emotion recognition, EEG signals have been employed, and the resulting literature explains basic emotions as well as complicated scenarios that are created from the combination of numerous basic emotions. The objective of this study is to investigate the emotional states and degrees of attachment experienced by interior architecture students while engaging in their design processes. This includes examining the use of 2D or 3D tools, whether manual or digital, and identifying any changes in design tool usage and behaviors that may be influenced by different teaching techniques. Accordingly, the hierarchical clustering which is a technique used in data analysis to group objects into a hierarchical structure of clusters based on their similarities has been conducted.

İç Mekan Estetik Memnuniyetin Karşılaştırılması: İç Mimarlık Birinci Sınıf ve Üst Sınıf Öğrencileri Arasındaki Farklılıklar

The professions of interior architecture necessitate the integration of both aesthetics and functionality. Therefore, these concepts are deeply embedded in the university education process. The first step on this educational path is taking the basic design studio course which aims students to start developing critical and abstract thinking skills in the design process. It would contribute to the literature to examine how far students are able to develop their aesthetic evaluations in the first year of university education. Therefore, we conducted the study to investigate if there is a difference in aesthetic evaluations of interiors between students who have just started their interior architecture education and students who have completed their first year. Examining how students' aesthetic evaluations for interior design evolve over the course of their interior architecture education provides valuable insights into design education. The results illustrated that there is a significant difference between evaluations of aesthetic pleasure and novelty. The students who finished the first year have less aesthetic pleasure and novelty scores than the students who just started their university education. The first year of education may reduce aesthetic appreciation because basic design education aims to teach students to think critically.

Highlighting Community and Identity through an Online Interior Architecture Studio Project: Ambassador’s Residence Project

Within the confines of the COVID-19 pandemic, design educators were required to revisit tried and true ways of teaching and create original ways to connect with their students. In this paper, the aim is to achieve the sense of global interiors community in online teaching regarding teaching methods as well as project topics. Moreover, various means by which an enhanced studio experience may be provided is investigated. The year-long project with a focus on “concept building”, benefited from a variety of approaches and resources that is believed to enrich the overall experience. One of the first aims was to enable a sense of connection and community at a time of detachment. This was achieved in a number of ways; the first step was through requiring students to work in teams of two. The second step was to use the opportunities of online education to the full extent. In this sense, both national and international guests were invited to the studio for lectures and critiques. Lastly, on special days such as the IFI (International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers) World Interiors Day and juries, both national and international guests were invited to the studio to share experiences with students that were shared on international platforms. Through an ambassador’s residence project, second-year interior architecture students were able to experience aspects of their profession in an international environment. An enriched experience both in terms of structure and content was aimed to be achieved and the projects reflected these aims. The selected projects portrayed in the paper answer the requirements in full, are parallel to the context, and reflect the key criteria of the project. A questionnaire was applied to the participating students to gather deeper insight into their studio experience. Limitations include the number of participant students, and thus, further studies may include larger groups of students, national and international comparisons of experiences as well as studio output. Despite the large-scale catastrophe, findings show the benefits of increased online interiors community activity in the experience of the students as well as being reflected positively to their projects. These events have also benefited the instructors’ connection to the studio. Overall, the interior design studio is a dynamic environment that needs constant research into its pedagogy, content, and overall experience, as the educational environment moves swiftly to online direction.

University students' perspectives on Artificial Intelligence

This study explores interior architecture students' perspectives on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and their implications for future career prospects. A survey of 230 third-year interior architecture students in China utilized a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)-based questionnaire, yielding 158 valid responses. The investigation aimed to gauge students' familiarity with recent AI advancements (e.g., ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney) and their readiness to incorporate AI into their future careers. Findings unveiled limited awareness of cutting-edge AI technologies and concerns about AI's impact on employment opportunities. Nonetheless, students exhibited receptiveness to integrating AI for enhanced productivity and creativity. The structural equation modeling verified TAM's efficacy in forecasting students' AI acceptance intentions, highlighting perceived usefulness and ease of use as pivotal factors. The study's insights offer guidance for educational institutions to cultivate emerging technology competence among students, enabling them to excel in a design industry undergoing AI-driven transformations. The study's contribution lies in the application of TAM to evaluate AI acceptance within the distinct domain of interior design education.

Self-Assessment and Learning Outcome Evaluation of Interior Architecture Students Using Flipped Versus Traditional Classroom Education Models

The aim of this present study is to determine the self-evaluation of learning outcomes of students using flipped classroom versus traditional learning education models in the senior year (fourth year) interior architecture students. This research was conducted for one full semester of senior year interior architecture graduate students, which takes 14-weeks of a time period each lasted 6 hr of a week which makes a total of 84 hr for a semester. Two different education models were used for a one-semester course for a total number of 112 students. The students were all informed about flipped and traditional educational models prior to the class selection. The groups were designated by the students’ education model choice. Class A was 57 students who attended to the flipped classroom model and Class B were 55 students who attended to the traditional lecture-based education Both courses have the same credit. The GPA scores of flipped classroom attendees were found to be higher than the traditional class GPA score rates. The student evaluation forms were determined to be better in the flipped classroom. The change of students to using flipped classroom from the traditional method leads to a student-centered education instead of teacher-centered education.

Virtual Reality (VR) - The Effectiveness in Interior Architecture Technical Drafting

Technical drafting knew as drafting in detailed drawing. It is essential for communicating ideas in the industry by using familiar symbols, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles, and page layouts using Virtual Reality (VR). Interior Architecture students spend most of their time creating those physical models or digital models instead of creating and developing ideas. However, lack of research and knowledge on technical drawing is one of the reasons that hard to understand and explore for the beginner level student. This research aims to develop a new interactive virtual reality application that can be used in beginner-level technical drafting. Therefore, this project uses the ADDIE model to develop the application and collect data at the early and final stages. This study concludes that virtual reality applications for technical drafting can guide and become a source of information for students understanding technical drafting and developing space planning in interior architecture.

Spatial Perception and Existential Senses of Being in a Place

With digital technology becoming a dominant lifestyle nowadays, people tend to indulge too much in the virtual experience of a place without actually being there. This excessive digital consumption gives an unreal sense of spatial experience to today's generation. Therefore, this research aims to explore the pattern of spatial perception and existential senses of being in a place from the interior architecture students' perspective. The study employed a qualitative method of 'non-verbal interview' which was retrieved from the students' spatial experience portfolios. This study highlights the importance of seeing and experiencing a place in-situ to truly understand the architecture.

Basic design course through art-based research in interior architecture education

This article presents the basic design course applications based on the design education of first-year interior architecture students. This study aims to emphasize the importance of education in the design-oriented thinking process with practice through the content of the basic design course. Within the scope of the study, art-based research in interior architecture education was carried out and the intersections of its results are described. In the studio, basic design elements and principles were conveyed with the techniques commonly taught in schools and architectural movements were given to students as term papers for research. The study directs the student to create 2D and 3D compositions by combining the studies he/she has done during the term and the research assignment. The findings show that students can reflect on their research on architectural movements to new three-dimensional abstract spaces by combining them with basic design education. While grounding this reflection, design process of the students is based on form and elements without color. The results also show a significant correlation between students’ practices and Gestalt Principles. This article emphasizes the importance of applying basic elements and principles of design and being integrated with field-specific studies to achieve better results in design education. This study is an experimental and original studio product. With the basic design education given only in the first semester, the students were given examples to determine and understand forms and approaches without color knowledge, especially through basic principles, using architectural movements instead of abstract expression.

Student Perceptions Regarding the Blackboard Learning System Applied in Interior Architecture Project Courses During Covid-19

This article describes students' perceptions and satisfaction levels towards the Blackboard application, which they experienced as a learning tool throughout the design studio course they took during the Covid-19 pandemic. By making sketches, transferring ideas, sharing clear images, and accepting criticism in terms of satisfaction with the Blackboard system of instruction, it is attempted to understand the effects of features such as internet connection, technical infrastructure, and trainer. It has been observed that the lower grades of interior architecture students have a higher level of satisfaction with learning interior design through blackboard than the upper grade students.

Spatial design outcomes of indoor soundscaping course as part of interior architecture education

Indoor soundscaping is a multi-disciplinary field that integrates, sound, user experience, and architecture. At its core, it has the potential to redefine any enclosed acoustic environment. It nor solely considers the theories and methods of architectural acoustics or depends only on noise management techniques, yet primarily focus on user, perception, expectation, and experience. Through this perspective, listening to spaces should be an active act of an interior architect; an awareness that should be gained during the early years of architectural education. The elective course with the same name, 'Listening to Spaces' has been offered to interior architecture students since 2015 at Çankaya University, Ankara, Turkey under the Department of Interior Architecture, with the aim of implementing an important additional topic specific course to the present education curriculum of the Department as the course combines architectural, spatial and functional analysis methods from an acoustical perspective, in order to raise awareness on conscious listening of spaces with different functions. The course is conducted through interactive learning bases and the orientation is more research-based than teaching-based, although basic acoustical and soundscape theoretical knowledge is given. Students are expected to accomplish 6 tasks progressively following the cognitive processing dimensions parallel to Bloom's taxonomy. The outcomes of the tasks and the final spatial design proposals has been evaluated and discussed as part of this study to highlight the importance of topic specific course integration to architectural design education.

Design Studio in Case of Emergency: Implications for Future Digitalized Educational Experiences

The unexpected, and extensive emergency situation between 2020-2022 created a test environment that incorporates valuable data for the digitalization of education. Using the data obtained from architecture and interior architecture students, this research focuses on one of the fundamental elements of architectural education, the design studio. Aiming online design studio (ODS) students from three different schools of architecture, this research tries to identify the technical resources utilized, students’ social interactions and mental status, and how these factors and demographic variables effected their ODS evaluations. The findings acquired by both qualitative and quantitative methods, show significant relations between the technical availabilities of the students with their overall satisfaction from the ODS experience, as well as the level of their social interactions, physical, and emotional status. While ease of reaching resources, watching recorded lectures and critics, presenting student projects digitally both for critics and juries, are appearing on the strong side of ODS, technical challenges for digital sketching and social requirement differences marked by student’s year of study (YofS) are observed on the week side. Although the research has substantial limitations, the findings are proposed to be valuable for the future research on developing a digital design studio environment in the future.

Metaphorical Approach in Interior Architecture Education

In this study, the project studio, which is the foundation of interior design education, has been designed using the metaphor method, one of the intellectual methods applied in education. The metaphor method is a technique used to make difficult-to-understand abstract concepts concrete and helps design students develop their critical thinking and creative skills. In this case, design, which is the verbalized form of abstract thought, is limited to an object and the responsibilities brought by this object. From this point of view, an experimental study of metaphorical methods for establishing spatial relations of objects was carried out in a 14-week design studio with the 2nd year students of the Department of Interior Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Selcuk University. The purpose of the studio work is to draw the boundaries of interior architecture students in their search for solutions to design problems, and to enable them to come up with creative designs while making functional and formal decisions. In this context, a metaphorical approach was used in the context of object-space relations to guide students’ formal decisions in the functional solutions of the problems that arise in the interior design process. After working in the studio, the students have developed a working doctrine that will guide their interior design studio projects using the designed method, allow them to create unique forms and shapes, enable them to translate abstract ideas into concrete space and make it possible for them to design at various scales, from equipment to space design. The method is at a level that will set an example for students, designers and academicians working in the design discipline.

On the Interaction Between Shared Design Studios and Interior Architecture Students: A New Spatial Experience with Extended Reality for Supporting Place Attachment

Place attachment is one of the basic psychological needs in the human-space relationship. It is known that the characteristics of the shared design studios have a direct effect on the space adaptation of the user. Place attachment occurs simultaneously with the space adaptation process of the students, therefore these two concepts have a direct relationship with each other. Open and flexible activities in shared design studios reduces the adaptation and working efficiency of the students. It can be said that this situation will cause problems in the sense of belonging to that kind of learning environments. It is known that the user of the shared workspace tends to personalize the studios as a result of the need for belonging in the place adaptation status. The process of the study is trifold; first the concept of shared design studios was examined and researches on the concepts of personalization and belonging were conveyed through literature reviews in order to reveal the interior design students and shared design studio relationship. Then using literature data, a spatial belonging scale was presented to interior design students to determine their place attachment status and augmented reality was used to test the tendency to customize shared studio spaces accordingly. Lastly their affiliation in the hybrid environment and their tendency to personalize the space were analyzed.

The Effect of Three-Dimensional Drawing on Learning Construction Detail Design in Interior Architecture Education

In the construction of the built environment, detailing is an important and inseparable part of the whole construction information. Giving practical construction information to interior architecture students is undoubtedly an important part of interior architecture education. Along with general building information, materials and detailing are included in the curricula of many interior architecture departments to strengthen students’ understanding of interior architecture practice. On the other hand, the detailing solution should be considered as a design-decision model to create design alternatives according to the building elements and material properties. The aim of this study is to show that structural and detailing problems should be considered in a holistic framework with the design in interior architecture education. The sub-purpose of this study is to show that the use of three-dimensional drawing techniques in interior architecture construction-detail education is effective in increasing a student’s ability to notice and learn building details. This study focuses on the use of three-dimensional drawing techniques in interior architecture education and the application-oriented solution of structural and detail problems. As a result, the method of the study suggests some design-decision modeling guidelines that will lead to better detail design-decision solutions for interior architecture students.

Biologically Inspired Design: A Case Study on Furniture Design Experiences of Interior Architecture Students

This study represents the furniture design course outputs of a group of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design Bachelor’s Degree students, working on biologically inspired designs. The aim of the study is to put forward an alternative inspiration-transformation-design process by briefly touching the notion of biomimicry; and by this means to raise the awareness of biological inspiration sources in furniture design. Study reveals the conceptual and final product design suggestions of 38 senior class students. Two essential processes were followed in the study; solution-driven design process and problem-driven design process. Findings showed that there have been some common features and differences between these two processes, in terms of finding the starting point and approaching the final design decisions. In both processes, it was seen that the last steps -principle application- involved a particular process, compared to the other steps in each process. Research and analysis based actions, seen in initial steps, gave place to sketching, design development and the usage of professional notions in the final steps. It can also be said that in both processes, the first steps involved the preparation stages regarding the design inputs, whereas in final steps a transform of information regarding the design output can be observed. These two linear processes were thought to be connected with two essential methods; inductive method and deductive method. Within this scope, 38 design ideas were put forward and suggestions were made regarding the processes.

EVALUATING THE ROLE OF PINTEREST IN EDUCATION AND THE PROFESSION OF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

The number of social media platforms that influence interior architects are increasing and Pinterest is one of these instruments. Parallel to the increased use of Pinterest among designers and students, there is concern about pros and cons of this platform for education and profession of interior architecture. This study aimed to understand if interior architecture instructors, students and professional are engaged with Pinterest and how they evaluate the role of this platform for the profession and education of interior architecture. Accordingly, this study offers a theoretical framework that would underline the opportunities and threats of using Pinterest as a designer. In this scope, data was collected from 225 students, 30 instructors and 50 interior architects. Comparing the findings showed that while most of the students and instructors find Pinterest useful for education of interior architecture, the number of interior architects who believed Pinterest presented disadvantages for the profession of interior architecture were higher that those who found Pinterest useful. Results claim that educating both students and instructors about the dynamic role of the social media in transferring the teaching materials, collaborative learning and efficient academic interaction could enhance the integration of online media development and education. Findings from this study contribute to the existing literature on the role of social media on design-oriented education and professions. Keywords: Pinterest, interior architecture education, interior architecture profession, design, research

Applying FABRIC as a Tool to Understanding Architectural and Landscape Icons in a Time of Travel Restrictions

Iconic architecture and landscape architecture are most often understood through photographic media that mediates between the idea and the reality for those learning to design. The drastic lockdown responses to COVID-19 and the limitations on local and international travel highlighted the importance of the visual and the potential of the virtual. However, visual media can also be understood as systems that go far beyond a strict representation of an object. In this climate where publicity, politics, and perception play ever more crucial roles, representations of iconic architecture and landscapes increasingly blur the boundaries between the imaginary and the tangible. This paper examines the experience of iconic architecture and landscape in four iconic European cities (Paris, Barcelona, Seville, and Lisbon) as seen through the eyes of fifty postgraduate architecture, interior architecture, and landscape architecture students from New Zealand. It compares their understanding of a building or landscape from its photographic image before engaging with the physical reality. Students were asked to first identify iconic architecture and landscape, then closely analyze and document the essential qualities which established its pre-eminence. A subsequent visit to each of the places provided the opportunity for comparison and the testing of the realities and fictions of the icons themselves. Our research finds that today’s architecture students are savvy and sophisticated consumers of technology. It also presents FABRIC (finding, assimilating, being, reflecting, introspecting, and concluding), a conceptual framework that offers additional scaffolding for educating design students through experiential learning in a time of travel restrictions.

Re-narrated Stories: A Reflection on Narrative Learning in a First Year Design Studio

This paper explores the implementation of narrative learning in first-year architectural design studios and how it can amplify the making, communicating and reflecting aspects of the study. In particular, this paper examines the estrangement technique, which enables an objective view of a story and its telling. The technique allows the students to detach an existing narrative from its context to be analysed, and then recontextualise it. We focus on the main studio project for the first-semester architecture and interior architecture students in Universitas Indonesia as the context of this study. This paper analyses their process, final outputs, and feedback to see the lesson learned from their perspective. The study suggests that learning narrative framework in architectural design studio supports the students to think systematically. In the end, estrangement technique provides the students with a way to retain some aspects of a narrative while playing with others, producing a fresh view on telling stories through enhancing their ambiguity and interaction between design author and their audience.

CHANGING PERCEPTION OF HOUSING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: EVALUATIONS OF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS

Aim: Pandemics have posed a threat to people and affected life throughout history. This study focuses on the experiences of the third and fourth year students of the Department of Interior Architecture and the common use area stakeholders regarding the pre-Covid-19 pandemic and the pandemic process. The aim of the study is to observe whether the future designers' awareness of the changing spatial usage priorities of the house, the spatial problems that arise at different scales, and their professional sensitivities and predictions for the future of housing design. Method: Online face-to-face interviews were conducted with 25 participants selected from among the third and fourth year students of Eskişehir Technical University, Istanbul Technical University, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Marmara University and Hacettepe University Interior Architecture Departments. Case study, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. All data collected through interviews and sketches were evaluated with descriptive analysis and five themes were created. Findings: In line with the opinions of the participants, it was understood that they saw the house as a "home" or "shelter" to which they were attached with a sense of belonging and trust. In addition, it has been observed that they need to reconsider the elements that affect the housing design and the relations with the immediate environment in a different way. Conclusion: It was concluded that the awareness of the interior architecture students, who are the designers of the future, about the changing spatial relations in the house, the spatial problems that emerged during the pandemic process, and their professional sensitivities and predictions for the future of housing design.