MA Interior Architecture

The module introduces definitions, issues, aspirations, and experience of ‘space’ in modern times. You'll choose a specific interior space, and provide an historical and critical assessment of its design and experiential qualities, in relation to contextual and cultural conditions.

The module aims to broaden and enhance students’ awareness of spatial environments as effective social spaces, Lectures in related fields provide a multidisciplinary approach and focus on spatial conditions for the advancement of social and cultural cohesion. You'll have the opportunity to develop a critical and self-reflective practice by compiling a social strategy for design.

The module give students the opportunity to develop appropriate strategies and methodologies for exploring materiality, fabrication, construction, and environmental performance – in order to determine meaningful design propositions based around the body inhabitation of space. The focus is on learning from precedents and applying knowledge to specific design propositions.

The module focuses on a new design concept that describes multi-functional structures that operate at an intermediary scale between furniture and architecture. These flexible structures have the ability to augment and transform habitable and working spaces, and to influence and broaden conventional patterns of use by creating innovative environments. A series of research and design briefs will analyse furnitectures from a variety of contexts, to define the design requirements necessary for specific end-users and functional purpose.

The module provides the opportunity to understand the primary functions and working dynamics of interior architecture in the wider field of practice, including developing design strategies, and addressing social and functional requirements in response to requirements emerging from the analysis of existing building conditions, and viable strategies for alternatives. You'll practice a range of methodologies for contextual design, to articulate an individual research and design report at professional level standard, in response to design briefs.

This module advances students' knowledge and understanding of research methods available to urban designers, planners and architects. It engages with a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods and provides a forum for debate about research as well as giving students the opportunity to gain practical research skills. General research strategies are complemented by a focus on urban design specific research techniques based on current practice. Through employing live case study research undertaken within the School, students' abilities to evaluate research and the role of research are developed.

The MA Interior Architecture Dissertation is the synthesis of critical approaches and writing techniques acquired in the master, applied to a sustained individual design research related to a specific social space within its cultural and physical context. Students are expected to produce the final dissertation by combining images and text to support their arguments to the highest possible standards of written and visual presentation.