General Introduction
Th e Handbook of Interior Architecture and Design outlines an international survey of
ideas and current research being undertaken within this discipline. Th is book presents a
series of essays in a canon of dynamic and original work, representing current thoughts
in a subject that has grown substantially in size and importance in the fi rst part of
the twenty-fi rst century. Th e emergence of a signifi cant body of research in this subject
can be connected to two factors: the importance of interiors in relation to the enduring
themes of contemporary society, and the changing perception of the subject
within the hierarchy of creative disciplines. Social engagement in the form of human
well-being and various forms of spatial occupation, ecologies of sustainability and the
issues surrounding the environment, and the domestic realm and the relationships between
public and private spaces in the city are all enduring themes that, along with
the histories, theories, and pedagogies of the subject, form the central concerns of this
discipline.
Historically the subject of interiors has been perceived as a marginal pursuit, mostly
vocational in bias and lacking intellectual gravitas. It has often been misunderstood as
a subject that appeared unscholarly and intellectually unsubstantiated. Th is was a view
that was propagated mostly in the early twentieth century. It was a position that proliferated
during the early stages of modernity when the realm of the interior was professionally
integrated into the built environment and was no longer considered a distinct
and unique entity. It is an opinion that has endured, quite often because of the alleged
unprofessional and unregulated status of the designer in some parts of the world, and
has persisted due to misogyny: an issue that, as some authors rightly point out in their
chapters in this book, was due to the gender of its early protagonists
a full range of social, economic, and political issues, the practice of the creation of
the interior can be considered to be a process that creates a space that is central to all
human existence. Th e interior can be understood as the result of a complex weave of
values, issues, and spatial formations; these can be both physical and mental structures.
Th e interior can be perceived as an entity that is shaped by its use, its politics, its gender,
and its history, and by many other real or unreal constructs. Th erefore, the discipline
of interior architecture and design can be considered to be substantial and expansive,
primarily because of the many areas it can aff ect and engage with. Th is handbook presents
texts examining these areas, produced by a range of scholars drawn from the fi elds
of education, practice, theory, and journalism. It aims to substantiate the discipline
through intellectual inquiry into the various strands of the subject and to demonstrate
the relevance and importance of the interior realm not only to its users but also to
contemporary social life.
Each chapter in the handbook provides a concise overview of a signifi cant theme
related to the interior. Th ey encompass a vast and diverse range of issues in education,
research, and practice. Th ey span ideas as complex and diverse as human behavior,
anthropology, cultural geography, history, taste, ageing, building reuse, the status of the
designer, and technology. Because of its diversity the interior is often used as a vehicle
for researchers and practitioners to gain insight into social issues such as patterns of consumption,
gender, identity, and politics, much of which is done through the analysis of
inhabited space. It is also a multidisciplinary practice that overlaps with architecture,
fashion, furniture, exhibition design, graphics, and installation art. Multiplicity is at
the heart of the identity of interior architecture and design. Th e chapters within this
handbook off er a signifi cant insight into the discipline at this time of its emergence. Th e
Handbook of Interior Architecture and Design is a refl ection of the discipline, a summary
of its current activities, and a review of the fi eld of research in order to aff ord interested
parties a better understanding of its past, its present, and its future trajectories.
STRUCTURE
Th e book has been organized into three main chapters. Each contains subsections that
seek to expand on the chapter headings. Whichever topic is being explored and whatever
ideas, theories, and exemplars are being utilized, almost all of the chapters contain an
emphasis that is about a sense of living and making the inhabitants’ space their own—a
fundamental dimension of the understanding of the interior realm.
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The Handbook of Interior Architecture and Design brings together the latest research by leading international scholars and practitioners in the dynamic fields of interior architecture and interior design, while also offering an evolution of the disciplines.
The Handbook of Interior Architecture and Design offers a compelling collection of original essays that seek to examine the shifting role of interior architecture and interior design, and their importance and meaning within the contemporary world.
Interior architecture and interior design are disciplines that span a complexity of ideas, ranging from human behaviour and anthropology to history and the technology of the future. Approaches to designing the interior are in a constant state of flux, reflecting and adapting to the changing systems of history, culture and politics. It is this process that allows interior design to be used as evidence for identifying patterns of consumption, gender, identity and social issues.
The Handbook of Interior Architecture and Design provides a pioneering overview of the ideas and arrangements within the two disciplines that make them such important platforms from which to study the way humans interact with the space around them.
Covering a wide range of thought and research, the book enables the reader to investigate fully the changing face of interior architecture and interior design, while offering questions about their future trajectory.
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