IN-PERSON MADRID FOCUS ON PEDAGOGY. SECTION A

Abstract

Interior Systems Theory, a new framework for interiors, introduces a discipline-specific model for understanding interiors as dynamic, adaptive, and relational systems. Developed through years of teaching prefabricated and systems-based interior design studios, the theory both emerges from pedagogy and now actively shapes it. The research asks how Interior Systems Theory can advance Interior Design discourse by positioning interiors as complex environments shaped by feedback, user engagement, and place-making. Although Interior Design scholarship has grown, the field still lacks a cohesive theoretical framework tailored to its practices. Synthesizing insights from General Systems Theory, Cybernetics, Emotional Design theory, and Topophilia, Interior Systems Theory reframes interiors as interconnected and evolving assemblies of spatial, material, technological, and social components. Concepts such as emergence, feedback, affect, and place attachment help position interiors as responsive and user-centered environments. The framework was developed and tested pedagogically through studios in which students designed trains, COVID-era modular dining shelters, and wearable interiors. These studios applied systems concepts across multiple scales, enabling students to explore modularity, adaptability, and user-driven place-making. Through iterative prototyping and critique, the theory evolved in response to teaching observations and student outcomes, demonstrating its effectiveness as both a conceptual and pedagogical tool. Findings show that Interior Systems Theory strengthens the discipline by providing a clear structure for linking theory with design inquiry. It equips students to engage complexity, sustainability, and relational modes of design, while contributing a needed theoretical foundation that advances Interior Design’s disciplinary identity.