Teaching Beyond the Curriculum
Abstract
The Pandemic forced design programs across the world into an online learning environment. A reflection on the use of a digital studio environment provides insight into to how to evolve a studio-based interior design education might need to or could evolve by asking some critical questions about the nature of interior design as a discipline. The purpose of this paper is to explore the validity of adopting the architecture model for design education for interior design programs—both in its physical layout and ideology. While there are many similarities between architecture and interior design, they are distinct fields of academic inquiry and practice. Both groups work on designing the built environment, yet in very different ways. Interior design is team-based, client-centered, and empathetic, and the needs of interior design education should reflect this. Many scholars have examined the studio environment as traditionally used in architecture and more recently adopted by interior design education in the North America. (Salama and Attar 2010, Anthony 1987 and 1991, Dutton 1987, Frederickson 1990, Ahrentzen and Anthony 1993 and others). Of particular concern to interior design education is the fact that many of these problems associated with studio instruction impact females and minorities. For example, females perceive the design jury far more negatively than males (Anthony, 1991, 2002 and Frederickson, 1993). Further, interior designers are not a part of the embodied and symbolic power structures traditionally associated with architecture (Stevens, 1998). This researcher hopes that engaging this conversation on an international level can help in finding a viable solution. Interior designers are focused on human well-being. What should a collaborative supportive education space for studio-based education look like?
Lisa M. Tucker, PhD is a Professor and Department Head at Virginia. She is a LEED BD + C and WELL accredited professional. Dr. Tucker is a registered architect and certified interior designer and holds degrees in Architecture and Architectural History from the University of Virginia. Dr. Tucker, honored as the 2016 IIDA Educator of the Year, has been identified by Design Intelligence as a Most Admired Design Educators in 2010, 2017, 2018, and 2019. She received the Nancy McClelland Award, the Polsky Prize (2015) and is an ASID Educator Medalist. She is a Fellow of both ASID and IDEC.