It’s a question I get asked a lot, not only by random friends but also some people within creative industries…

The fact that someone can be involved in two sides of the same industry for some reason confuses a lot of people but in fairness the term is relatively new and likelihood is when looking for jobs you will rarely come across the term ‘Interior Architectural Designer’… It’s just not a thing. But in terms of the job description and what you are involved with on a daily basis that is exactly what you are doing.

Interior Architecture and Design gives you the opportunity to be involved in the wider process when working on a construction project. It allows you to have an insight into technical and visual aesthetics.

When I was at uni the course concept was the idea of:

‘Bridging the gap between Architecture and Interior Design…’

Ultimately meaning that there should be correlation between the exterior and interior.

The main thing that I want to get across with Interior Architecture and Design is that by understanding the technical side of architecture it means that creative yet practical spaces can be designed. You can have influence over walls that need to be adjusted to the floor finished to the cushion on the armchair. It is a vast subject.

With the board overview of this subject it means that many people after graduating can specialise or focus on different areas and within a range of sectors.

Some sectors include:

• Retail

• Food & Beverage

• Workplace

• Public

• Commercial

• Residential

Another point is that as an Interior Architect you are designing not only for aesthetics… You are designing to consider:

• Human experience

• Human journey

• Flow through space

• Natural and Artificial lighting

• So that everything you change/introduce to a building has a reason/connection

The basics for this is if you can have an understanding for the technical side and who you are designing for it will aid you overall, especially with how you can redesign an existing building for a new purpose. This is probably the primary focus for a lot of people in this field no matter what sector they are in.

If you are interested in knowing more about Interior Architecture and Design got to All About IAD to see more posts like this or just pop me an email - ask away!