INTERIOR DESIGN. THE EXPERIENCE OF SPACE
ELISAVA TEMES DE DISSENY , Issue 30
January 2015
With space, no longer within article by Nicole Koltick
Editorial:
Issue number 30 of ELISAVA Temes de Disseny proposes we rethink the meaning of de- signing space in the twenty-first centur y and consider which new elements should be introduced in design projects, regardless of which field they may come from (habitat, retail, contract, etc.). This rethinking process produces three basic approaches that are explored more or less intensely in all the articles. On the one hand, a consideration of space itself as an element with symbolic and representative values able to reflect a certain tradition, culture or the creativity of a specific author, and the potential of transforming and improving our surroundings. Secondly, a study of the links between interior design, space and society focusing on the uses and functions derived from these, which must be met by elements of spatial design (flexibility, serialisation, concretion, typology, models, etc.) that will respond to the demands of the new circumstances and new local and global needs. Thirdly, an attention to the implication of new technologies and materials in the configuration of space, in a field that is constantly growing in complexity and increasingly welcoming new agents from other spheres of creativity and knowledge.
Consequently, the various articles can be classified in three large thematic areas.
In the first of these, Jacqueline Power examines the importance of the discipline of interior design from a conceptual and philosophical approach, and proposes a rigorous definition of the term as it is understood and explored in the discipline of interior architecture. The author reflects on space as a determining factor in the relationship between people and their surroundings, and considers the values of representation, occupation and well-being in her appraisal of interiority, understood as a previous mental construct that may be independent of the actual creation of spaces.
In his article, Ramon Faura questions the relationship between authors and their designs and examines the values that the marks of authorship leave on built spaces. Resorting to a series of historical and contemporary examples, his text traces the link between creative subjects, external determining factors and design tools, and proposes we reappraise the meaning of the actual concept of auteur design.
From the standpoint of his professional practice, Dani Freixes offers us his personal out- look on interior design, a field in which his own work is compelling. The text is written in a direct manner with sentences that are like aphorisms, and the author relates his personal experience with the new challenges and even with the difficulties surrounding spatial design today. Freixes concludes his article by suggesting possible lines of action and recommenda- tions for future professionals based on the need to look at their surroundings with a critical eye, and on doubt as a virtue in the creative process.
In a second area, the article by Pepa Casado introduces the social context in which our reflection unfolds. Spatial design cannot be conceived without bearing in mind its users. So, as the concept of family changes, cities grow and lifestyles are transformed, what we demand from space and products has also changed. In this sense, the author presents an interesting classification of new family models, their different needs and preferences that consequently lead to different forms of living. These new social structures pave the way for greater experimentation in design, thus giving rise to proposals that are more open and adapted to creative ways of understanding house and home outside of official channels and the market.
Ricardo Guasch, Txatxo Sabater and Àlex Malapeira discuss the mutation of the family entity, the new effectiveness in the workplace and the lack of available economic resources as reasons for conceiving reversible, adaptable and co-participated habitable structures. This text suggests indeterminacy, complementation, appropriation and non-hierarchisation as design mechanisms that can help solve the design of interior space—in the sphere of the home and the workplace—overcoming traditional functionalist conceptions. Starting from a look at the anthropocentric definition of space and the behaviour of its users, the possibili- ties of solving the design of interior space are multiplied and generate much more interest- ing designs. Furthermore, the article relates this vision to research and teaching, providing pertinent examples of design projects developed on ELISAVA masters’ courses.
Jada Schumacher and Nicole Koltick describe the ways in which technolog y can enter our homes. Schumacher reveals how the appearance of lit interior wall surfaces enables us to think of a new and more flexible way of lighting interior spaces. The influence of light in our daily surroundings is undeniable, and the fact that interior lighting today no longer depends on traditional lighting products opens up a range of solutions in which new technologies, especially LEDs, can provide new ‘decorative’ attributes.
Researcher Nicole Koltick presents a number of experimental projects set up by Design Futures Lab that explore new ways of interacting with space. Thanks to technologically complex equipment and the support of other disciplines such as microbiolog y, the projects appeal to human’s elementary sensory nature and offer new possibilities of relating to built space, possibilities that are more intricate and intense than those that are merely formal.
The last two articles prove how the subjects dealt with in the previous areas can lead to concrete design examples in two fields that are flourishing in today’s society: urban design and retail. Elena Montanari highlights the development over recent decades of an experi- mental approach to the design of urban space such as squares, streets and parks, which improves their quality as ‘inhabited places’. The transformation of traditional practices, in- struments, technologies and materials historically related to the design of public spaces, and their links to artistic languages, their integration with non-architectural media and the introduction of interdisciplinary strategies are all contextualised in the dynamic evolution of European cities and are represented by their most prominent or promising trends, in order to promote the spatial experience of contemporary urban rooms. A direct parallel is thus established between interior design and the design of ‘habitable’ urban space.
Finally, the article by Rut Martín suggests a new approach to the design of consumer space. Focusing particularly on the swift evolution of consumer and technology models, the contemporary shopping experience is analysed in terms of users, goods and environments and the author discusses the need to find a sustainable strateg y for the design of all commercial space, a strategy that does not only focus on economic aspects but also introduces respect for cultural context, production processes, society and the environment.
As mentioned, at a time when new technologies and new social contexts seem to be de- manding new answers to interior design problems, this issue of ELISAVA Temes de Disseny proposes we return to design as a way of integrating complexity and connecting individuals to their surroundings in order to transform and improve their spatial experience.
ELISAVA TEMES DE DISSENY , Issue 30
January 2015
With space, no longer within article by Nicole Koltick
Editorial:
Issue number 30 of ELISAVA Temes de Disseny proposes we rethink the meaning of de- signing space in the twenty-first centur y and consider which new elements should be introduced in design projects, regardless of which field they may come from (habitat, retail, contract, etc.). This rethinking process produces three basic approaches that are explored more or less intensely in all the articles. On the one hand, a consideration of space itself as an element with symbolic and representative values able to reflect a certain tradition, culture or the creativity of a specific author, and the potential of transforming and improving our surroundings. Secondly, a study of the links between interior design, space and society focusing on the uses and functions derived from these, which must be met by elements of spatial design (flexibility, serialisation, concretion, typology, models, etc.) that will respond to the demands of the new circumstances and new local and global needs. Thirdly, an attention to the implication of new technologies and materials in the configuration of space, in a field that is constantly growing in complexity and increasingly welcoming new agents from other spheres of creativity and knowledge.
Consequently, the various articles can be classified in three large thematic areas.
In the first of these, Jacqueline Power examines the importance of the discipline of interior design from a conceptual and philosophical approach, and proposes a rigorous definition of the term as it is understood and explored in the discipline of interior architecture. The author reflects on space as a determining factor in the relationship between people and their surroundings, and considers the values of representation, occupation and well-being in her appraisal of interiority, understood as a previous mental construct that may be independent of the actual creation of spaces.
In his article, Ramon Faura questions the relationship between authors and their designs and examines the values that the marks of authorship leave on built spaces. Resorting to a series of historical and contemporary examples, his text traces the link between creative subjects, external determining factors and design tools, and proposes we reappraise the meaning of the actual concept of auteur design.
From the standpoint of his professional practice, Dani Freixes offers us his personal out- look on interior design, a field in which his own work is compelling. The text is written in a direct manner with sentences that are like aphorisms, and the author relates his personal experience with the new challenges and even with the difficulties surrounding spatial design today. Freixes concludes his article by suggesting possible lines of action and recommenda- tions for future professionals based on the need to look at their surroundings with a critical eye, and on doubt as a virtue in the creative process.
In a second area, the article by Pepa Casado introduces the social context in which our reflection unfolds. Spatial design cannot be conceived without bearing in mind its users. So, as the concept of family changes, cities grow and lifestyles are transformed, what we demand from space and products has also changed. In this sense, the author presents an interesting classification of new family models, their different needs and preferences that consequently lead to different forms of living. These new social structures pave the way for greater experimentation in design, thus giving rise to proposals that are more open and adapted to creative ways of understanding house and home outside of official channels and the market.
Ricardo Guasch, Txatxo Sabater and Àlex Malapeira discuss the mutation of the family entity, the new effectiveness in the workplace and the lack of available economic resources as reasons for conceiving reversible, adaptable and co-participated habitable structures. This text suggests indeterminacy, complementation, appropriation and non-hierarchisation as design mechanisms that can help solve the design of interior space—in the sphere of the home and the workplace—overcoming traditional functionalist conceptions. Starting from a look at the anthropocentric definition of space and the behaviour of its users, the possibili- ties of solving the design of interior space are multiplied and generate much more interest- ing designs. Furthermore, the article relates this vision to research and teaching, providing pertinent examples of design projects developed on ELISAVA masters’ courses.
Jada Schumacher and Nicole Koltick describe the ways in which technolog y can enter our homes. Schumacher reveals how the appearance of lit interior wall surfaces enables us to think of a new and more flexible way of lighting interior spaces. The influence of light in our daily surroundings is undeniable, and the fact that interior lighting today no longer depends on traditional lighting products opens up a range of solutions in which new technologies, especially LEDs, can provide new ‘decorative’ attributes.
Researcher Nicole Koltick presents a number of experimental projects set up by Design Futures Lab that explore new ways of interacting with space. Thanks to technologically complex equipment and the support of other disciplines such as microbiolog y, the projects appeal to human’s elementary sensory nature and offer new possibilities of relating to built space, possibilities that are more intricate and intense than those that are merely formal.
The last two articles prove how the subjects dealt with in the previous areas can lead to concrete design examples in two fields that are flourishing in today’s society: urban design and retail. Elena Montanari highlights the development over recent decades of an experi- mental approach to the design of urban space such as squares, streets and parks, which improves their quality as ‘inhabited places’. The transformation of traditional practices, in- struments, technologies and materials historically related to the design of public spaces, and their links to artistic languages, their integration with non-architectural media and the introduction of interdisciplinary strategies are all contextualised in the dynamic evolution of European cities and are represented by their most prominent or promising trends, in order to promote the spatial experience of contemporary urban rooms. A direct parallel is thus established between interior design and the design of ‘habitable’ urban space.
Finally, the article by Rut Martín suggests a new approach to the design of consumer space. Focusing particularly on the swift evolution of consumer and technology models, the contemporary shopping experience is analysed in terms of users, goods and environments and the author discusses the need to find a sustainable strateg y for the design of all commercial space, a strategy that does not only focus on economic aspects but also introduces respect for cultural context, production processes, society and the environment.
As mentioned, at a time when new technologies and new social contexts seem to be de- manding new answers to interior design problems, this issue of ELISAVA Temes de Disseny proposes we return to design as a way of integrating complexity and connecting individuals to their surroundings in order to transform and improve their spatial experience.