Undergraduate Course: Interior Theory: Design Context (ARCH10066)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course explores the relationship between theory, thinking and interior design practice. It seeks to consolidate and further develop prior understanding of critical design theory relevant to this specialist and related disciplines, allowing students to discuss, analyse, reflect and critique current design agendas, to enable them to position their own design practice. Students will develop and pursue lines of enquiry, synthesising ideas and concepts through a rigorous research process. |
| Course description |
The Interior Theory: Design Context course explores how theory, research and practice combine as an intellectual approach to a design position. Students will interrogate the specialism through their own lens appropriate to a specific theme, to engage with both past context and current thinking in the field.
The course will support students to develop an individual research topic aligned with their studio practice, presented as an illustrated piece of academic writing and visual presentation.
In the first part of this course (weeks 1-5) students will develop their own research theme supported and scaffolded by a weekly series of 1hr lectures and workshops focussed on research methods, ethics, and academic writing skills. During weeks 6-11, the teaching and learning format will centre around small group seminars and tutorials to deliver peer-learning opportunities and dedicated individual support by staff. Students will advance all work alongside taught sessions in self-led personal investigations.
This mix of learning activities will equip students to rigorously analyse research findings and synthesise knowledge carefully, to produce a coherently argued, considerate, and reflective body of work which responds to appropriate issues relevant to interior design. The course will engage students to develop research, writing and communication skills to presented to a professional standard.
Course delivery will consist of a variety of teaching and learning sessions to include both academic support and peer led discussion, as students practice autonomy and personal responsibility. Students will progress their coursework throughout by developing and conducting their own research investigations, data gathering, and evaluation during and between classes.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | This Course does not require any additional costs to be met by the Student. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 35 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 5,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 7,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 4,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
177 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
This course has 2 assessment components.
1) Visual Essay, 4000 words, 80%, Sem 1 Exam Diet, assessed against all three Learning Outcomes.
2) Pre-Recorded Presentation (audio & visual digital upload), 5 minutes, 20%, Sem 1 Exam Diet, assessed against Learning Outcomes 1 and 2. This should include key images, edited synopsis, and reflection on process and findings.
Students will receive further resit information as per University regulations where necessary. |
| Feedback |
Formative Feedback
Throughout the semester, students will receive informal verbal feedback of work in progress from peers and staff at regular intervals during planned learning activities.
A single formative review point will provide interim written feedback and feedforward from course tutor(s) within 10 working days of upload, on:
Essay draft plan - to include, contents page, chapter drafts (1500-words) & bibliography, submitted as digital upload, due sem 1, week 7/8
Written feedback to the essay draft plan will provide students with detailed feedback and clear direction to support the continued development of the visual essay (80%), and guidance on the presentation component (20%). Students will receive 1-1 verbal feedback/feedforward after the formative review with an action plan on the structure, content, and presentation of both components, as well as signposting to further research and reading resources.
Summative Feedback:
Written feedback and grades will be provided for summative submission by course tutor(s).
summative digital submission, submitted in sem 1 exam diet.
Summative feedback will be provided according to University regulations.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Communicate a personal approach to interior design practice through analysis of a wide range of research resources.
- Critically evaluate how interior design practice relates to wider philosophical, ethical, social, environmental, historical and/or contemporary debate.
- Produce an appropriately illustrated and referenced piece of academic writing to a professional standard
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Reading List
Brooker, Graeme, Harris, Harriet, Walker, Kevin. Interior Futures. Crucible Press. London, 2019
Blaxter, Loraine, Hughes Christina & Tight, Malcolm. How to Research. Buckingham, Open University Press, 2001
Grand, Simon & Wolfgang Jonas. Mapping Design Research. Birkhauser, 2012
Hollis, Edward & Stone, Sally. Inside Information: The Defining Concepts of Interior Design. RIBA Publishing, 2022
Taylor, Mark & Preston, Julianna. Intimus: Interior Design Theory Reader. John Wiley & Sons, 2006
Vaux, Dana & Wang, David. Research Methods for Interior Design: Applying Interiority. Routledge, 2021 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and enquiry: By conducting research into a specialist defined topic using a wide range of resources, you will learn to generate critically informed responses to your research, thinking, and practice.
Personal and intellectual autonomy: You will develop your mindset in response to wider cultural, ethical and social agendas within the design domain through analysis and structured argument to arrive at a personal position linked to both theory and studio practice.
Communication: By presenting thoughtful and reflective research, articulated, synthesised and collated to a professional standard, you will develop enhanced skills in oral, visual and written form to become a more effective communicator. |
| Keywords | Interior Design Theory,Critical Analysis,Spatial Thinking,Defining Concepts,Design Research Met |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Gina Olsson
Tel:
Email: gina.leith@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Daniel Jackson
Tel: (0131 6)50 2309
Email: Daniel.Jackson@ed.ac.uk |
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