Integrative Design Classes for Environmental Sustainability of Interior Architectural Design

Abstract

The paper considers the adjustments of the interior architectural design education model toward its compliance with the principles of sustainability, since the currently provided scheme does not effectively employ the sustainability multi-dimensional concept as a substantial determinant of interior architectural design. The conventional interior architectural design curriculum requires corrections, to provide students with systematized knowledge on sustainability issues, as well as appropriate abilities and skills to create buildings’ interior spaces with high environmental performance. The modifications are considered using the example of a curriculum realized within the Faculty of Interior Design affiliated with the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. These improvements of the curriculum structure comprise the establishment of a compulsory course on environmentally sustainable interior architectural design, offering to the undergraduate students comprehensive theoretical knowledge on the multi-dimensional aspects of sustainability and the introduction of professional design tools, including simplified versions of multi-criterial environmental evaluation systems, as a supportive educational means, as well as learning tools comprising interdisciplinary environmental-responsibility-oriented design workshops or seminars led by green building consultants and professionals involved in practicing sustainable interior design. This paper discusses the innovative concept of integrative design classes (IDC), realized within the practical modules of courses on Building Construction and Environmentally Sustainable Architectural Design, both delivered to undergraduate interior design students. The paper analyses these integrative design classes as a supportive project-based learning technique to develop the students’ ability to accomplish sustainable design strategies for resource efficiency, waste management effectiveness, optimization of indoor environment quality parameters as well as pro-environmental education. The results of the conducted integrative design classes proved that they are a driver for developing technically and formally innovative designs, allowing the students to establish a link between theoretical knowledge on sustainability in interior design and its practical implementation.

Investigating Possibilities of Developing Self-Directed Learning in Architecture Students Using Design Thinking

“…Several researchers [18][19][20][21][22] have identified specific skills necessary for successful and sustainable design across engineering disciplines and architecture, and these skills include the ability to (a) tolerate ambiguity through a divergent-convergent thinking process, (b) think in terms of a bigger picture, (c) handle uncertainty, (d) make decisions, (e) think as part of a team in a social process, and (f) think and communicate in several languages of design. It was also found that architecture students with a developed ability for design thinking to solve architecture problems were more likely to take it as a challenge to collect the users' input during the problem-solving process and the solutions they generated from the users' concerns and needs were more diverse, more imaginative, and more feasible [7,14]. It could be interesting to explore the ways of architecture design articulation, towards SDGs.…”

“…Designers cope with the probability of solution or design realisation when the rule is set, while result and example are very often subject to a trade-off in an extensive decision-making process. This points to a higher level of student motivation, productivity, and engagement if they want to address complex design tasks, and shapes innovative behaviour needed for sustainable architecture [14]. An affective commitment and intrinsic motivation can be the key to success in the design-based activities of architecture students.…”

“…Figure 2 also reveals that students have marked shortcomings. Ability for risk taking is not yet well developed, which points to a lack of design subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and technological pedagogical content knowledge, as also argued by [14,62]. Moreover, it is very necessary for innovation learning, and it might be that translation of cognitive and affective empathy at design thinking into conative (inclination for action) had not been realised yet [56].…”

“…Moreover, learning as a cyclic process can be done through acquisition, inquiry, discussion, collaboration, practice, and production [11], which aligns perfectly with the design thinking process developed by Stanford university [12]. Design science as a teaching approach to architecture education is already being employed, framed in the phases of conceive, design, implement and operate, which significantly improves student skills for collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving, and affects the reflective processes in students [5][6][7][13][14][15]. Design thinking is an approach to solving some of the most complex, open-ended, and ill-defined problems in the real world [16].…”

“…Design in the second Bologna cycle involves more creativity and the use of different techniques and methods of creative thinking to increase effectiveness of design for innovation learning [46]. Moreover, teachers of design subject matter are struggling to integrate SDGs in their curriculum or in the projects they run with students in different areas to provide sustainable architecture design [6,14]. A complex and systemic manner of SDGs' integration into the architectural design curriculum can offer students "(1) a platform to build up the buildings' occupants' awareness of the impact of their behavioural attitudes and habits on the natural environment, as well as on the building's environmental performance; (2) a model for shaping components recognized as determinants of the buildings' users' environmentally responsible conduct; (3) a learning tool to gain the ability to implement creative, innovative, and evidence-based sustainability issues into design projects" [14] (p. 16).…”