Interior Design Students’ Attitudes towards Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the attitudes of students towards environmental sustainability. To identify their level of concern for the environment and the impact of the academic year on their attitudes towards environmental sustainability, a quantitative approach was adopted using a cross-sectional survey. A questionnaire was distributed to (N = 78) interior design students at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah. Interior design students responded to a three-part survey including demographic characteristics, ecology and environmental sustainability, and comments. The results revealed that students' level of interest in the environment was moderate and that their attitudes were generally positive and moderately pro-environmental. In general, there was understanding and awareness among students regarding the problems related to nature as well as a lack of accuracy of the information they obtained. Although the results also showed students' understanding of the use of sustainable products and solutions in interior design scenarios, there was a clear lack of actual uses of these products and solutions in student projects, and there was a gap between what students said about what they were doing in their project and what they actually applied in their design projects. Finally, the results indicated that the attitudes and perceptions of the students surveyed regarding environmental sustainability did not actually depend on the specialization variable or the level of the study. Through a deeper application of the fundamentals of responsible design, it is shown that enthusiastic and conscientious students can be guided towards environmental sustainability and achieve exciting results. The results of this study will help to raise awareness of interior design educators about students' attitudes towards environmental sustainability. The results also illustrate the importance of following the application of sustainability requirements in interior design projects and of not limiting student exposure.