Architects design the body of a building… Interior designers, the soul…

The importance of an interior designer to a building project cannot be over emphasized. While architects design a building structure as a whole, they rely on consultants like the structural/MEP engineers and surveyors who are specialists in their various disciplines to help in this process. Architects require broad knowledge of all aspects of design and construction to be effective as professionals, it is virtually impossible for them to be experts in all that is involved in the complicated building enterprise. Especially in the aspect of finishes and specification Hence the need to collaborate with interior designers who have mastered this. The medical profession can serve as a model for how we might rethink the relationship between architecture and interior design. (A pediatrician and brain surgeon possess very different types of knowledge, but both are doctors”).

One of the most overlooked aspect of a building design is the interior. Contrary to popular opinion, Interior design is not about making things look pretty, or decorating. Neither is it expensive or a luxury. It is mostly the improvement of a space through not only aesthetics but also functionality and productivity. Interior design is the process of shaping the experience of an interior space, through the manipulation of spatial volume as well as surface treatment, it draws on aspects of environmental psychology, architecture, and product design in addition to traditional decoration. Interior designers select materials and finishes, specify furniture, fixtures, and equipment,  confirm that the spaces meet all public health safety and welfare requirements, including code, accessibility, environmental and sustainability guidelines etc.

The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright was so worried that his clients would select inappropriate interior finishes and furnishings that he would often design the furniture, fabrics, light fixtures, and occasionally even the tableware for his client’s homes. Mr. Wright was an extremist in this sense, but his intention was to see his designs achieve their greatest potential by being adorned with quality, tasteful fixtures and furnishings. Most interior designers can help achieve this objective with less zealous design autonomy and more input from the Architect/Client. They refine interior spaces to the highest level of comfort and aesthetic quality.

In recent years, the popularity of Interior design has gradually opened up a niche for specialization. More importantly, an increasing complexity associated with the building interior in workplace, healthcare, institutional and other types of environments require an increase expertise and an increase level of specialization in professional services. This trend toward specialization continues, as evidenced by design firms having Interior design focused departments for their projects, however, working with a dedicated and specialized interior design studio will guarantee success because of their broad projects portfolio, experience, expertise and skill set related to sustainable interior materials, ergonomics, design for multiple populations, workplace design, facilities management, interior lighting, acoustics and other aspects of the built environment focused at the interior scale.

A good example is the case of SAOTA and ARRCC of South Africa. ARRCC is an interior design studio that was established by SAOTA to focus on the interiors of their projects which has developed into a strong and independent brand that has formed a solid foundation for expanding the range of projects globally.

Clients are demanding now more than ever interior design proposals of their projects right from the conceptual stage of the design process; they want to know not just how their projects will look on the outside but the user experience while carrying out various activities within the spaces of the building. Involving an interior designer in the initial meeting with Clients means that all parties involved are looking at the project as a team with a cohesive goal in mind, this eliminates wastes and reduces errors and unnecessary delay. It gives the client an idea of the finished product and how much it will cost as well as enables them to make up their minds on certain aspects of the building design that they would normally not have decided on at the initial stage. Collaborative practice advances the collective professional goals of design professionals.

City dwellers can testify to the discomfort they experience in spaces they live and work in. A good number of the buildings we occupy in big cities are not purpose built for what they are used for and without proper adaptive redesign (modifications and alterations) of the building before remodeling, it is hard to achieve maximum user satisfaction. The Interior designer is sensitive not only to the place of the building in its physical and socio-political context, but to the temporal requirements of changing owners and users.

In summary, we live a changing world where we have to approach new problems with creative solutions. If we understand that the goal of design is to make our world better, We have to work for the emergence of a common core of design knowledge and a design methodology of problem solving geared toward analytical (problem definition) and outcome processes (problem solving) connected to human and environmental needs. Architecture, interior architecture and interior design are now subsets together with graphic, industrial, landscape design, etc. of an activity focused to solving problems for individuals and their collective societies to house, enhance, and prepare for a better future.