This introductory text is a visual study of the nature and design of these interior environments. Chapter 5—Indoor Environmental Systems outlines the environmental control systems that must be integrated with a building's structure and the layout of the interior spaces. Their scale, character and composition often tell us something about the nature of the interior spaces that lie between them.
This structural form and geometry in turn influences the dimensions, proportions and layout of the interior spaces within the building volume. They form horizontal layers of space interrupted only by the shafts of the supporting columns. An interior designer must be aware of the character of the interior spaces that each system defines.
It can articulate the edge of a space and reflect the external condition of the construction site. Another is to integrate the shape of built-in furniture and fixtures with the curved boundaries of the space. However, our perception of the scale of a room is influenced not only by the height of the ceiling, but also by its relationship to the width and length of the room.
The scale and treatment of the door itself can also provide visual clues as to the nature of the space we are entering.
Interior Design
The purpose of interior design is therefore the functional improvement, aesthetic enrichment and psychological improvement of the quality of life in interior spaces.
Planning, Layout, and
These physical settings satisfy our basic needs for shelter and protection, set the stage for and influence the form of our activities, nurture our aspirations, express the ideas that accompany our actions, and influence our outlook, mood, and personality. In interior design, selected elements are arranged in three-dimensional patterns according to functional, aesthetic and behavioral guidelines. The relationship between the elements established by these patterns ultimately determines the visual qualities and functional suitability of an interior space and influences how we perceive and use it.
All of these members of the design and construction team should strive to maintain an atmosphere of communication, cooperation, and mutual respect. The ability to define and understand the nature of the design problem is an essential part of the solution. Analysis also involves gathering relevant information that can help us understand the nature of the problem and develop appropriate responses.
New information may develop that may change our perception of the problem and its solution. Successive exploration of the problem and evaluation of alternative solutions should help narrow the choices for design development. While the initial stages of the design process encourage divergent thinking about the problem, the design development stage requires a convergent focus on a specific design solution.
One of the peculiarities of the design process is that it does not always lead simply and inevitably to a single, obvious and correct answer. Regardless of the nature of the interior design problem being addressed, there are several criteria we should be concerned with. These are functional dimensions that vary depending on the nature of the activity and the social situation.
Spatial planning involves efficient and productive use of these spaces, adapting living patterns to architectural patterns of space. Once a design program has been outlined and developed from an analysis of client or user needs, the design task is to allocate the available or desired interior spaces appropriately for the various activities required. Area requirements can be assessed by an analysis of the number of people served, the furnishings and equipment they require, and the nature of the activity to be carried on in each space.
Based on the previous activity and space analyses, one can start to match the space requirements of each activity to the characteristics of the available spaces. Whether accomplished with a pen or pencil on paper or with a computer and graphics or computer-aided design (CAD) software, the graphical representation of design ideas is especially useful in the early stages of the design process. In this case, instead of profiling the section, we emphasize the boundary line of the interior wall surfaces.
All dimensions parallel to any of the three principal axes can be measured and drawn to scale. We must not allow this capacity for precision to limit our exploration in the early stages of the design process.
A Design Vocabulary
Point-generated shapes, such as the circle and the sphere, share this self-centering quality of the point. It is described by the contour of the lines that define the edges of the plane. Other curvilinear lines and shapes can be seen as fragments or combinations of circular shapes.
All other rectangles can be considered versions of the square with the addition of width or length. In a large room, texture can be used to reduce the volume of the room or to define a more intimate area within it. Each color can be expressed by two chromaticity coordinates for hue and saturation, x and y.
By mixing paint pigments and dyes, each of the color properties can be changed. The value of a color can be raised by adding white and lowered by adding black. It can be lowered by mixing gray with the color or by adding its complementary shade to the color.
These properties can be used to diminish the scale of a room or, in an illusory way, shorten one of a room's dimensions. Analogous color schemes use two or more shades from the same quarter of the color wheel. We can judge the scale of a room by the relative size of the interior elements within it.
Unusual scale elements can be used to attract attention or to create and emphasize a focal point. To further strengthen the visual unity of the composition, continuity of line or contour can be established between the elements. It can be centered in space or serve as the center of a symmetrical organization.
In an asymmetrical composition, it can be offset or isolated from other elements. To further increase its visual significance, the element can be oriented to contrast with the usual geometry of the room and other elements in it.
Interior Building Elements
Interior spaces within buildings are defined by the architectural elements of structure and envelope, such as columns, walls, floors and roofs. These elements give a building its shape, cut out a portion of infinite space and set up a pattern of interior spaces. This chapter outlines the most important elements of interior design with which we develop, change and improve these interior spaces and make them livable—.
INTERIOR BUILDING ELEMENTS
When the size and shape requirements of the interior spaces and the activities they accommodate do not correspond well to a rigid structural wall model, a column and beam structural frame can be used. They can also be fixed to columns or load-bearing wall structures, or suspended from the ceiling or roof structure. Steady, precise and symmetrical walls convey a sense of formality that can be greatly enhanced by the use of smooth textures.
Color, texture and pattern can be used to distinguish one wall plane from another and to. As with color, the juxtaposition of textures enhances both the rough and the smooth. The ceiling material can be attached directly to the structural frame or suspended from it. In some cases, the overhead structure can be left exposed to serve as a ceiling.
In a room with a high ceiling, all or part of the ceiling can be lowered to reduce the volume of the room or to separate the area from the room around it. The effect of a suspended ceiling can be created with an open frame or with non-structural elements such as fabric or a series of pendant lights. Light fixtures, air conditioner registers, sprinkler heads and sound systems can be integrated into a grid of modular ceiling tiles or panels.
The ceiling membrane can be fire resistant and provide fire protection for the supporting above-ground structure. Suspended ceiling sections can be treated with acoustic finishes to absorb sound in noisy areas. Ceiling canopies and clouds can be made of fabric, acoustic tiles, metal, translucent plastic or other materials.
Given this fixed dimension, the apparent height of a ceiling can be changed in several ways. The apparent height of a ceiling can be lowered by using a dark, bright color that contrasts with the wall color, or by wearing the ceiling material or trim down the walls. A pyramidal ceiling directs the eye upwards to its peak, a focus that can be further emphasized with an illuminating skylight.
If wall space is at a premium, basement windows and skylights can be considered as alternatives. Frames are not required, and the door can be pushed directly against the wall or partition.
