Art and Space

The duo “Art and Space” looks very easy to understand: art interacts with spaces, uses spaces or simply fills spaces. However, starting from this simple consideration, what this chapter would like to propose is a reflection about a kind of art that creates spaces and places instead, expanding the discussion about the interdisciplinary approach of artists to creation. Considering the works of some artist that have made the intervention on spaces one of their prerogatives, the research would like to focus on the new connections that arise between the artist and the public through these creations. The imagery of Yayoi Kusama, Tomas Saraceno, Anish Kapoor, Cristina Iglesias, Carsten Nicolai, Rudolf Stingel, among others, allows a different perception and fruition, most of time asking to the spectator itself to be an active part in the work of art.

Improving Interior-Design Decision-Making in Daylit Spaces

Case study represents a principle methodology when an in-depth investigation is needed. It can be an alternative to traditional approaches to emphasize the researcher's perspective as central to the process. In an effort to allow for tool application purposefully selected architects and decision-makers were encouraged to apply a new decision-support tool; which that aims at enhancing decision-making though visual comfort evaluation. A selected case study space was used for application: a daylit museum located in Washington DC Metropolitan was examined for visual discomfort problems. Since museums are typically carefully lit because of the sensitivity of exhibits, this case study evaluated the daylighting condition in a museum using a series of illuminance field measurements, simulations and views experienced by occupants along a circulation path through the space. The case study also aimed at understanding how small design changes can affect visual comfort as a tactic for the case studies. A collaborative design effort was used in different stages of the case study.

The Anthropocene Style

Our study for a new Anthropocene style is to re-evaluate the domestic space today, to rethink their decorative style to meet the new thermal regulations and to invent the architectural language of the interior in the era of the Anthropocene. The ambition is to offer a new style in the History of Decorative Arts after the Regency Style, Louis XV style, the Empire style or Louis Philippe Style among others, to invent the Anthropocene style of today. Using elegant, innovative, discounting art of interior design and decoration to meet the contemporary challenges in sustainable development, reduction of energy and greenhouse gas emissions. Redrawing the lines, patterns and geometry of walls, ceiling, floors, woodwork, moldings according to the optical behavior of the solar rays to multiply natural sunlight, to reduce conduction of excessive heat accumulated on the ceiling, to increase the coefficient of thermal insulation of walls and impede cold bridges. Rethinking the intelligence of materials to choose the material basing on specific physical behavior such as optical, thermal, acoustic absorption or reflection, porosity or proofing to water vapor, air, their factor of conductivity or diffusivity. Rethinking materials in terms of its colors, textures with physical value, choosing innovative and non-toxic materials as interior materials, to reflect infrared, absorb the other wavelengths, let them go elsewhere, while at the same time they reflect the shorter wavelengths of white light or absorb to enjoy even their heat.

Design and Restoration

This study uses a design based approach which is focused on the human dimension in all its complexity to give value not only to a functional or rational use of spaces, but also to an experiential one, gaining further significant inspiration from the memory layered in complex historical spaces. Interestingly, psychological studies highlight the collective base characterizing a number of disorders and suggest that changing the outside world can be just as therapeutic as changing the subject's feelings, indicating that psychology merges with ecology. From an intersection between design, psychology and restoration, emphasizing a cultural inclination more than a technicistic attitude, opportunities seem to develop to promote beauty, identity and memory as essential dimensions for collective and individual well-being. Design oriented processes could bring out the potential of the built environment, promoting multiple functions and reuse methods, inspired by quality and capable of creating hospitable and welcoming physical and relational spaces. 1

Workplace Design Revolution

This chapter articulates how the way of working changed the interiority of office buildings and how it is shaping the space between office buildings. The modern office building was originated from bringing workers together in one location, which resulted in gigantic corporate architecture. However, the gigantism did not produce urban rhythm or urbanism due to the Taylorist management. With the human relation movement that emphasised natural groups and social relations to ameliorate hierarchical tensions and to sustain high productivity, workplace was designed to encourage spontaneous, serendipitous social encounter via blurring boundaries of circulation, working and services. The intensive social activities within an office building, representing urban rhythm, significantly changed the building's interiority. The advancement of communication technologies brought forth portable worksphere and nomadic working-style, which engendered a new relationship between office workers and public realm in cities.

SoftAssertions

This Chapter glances at the shifting landscape of disciplines and professions, with particular focus towards “Interior Design.” In spite of trends and increasing examples of the erosion and overlapping of disciplinary and professional boundaries, ironically or not, there remains the need for some sort of definition; in other words, there needs to be a body of knowledge and skills defined and practiced. This is especially relevant in a world of inter-, multi-, and trans-disciplinary work and comprehensive creative practices. After a very quick look at “Environmental Design” – or the design of environments and experiences – the paper spends a bit more time examining possible core aspects of Interior Design while promoting its expanded field. An articulated interior urbanism creates clear areas of contribution from the interior designers within the city. Additionally, the chapter explores the curricular use of intensive design workshops with a singular focus of the student's attention; selected student work from Politecnico di Milano is included.

Design Strategies as Paradigms

Starting from the works for interiors made by Albini, Sottsass, Gio Ponti, Mendini, the Castiglioni brothers, the Bouroullec brothers, La Pietra, Starck, Guixé and De Lucchi, different design strategies will be illustrated, which, despite their diversity, are considered representative of possible smart, innovative, and wise approaches to interior design. Every author is then read through their most significant projects belonging to interiors or settings and furthermore associated with a particular strategy that is able to represent the common style of every project, in particular regarding the approach and the driving thinking.

Figuring Out the Interiors through the Geometric Tools of Representation

Interior design is taught to be an essential tool for envisioning and modeling the environments we live in. Representing interior spaces through drawings and physical models requires a continuous process of imagination. The chapter exploits the projective tools for illusory design describing the processes of representation to design and build interiors but also their perception as a space. Crucial is the role of perspective in designing and building interiors; techniques of perspective, distancing itself from the mathematical problems, become a projective tool to add illusory qualities and creating the perfect tuning among spaces that remind us that designing methods aim to add dimensions to the human sphere, not only in the physical one but also in the creation of material images and allegories. The research highlights the principles of projective-geometric design of illusory spaces. Descriptive geometry and disciplines of representation provide, in the many phases of design, scientific and artistic tools for practical resolutions of geometric and constructive problems.

Searching for Flexible Interior Design Solutions

In Turkey starting from 80s, especially in metropolises like Istanbul the increase of urban density, the decrease of urban inland and the change of social and cultural structure brought with it the need for housing design and production with different priorities. In this context, crowded families had to be replaced from self-built houses to presented mass housing units. Interior spaces of such mass housing that are designed and produced with the intention of standardization, failed to meet the needs of crowded family types. The aim of this work is to discuss the role of interior design in creating design solutions that can increase the flexibility of interiors according to the changing needs of different families with different cultural backgrounds.

Retail Design Brand Experiences through Merging Art, Design, and Science

This work explores retail design from a user experience approach to discuss how consultancies integrate art, design and science in commercial design to create memorable brand experiences. This demand to build a theoretical framework that explores research based user experience and branding in order to facilitate the introduction of key theoretical terms. Subsequently, it examines the relation between art and science within the realm of design in practice. Then, it is possible to choose case studies in which their brands exhibited different approaches to create a coherent identity throughout different touch points when designing their commercial spaces. The aim is to enable professionals to have a holistic view and balanced approach on the design of retail stores considering physical and virtual visual and spatial branding touch points.