70110 - Interior Design II

Learning outcomes

Formal academic version

Upon completion of the course, which is designed to develop advanced competencies in the fundamental themes of interior architecture and exhibition design, as well as in design at the detailed scale, students will have acquired the theoretical knowledge and methodological skills required to approach an architectural project with a specific focus on interior space.

 

Course contents

Dwelling constitutes the principal field of inquiry and discussion within the course, understood both as a professional competence and as a cultural perspective within the disciplines of heritage conservation and preservation. In particular, the course offers a multifaceted reflection on the themes of historic residential architecture, encompassing both urban and aristocratic dwellings, alongside an analysis of contemporary housing.

Within this theoretical and critical framework, design exercises are developed focusing on the renovation and adaptive reuse of the existing building stock, regarded as a fertile field for professional practice and architectural experimentation.

The various bodies of knowledge that converge within the discipline of architectural design highlight the central role of the relationships between interior architecture and its development, completion, and coherence with urban, technological, and environmental design disciplines. The analysis of traditional and innovative housing forms, particularly those deriving from the experience of the Modern Movement, is interwoven with the experiences and cultural references of diverse Western and Eastern traditions, offering a broad and layered interpretation of the concept of dwelling.

The close collaboration with the module on Indoor Environmental Quality ensures the coherence of educational objectives and pedagogical intentions, while respecting the specificity and originality of the individual disciplines involved.

 

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

Required Reading

De Fusco, R. (2016). Storia dell’arredamento dal Quattrocento al Novecento. Milan: Franco Angeli.

Recommended Reading

Irace, F. Storie d'interni: L'architettura dello spazio domestico moderno.

Further Reading

Loos, A. (1992). Parole nel vuoto. Milan: Adelphi.

 

Teaching methods

The course is delivered primarily through lectures, complemented by short individual and group exercises, including seminar-based activities focused on the topics under discussion. The teaching programme is designed to provide students with the historical, critical, and technical tools necessary for the independent development of repertoires, case studies, and reference models drawn from contemporary design practice.

Each day is structured around three hours of lectures and three hours of design workshop activities conducted in an ex-tempore format, the specific content of which is defined and communicated on a session-by-session basis.

The lectures aim to provide students with both the fundamental and specialized knowledge required to address interior design from a contemporary perspective, while responding to the sustainability requirements of buildings and respecting their historical, typological, and monumental specificities. Teaching is conducted through direct interaction with students, fostering collective discussion and critical exchange.

The themes addressed throughout the course are consistently related to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with particular reference to Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and Goal 13 (Climate Action).

Students are required to maintain a personal notebook as a continuous learning tool throughout the course. The notebook is intended for the written annotation of key concepts and the graphic documentation of the case studies presented during lectures. Teaching activities are conducted in constant dialogue with students, with collective discussion serving as the primary method for consolidating the design principles and strategies underlying the examples analysed. In some instances, lectures will be complemented by seminar sessions dedicated to the in-depth discussion of the recommended bibliographic materials.

Practical exercises are carried out in the design studio. They are intended as instruments for the application and development of individual design thinking and do not constitute intermediate assessments contributing to the final grade. Feedback and evaluations will have an advisory and formative function, aimed at increasing students’ awareness of the competencies they have acquired. Discussion of the outcomes will take place collectively and on a sample basis, in order to highlight recurring themes, strengths, and critical issues.

 

Assessment methods

The final examination assesses the learning outcomes of both modules that constitute the Integrated Course in Interior Architecture II and consists of a single joint examination.

The examination consists of an ex tempore design exercise with a duration of four hours. During the examination, the use of freehand drawing tools is permitted. Students may consult technical manuals, relevant regulations, and course-recommended texts; however, the use of devices for the automated development of design solutions is not permitted, unless otherwise specified in the examination brief.

The assessment is conducted with the support of freehand drawing, accompanied by written annotations, and is aimed at evaluating both the knowledge acquired in the topics covered by the two modules and the student's ability to critically elaborate such knowledge within a concept of space that is formally and functionally organized.

Students are required to provide evidence of their design process by submitting initial sketches, notes, concept maps, diagrams, and successive versions of the proposed text or design project.

The final assessment is based on the following criteria:

1. Design quality and graphic/descriptive clarity of the submitted work;
2. Technological quality of the proposed solutions;
3. Consistency with the theoretical principles presented in the course modules.

Detailed information regarding examination procedures and content will be provided during the final weeks of the course.

With regard to the assessment process, a limited, declared, and non-substantive use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is permitted for support activities such as summarization and rephrasing. The substantial use of AI for the completion of any part of the examination is not permitted.

The use of technical reference manuals for consultation is permitted.

Students who do not attend the Interior Architecture II module and who have not completed at least two of the scheduled in-class design exercises (ex tempore) will be required to undertake an additional oral examination aimed at verifying their knowledge of the theoretical topics covered during the course.

The purpose of the oral examination is to assess the student's ability to apply acquired knowledge and to establish the necessary logical and deductive connections among the topics addressed. Evaluation is graded according to the student's ability to clearly and effectively communicate the expected knowledge.

Grading Scale

18–20 (Pass):
Knowledge of only a very limited number of topics covered in the course; analytical abilities demonstrated only with significant guidance from the instructor; overall use of appropriate language.

21–25:
Knowledge of a limited number of course topics; ability to conduct autonomous analysis only with regard to purely operational or technical issues; generally accurate use of disciplinary language.

26–29:
Knowledge of a broad range of course topics; ability to make independent critical assessments; sound command of discipline-specific terminology.

30–30 cum laude:
Comprehensive and thorough knowledge of the topics covered in the course; ability to make independent critical judgments and establish meaningful connections among concepts; full mastery of disciplinary terminology, together with strong argumentative and self-reflective skills.

The oral examination contributes to the final grade and is averaged with the result obtained in the joint design-based ex tempore assessment.

Students with Disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities are encouraged to contact the University office responsible for inclusion and accessibility services in due time through the following website: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it.

 

 

 

Teaching tools

Teaching will be delivered primarily through lectures illustrating the historical development of interior architecture, complemented by the analysis of selected projects considered exemplary case studies. Graphic and photographic materials will be used extensively to support the lectures. Lecture presentations will be made available to students in PDF format through the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

 

 

Office hours

See the website of Andreina Milan