Perception versus Reality

Many people think that Interior Designers just choose paint colors and furniture and that there is no real thought behind our process. They look at shows like Income Property and Color Splash from HGTV and thing that to remodel a room or whole apartment can happen in as short as a half an hour. What most people don’t see are the production companies cutting and editing hours and hours of film to fit the quick parts of the process into the half an hour time slot of their show. Some design projects may take months to plan, some maybe a few weeks but others can take years depending on how large of project. A perfect example of this is ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover, where a well deserving family gets a new home to meet their needs. In as little as an hour a whole house from demolition to finish is shown in the seven days it took to complete. No one sees the months of planning and research that was done to figure out the special needs products needed to build the home or furnish the interior.

In truth, most well and safely designed project take much needed time to be even designed and then additional time to be carried out correctly. In school we are taught the fundamentals of research and human factors and how this can greatly impact the spaces we design. Without this knowledge some can easily design a space that could potentially kill one or more people after it is completed.  

Sustainability

            The “Go Green” approach which is taking over many career fields not just Interior Design is one that is vastly growing into larger approach than one could have imagined it to have become. Interior Designers are taking recycled objects that are used in spaces that no longer have a need for them and turning them into something that can be used in the same space or another. Designers are even finding better ways to use products to save electricity and water by using more natural lighting and better ways to recycle water. They are also inventing unique ways to make furniture and rooms multifunctional and last longer. Interior Design not only deals with objects in a space but also the space itself. Planning or arranging the room sets the space up for the function of the particular area to allow the user to fulfill their full potential when using the space.

Interior Design has been something that has been around for several hundred years.  When building castles and churches, the builders would use some of the skills and knowledge that we know today.  As time has gone on the project of making things cheaper and better for the client or the environment has been building.  Although this process has been developing, not until recently has it been given a more professional title.  “Go Green” or sustainable Interior Design is what designers refer to as the environmental friendly designs.  Interior Designers are taking the design industry as a whole to move towards a better environment by using recyclable products, more sustainable finishes and materials and green design.          

Recently two formal committees have been formed to regulate what can be considered a green design.  USGBC, which is also known as the United States Green Building Council, is an American based group that specializes in knowing all the standards and regulations of sustainable materials, products and building.  Under the USBGC, LEED has been formed to be a rating system.  LEED, as known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a set of ratings that the USGBC uses for their regulation standards. In order to be considered a green design the project must be under some level of certification through this rating system.

Sustainable and green designs are the new wave of the future of interior design.  This is starting to become a part of the industry where it is its own style just like modern, traditional or periodic.  This specialization has many companies becoming more aware of these new ways to save the planet and more clients are demanding for it.  For some projects, but not all, it can even be cheaper and longer lasting then a high maintained design project.  Today people want whatever they can that will last them for as long as possible.  The longer that lasts the less amount of times they will have to replace it, the less money they are spending.

Understanding the Impact of Design

After finally finishing much research about these medical topics, I really have learned how interior design can benefit the medical field.

Autism, the sensory defensiveness to lighting, sounds and smells, can have a major impact on the way a space is designed. A child who has autism will have difficult time focusing on task in a space that has too much going on. Strips on a wall will have a negative impact on a child with autism like nails on a chalkboard. They depend on their visual sense to tell their brain what is happening. Their brains cause an 85% more intensified sensation to colors. Limiting the use of primary colors may also have negative impact. This may give a child with autism a more difficult time distinguishing the difference between two similar colored directional signs, like an exit and restroom sign. So, simplicity is the key. Keeping things different colors and give a child with autism a visually clear reason why they are in that space is the answer to making them more productive and focused on what they need to do. Compartmentalization is also another way to help a child with autism. Since most chemical exposure is harmful to using materials that natural or organic is a positive impact for the child. Recyclable products with low toxins are another way to cut out chemical exposure in a space. With sustainability becoming more of a way of life than a hobby, it is easier and easier to find these products. Lighting impacts an autistic child from the glare, the noise control and flicker t may make. Making ceilings higher to draw out this effect and diffuses the lighting. In the learning areas for an autistic child is the most important place for them. This is where skills are obtained and important functions occur, if there are too many colors and multiple things going on, an autistic child will not be able to distinguish what they have to do. Interior designers express how they see the world.

For the mentally ill, interior design can be sometimes the only factor they have in not becoming violent.  Some people who can adequately live on their own and socialize among others may live in a communal house with several other people who have similar or the same mentally illnesses as themselves. For these types of people, design must be done correctly for health and safety purposes. The mentally ill have many requirements in order to function fully in a normal living situation. Depending on their illnesses and the extent of it they may need several different factors in how they go about living on a daily basis. Some require no overcrowding because it may hinder their privacy needs. A space of their own on their own control may be required. They may need no overconcentration so that they can go off by themselves. There must be a clear path of retreat in the option of them feeling threatened, they must be able to easily leave the situation. This can be done with clear visual views of other spaces and using sharply contrasting colors to distinguish that this and that space are totally different from one another. Multiple areas of comfortability are necessary so that they may form beneficial relationships and break down barriers that they may already have. Creating a non-authoritative democratic environment is the most essential part of a designer’s job. In other words, creating a space that is stress-free and homelike with color, lighting and landscape. Everyone must be equal and no one should feel like another is valued higher. This can be accomplished through adequate storage and display to establish and maintain self-esteem.

For incarnated criminals, there is even a new design philosophy and a way to go about creating a good working environment. With prisons, compared to the autistic children and the mentally ill, it is designed on a much larger scale with more factors to consider. A prison not only has its inmates to design for but also the guards that work there daily and visitors of the inmates. When a local designer asked some inmates what they would want their dream prison to look like, one would think, paper doors, multiple escape ladders. But to most people’s surprise they primarily asked for a larger view of the outdoors. For some prisons an hour a day is all they get to be outside of the prison. While much of society would probably agree with this why are they not treated like every other citizen?  Yes, they may have committed some very bad crimes, but they are serving their time. While some inmates may only have a short period of time behind bars, others may be in for long periods or even life. Giving them a little better design couldn’t hurt to make their days a tiny bit better. While all this may not be realistic or may even just need to be researched a little more, having glass walls to allow more natural light and views to come in would help in just a tiny bit. Using more bright colors instead of dreadful ones can help too. This may help slightly with rehabilitation of those who will be back on outside after their time is served and not make them so likely to repeat crimes.

http://www.informedesign.org/_news/apr_v06r-pr.pdf

Info on neurological disorder and design

http://www.housingeducators.org/Journals/H&S_Vol_22_No_3_Design_Needs_and_Criteria_for_Chronically_Mentally_Ill_Persons.pdf

Info on mentally ill

http://www.newstatesman.com/art/2007/02/prison-inmates-alsop-design

http://www.informedesign.org/_news/apr_v04r-p.pdf

Info on prisons