The Changing Means, Role and Indentity of the Interior Architect Throughout History

Abstract

The profession of interior architecture has changed throughout history. These changes vary from how they altered the identity, role and means of production of the profession of interior architecture. While in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period the interior architect was an identity merged with other professions such as artist, crafstman or architect, today interior architecture is an unique profession that focuses on several design issues and produces with computer aided drawing programs. The profession of interior architecture started to become a unique profession with the technological and sociological changes the Industrial Revolutions brought. Throughout the 20th century it cemented its professional identity. Through this period the role, identity and means of production of the interior architect changed in relation with its importance and scope. While design issues such as decoration and circulation were the basis of the profession, after the 20th century societal issues such as sustainability and adaptive reuse have become new mantles the interior architect took on. This research aims to show the changes that happened throughout history and predict how new changes might occur in the future. The research shows examples from the historical perspective in the first chapter. In the next chapter, face-to-face interviews with professional interior architects that are divided according to their professional work years are conducted. The findings from these interviews are then showed in the next chapter and in the final chapter the conclusions are given.