Interior Architecture and Design Course

Foundation is a bridging program, aiding your transition from school to un-school.
It provides students a pathway to confidently enter the creative, open-ended, exploratory and experimental environment of design education at IIAD. They acquire a broad spectrum of design skills and build their design vocabulary. After successfully completing the Foundation year, students seamlessly progress to BA (Hons) Interior Architecture Design course.

The first year of the Interior Architecture Design course introduces you to the fundamentals of the built environment by probing into the history, theory and psychology of space making and building structures. By diving into the depths of your own core essence, you are encouraged to create personal narratives in the conceptualisation and design of interior spaces.

You are introduced to principles such as anthropometrics, ergonomics, proxemics and aesthetic harmony to understand how humans interact with interior space. Conceptual learning is balanced with a strong foundation in practical skills such as drawing, model-making, drafting and rendering. Furthermore, understanding of materials, and their characteristics and properties, enables you to translate ideas into physical spaces. Site visits give you a practical understanding about site conditions and material applications. Interdisciplinary projects let you collaborate with your peers from other disciplines, to understand the dynamics of space by working on installations, storytelling and theatre. In the first year you will work on two exciting projects in furniture and residential design, culminating in the making of scale models and technical drawings of the proposed designs.

At the end of this year, your first industry interface will be facilitated with an 8-week Learn On-site internship, which will focus on multidisciplinary learning experiences. With a focus on a multidisciplinary learning experience, students get a first hand awareness of the actual scope within the interior architecture design industry.

The second year aims to develop a student’s competency to oversee the entire design process from conceptualisation to actualisation. Working on LIVE projects, students gain an experience of meeting clients, giving regular presentations and recording their on-site observations. Additionally, while gaining confidence in contemporary practices, students also work with India’s rich craft heritage and vernacular architecture.
As you progress to complex interior spaces, you start to address the service needs of spatial design. Students gain in-depth knowledge of technical services such as plumbing, electrical, lighting, air conditioning, firefighting and other building services, through site-visits and master classes. You learn to support your design process with primary research, which includes surveys and interviews. Students also conduct market studies to understand how to source and select construction materials, lights, fixtures, hardware, furnishings and various other materials. This year also focuses on developing your proficiency in digital tools such as SketchUp, AutoCAD, Rhino, Grasshopper and Arduino to visualise and realise your ideas in 2D and 3D.
Through the year you work on interior architecture projects such as Exhibition Design, Retail Design, Hospitality and Office Design. Students also work on industry-driven Live projects; past clients include FabIndia and Select Citywalk.

The 16-week Learn On-site internship is a long-term industry exposure envisaged as the gateway to your professional debut. Students get opportunities to work in professional environments and understand the dynamics of an organisational set-up. You will gain hands-on experience of a variety of processes such as concept development, design detailing, building service design, material specification, bill of quantities, coordinating with clients, consultants and vendors, site visits and more.

IIAD graduates have had internship placements in many creative establishments including M.Moser Associates, Synthesis Architecture, Ultraconfidentiel Design Pvt Ltd, The Garage Society, LivSpace, Kaaru, ANT Studio, DCA Architects, MAD Designs, Chromed Design Studios, Confluence Consultancy, Studio Divine, Studio Astrid and Studio An-V-Thot.

In the final year, you emerge as a confident, self-aware designer with a distinct design sensibility. You embark on a self-driven research project for the built environment, focusing on a subject area of your interest. Through structured in-depth research, analysis and documentation of the findings you are able to articulate your position in the chosen subject. You will also forge professional connections and build entrepreneurial skills to shape your future design practice with ease. This ensures that you stay at the forefront of your domain.

The final year culminates with the Major Design Project which gives you an opportunity to showcase your creativity, individual style and design process, that is representative of your overall abilities in the field of architecture interior design. With a focus on challenging norms, the project requires you to respond to the needs of an approximately 5000 square feet space. You will shape the overall project process and take design decisions independently, while being closely mentored by faculty and industry experts and in alignment with your peers. The project and year culminate in a professional design exhibition attended by eminent members of the community and industry.