BA (Hons) Interior Design

Entry Requirements

The Level 6 BA (Hons) Interior Design course is a progression route for students who have successfully graduated from the Level 5 KLC Diploma in Interior Design course. The admissions criteria are an interview to discuss the course in detail and review the graduate's portfolio and a 500 word essay. After the portfolio review, interview and essay submission the applicant may or may not be allowed to gain entry into Level 6 - this decision is based on academic judgement and numbers are strictly limited.

Students are required to have a laptop computer for this course and the Adobe Creative Suite and AutoCAD (free of charge).

To arrange an interview, contact KLC on 020 7376 3377.

Qualification

The award is clearly benchmarked against the QAA Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and has international recognition, thereby increasing employment opportunities worldwide. Graduates should be eligible to apply to all professional interior design organisations and the award offers opportunities for further study in Design at MA Level 7 and provides credit points that can be transferred to other courses nationally and internationally.

Partnership with the University of Brighton

The University of Brighton has long been established as a centre of excellence for art and design studies - The School of Arts was established in 1959. The Faculty of Arts now fosters and develops research within and across its wide range of disciplines. It is home to a number of significant collections and archives include the extensive Design Archives and a high percentage of their research in art and design has been classified as "world leading" or "internationally excellent". KLC is proud to be associated with the University of Brighton.

Course Details

The course offers a syllabus based on the scenario of working as an interior designer. A variety of topics and projects are examined in the first term, finishing with completion of a large, commercial project in the third term. Creativity, innovation, enthusiasm and professionalism are developed and nurtured throughout the year, ensuring that graduates qualify with good skill levels and confidence in their practice.

Historical and contextual lectures and workshops examine how the historic influences of architecture and interiors are to be found in today’s design. This subject is combined with lectures and assignments on materials, construction, technology and the environment. Students will explore conceiving a design for a specific element of an interior, for example, an interior staircase. For this, detailed drawings, specifications and schedules, the integration of materials focusing on sustainable issues, will be considered as well as production of documents for tender.

Professional and business practice are aligned with design projects and health and safety aspects, and building regulations and the regulatory framework will also be examined. Students will be encouraged to create a blog throughout the year and will be given advice on careers and assistance with employment.

The first term will include a project based on a small commercial site in London such as a café, gallery or retail space, and students will be asked to develop a big idea through sketches and scale models, using InDesign and Photoshop to enable presentation of a design brief, concept and design development. The project will enable students to progress skills in AutoCAD and software packages such as 3ds Max.

In the second term, students will commence work on a further, large commercial design project for either a space for various creative industries or a boutique hotel, or wellness centre. This will provide opportunities to work on complex spaces, using space innovatively, producing detailed drawing packages as well as considering FF&E, budgets and costs, consideration of a designer’s duty of care, insurance, application and use of contract documentation. This large design project will be completed in the final term.

Delivery

KLC is committed to providing dynamic and engaging specialist tuition in a professional, inspiring and creative environment that is both challenging and enjoyable. Teaching staff will provide high levels of support and encourage students to value research and analytical and problem solving techniques as part of the process. Course content is designed to be accessible and inspirational and grounded in business reality.

Students are assigned a course tutor to act as a mentor through the course and in addition to the usual support and teaching in studio, KLC staff will be available to support self-directed study days (Wednesday-Friday 9.00am-5.30pm) rapidly responding to any course queries by telephone or email. The maximum response time is usually within one working day, but staff will endeavour to respond to students’ queries within two hours during offices hours.

In addition to the KLC in house library, students will have borrowing rights at University of Westminster Library, access to a broad range of reference material at Chelsea College of Art library and EBSCO an extensive online resource.

Syllabus

HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL STUDIES

This module is concerned with the completion of a dissertation. The dissertation will help students acquire knowledge, encourage them to question their own views and the views of others and articulate a personal opinion, all of which are important skills for an interior designer to possess. The primary content of the module is the conduct of research into a chosen subject by each student and will include tutorial discussions of drafts of their essay prior to completion, and submission of the final piece of work.

• Research on historical precedents and contemporary debate
• Research sources, conventions and methodologies
• Critical analysis and research evaluation for historical studies
• Historical theory and cultural, commercial and social factors connected to interior design and design related disciplines

CONSTRUCTION, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

The relationship between brief, design, context, materials, technology, sustainability, processes, documentation and communication is explored in this module. Issues of sustainability are embedded in the practice of working with existing buildings and current concerns about this subject will be highlighted. The process will include a series of short exercises intended to lead to a detailed resolution of a complex spatial idea.

• The natural world and sustainable environments
• Use of materials
• Process of assembly
• Building construction principles
• Cultural, ethical and social issues associated with processes and practices
• Research on appropriate construction, technological and environmental precedents in support of a concept, thesis or design proposal
• Critical analysis and evaluation of the integration and application of construction and technological and environmental research within the design proposal
• Sources of reference regarding regulation, standards, materials and specifications
• Communication of technological issues through detailed drawings and written documentation

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Students will be encouraged to take initiative in preparation for their future life in design practice. The module introduces the processes relating to professionalism, the designers role, contract management, practice management, statutory authorities, legal issues and legislation processes and requirements along with the all important coordination between the design team, consultants and sub-consultants. Students will undertake a series of tasks providing an opportunity to demonstrate how this relates to their design practice.

• The business, professional and entrepreneurial landscape of the profession, nationally and internationally
• Social, legal, economic and ethical issues that inform the design process and projects
• Knowledge of the impact of design codes of practice, standards, specifications, contracts, legislation (including Building Control and Planning) and Health and Safety during the design, construction and occupation of a project
• Operation of the interior design profession in the wider contexts of project procurement and the construction industries
• Business management issues and the operation of a small business
• Time management and adherence to deadlines
• Compilation and presentation of visual and contextual research, digital portfolio and CV to enable entry to the profession or post graduate study

DESIGN - BRIEF, CONCEPT AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

The focus of this module is on students' understanding the relationship between designer and client, whilst evolving a personal design method that will enable them to handle a range of complex elements and spatial issues. Students will explore the project brief, preparation and development of concept design, and preparation of developed design. Students will undertake development work intended to lead to a spatial design strategy for an intervention in an existing space.

• Design proposals within a professional and intellectual context
• Cultural and physical aspects of site and/or location and how they inform design projects
• Development and appraisal of a design brief
• Design concepts in the development of a spatial strategy
• Appropriate conventions to test, propose and describe a spatial invention
• Written, visual and verbal presentations
• Portfolio edited to evidence the design process up until the design development stage

DESIGN - SYNTHESIS AND RESOLUTION

A major design project will be the focus of this module and it will build upon design brief, concept and design development. The project will promote spatial awareness, together with a methodical approach to technical design and production information. The work will encourage a high level of design synthesis, method and rationale highly conducive to professional practice or further study.

• Site research
• Critical development of brief and design process
• Formulation and development of conceptual ideas
• Factors informing design process
• Use of appropriate conventions to describe and test spatial proposals
• Evaluation and communication of design ideas
• Ability to synthesise technological and design issues to include detail and materials explored in the 'Construction, Technology and Environments' unit of study
• Portfolio edited to describe design process from site analysis to detailed resolution