Ever since Koen talked about the centrality of reproducibility to design, as a distinction between design and architecture, I have been contemplating the term "interior design" and finding it problematic and wanting as a referent.
What one does to the interior of a building would most fittingly be called either: a) interior architecture, if you alter the space program and surfaces; or b) interior decoration, if you focus on furniture and ornamentation.
I suppose one could be an interior designer of the interiors of mobile homes and prefabbed houses that are duplicated repeatedly in production, or even for homes in subdivisions where the home is repeated multiple times on various lots in the subdivision. But for new houses that are customs, or for existing houses with interiors that are being rehabbed, whether originally custom, or duplicated in large numbers, it would seem that one would be an interior architect, or an interior decorator.
I know. Its only semantics in one sense. But I think the vagaries in naming may betray a bit of vagary at the heart of what the discipline and field are all about.
There has been rifts ...
There has been rifts for years between ASID and AIA and other organizations on qualifications the ASID has come a long way in 25 years trying to make there organization more professional. and making it more difficult to get the ASID. 25 years ago any mom who designed the interior for there husbands Homes as a homebuilder considerd herself a designer when she was just a decorator. Today people who design the inside of Bulidings 95% of the time are working out of a Architects office and are AIA. Things have gotten so complex in new buildings that it requires total knowledge of the working drawings of the interior of buildings to do a good job with the design
so to answer you question D C WILSON even thoe I do not think there is such a thing as a Interior Architect There really should be ... and they should come from the Architectural studio of the people designing the building. but a lot come from Design firms with loads of ASID's (if they are good)
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