Project
In a complex society confronted with many challenges (e.g. social cohesion, multiculturalism, poverty, sustainability and migration), societal awareness becomes an important design competence in general and for interior architects in particular. Challenged by these problems in combination with the evolutions in the behavioral sciences (e.g. sociology, anthropology), the focus on a ‘social/shared space’ and the ‘ethical position of the interior architect’ has increased considerably. Both concepts are clearly related to the overall concept of societal awareness. The central research question of this project is threefold: (i) what are the alternative meanings of the concept societal awareness, (ii) what are the consequences for the interior design process, and (iii) what are the needed competences for a future interior design architecture to use and implement this particular design process? The research methodology consists of an explorative literature study complemented by two case-studies (1 in a professional and 1 in an academic setting of societal awareness) and 10 interviews with interior design experts focussing on societal awareness.
the Mundaneum museum and archives of Paul Otlet and Henri La Fonteine (Mons, Belgium)
Researcher(s)
Period
2020 - 2021