Information Package / Course Catalogue
| Interior Design | |||||
| Bachelor | Length of the Programme: 4 | Number of Credits: 240 | TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 | QF-EHEA: First Cycle | EQF: Level 6 |
ECTS Course Information Package
| School/Faculty/Institute | Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture | ||||
| Course Code | INT 144 | ||||
| Course Title in English | Senses and Interiors | ||||
| Course Title in Turkish | Duyular ve İç Mekanlar | ||||
| Language of Instruction | EN | ||||
| Type of Course | Ters-yüz öğrenme | ||||
| Level of Course | Başlangıç | ||||
| Semester | Spring | ||||
| Contact Hours per Week |
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| Estimated Student Workload | 74 hours per semester | ||||
| Number of Credits | 3 ECTS | ||||
| Grading Mode | Standard Letter Grade | ||||
| Pre-requisites | None | ||||
| Co-requisites | None | ||||
| Expected Prior Knowledge | None | ||||
| Registration Restrictions | Only Undergraduate Students | ||||
| Overall Educational Objective | To gain an appreciation of the impact of interiors on the behavior and emotions of people inhabiting them. | ||||
| Course Description | The course aims to present different perspectives on the relationships between interiors and its users. Considering that the essential concerns of human experience, shelter, and comfort are inseparable from the atmospheric qualities of space, the discussions will begin with the introduction of elements of the “atmosphere” in the context of spatial design. This part is followed by the examination of the interaction between human behavior and the interior environment. A broad range of user experiences afforded by different types, components, and facets of interiors are overviewed throughout the term. |
Course Learning Outcomes and CompetencesUpon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:1) 1. identify spatial components that constitute an interior atmosphere 2) 3. analyze a particular interior in terms of the needs and expectations of its users; 3) 2. observe changes in people’s behavior in different interiors; 4) 4. describe and categorize spatial elements with regard to the behavior and experience of their users; 5) 5. sense patterns of socialization afforded by different types of interiors. |
| Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Ability to read, write and speak effectively in Turkish and English, equivalent to a B2 European Language Passport Level in English. | |||||
| 2) Ability to use information and understanding of the perceptive, experiential and behavioral aspects of human – space relationship as an input of interior design. | |||||
| 3) Ability to re-interpret the Interior Design profession under the light of rapidly changing theories and approaches. | |||||
| 4) Ability to develop a personal and critical perspective towards the design of spaces. | |||||
| 5) Ability to effectively implement interdisciplinary design and research principles into the solution of problems in her/his field. | |||||
| 6) Ability to bring together her/his knowledge and insight obtained from various sources into the design of interior design problems in a creative way. | |||||
| 7) Ability to use the ethical methodology necessary to develop sustainable interior design approaches with the perspective of social responsibility. | |||||
| 8) Ability to access and use knowledge towards the development of interior spaces using materials and products within the scope of sustainability. | |||||
| 9) Ability to use entrepreneurship, creative thinking and leadership skills towards developing innovative interior design approaches. | |||||
| 10) Ability to find solutions to interior design problems by developing interdisciplinary approaches and within the context of local, national and global networks. | |||||
| 11) Ability to present design ideas in visual, verbal and written media as well as ability to share ideas using analog and digital techniques in national and international professional circles. | |||||
| 12) Ability to develop sensitive and sustainable design approaches respecting needs of various users, local and regional values, natural and cultural heritage. | |||||
| 13) Ability to design interiors in an integral fashion with building systems. | |||||
| 14) Ability to determine individual learning needs in order to become an intellectual professional and the ability to connect with national and international professionals as well as groups. | |||||
| 15) Ability to develop interior design proposals that are suitable for national and international standards, professional etiquette, regulations and legal procedures. | |||||
| 16) Ability to keep track of contemporary research, inventions, approaches and technologies in order to develop new ways of thinking and creating. | |||||
| 17) Ability to create a difference through design solutions by defining and evaluating social and spatial problems, ability to make those available to the society. |
Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences
| N None | S Supportive | H Highly Related |
| Program Outcomes and Competences | Level | Assessed by | |
| 1) | Ability to read, write and speak effectively in Turkish and English, equivalent to a B2 European Language Passport Level in English. | S | |
| 2) | Ability to use information and understanding of the perceptive, experiential and behavioral aspects of human – space relationship as an input of interior design. | H | Proje |
| 3) | Ability to re-interpret the Interior Design profession under the light of rapidly changing theories and approaches. | H | Proje |
| 4) | Ability to develop a personal and critical perspective towards the design of spaces. | H | Proje |
| 5) | Ability to effectively implement interdisciplinary design and research principles into the solution of problems in her/his field. | S | |
| 6) | Ability to bring together her/his knowledge and insight obtained from various sources into the design of interior design problems in a creative way. | H | Proje |
| 7) | Ability to use the ethical methodology necessary to develop sustainable interior design approaches with the perspective of social responsibility. | H | Proje |
| 8) | Ability to access and use knowledge towards the development of interior spaces using materials and products within the scope of sustainability. | H | Proje |
| 9) | Ability to use entrepreneurship, creative thinking and leadership skills towards developing innovative interior design approaches. | S | |
| 10) | Ability to find solutions to interior design problems by developing interdisciplinary approaches and within the context of local, national and global networks. | S | |
| 11) | Ability to present design ideas in visual, verbal and written media as well as ability to share ideas using analog and digital techniques in national and international professional circles. | H | Proje |
| 12) | Ability to develop sensitive and sustainable design approaches respecting needs of various users, local and regional values, natural and cultural heritage. | H | Proje |
| 13) | Ability to design interiors in an integral fashion with building systems. | H | Proje |
| 14) | Ability to determine individual learning needs in order to become an intellectual professional and the ability to connect with national and international professionals as well as groups. | S | |
| 15) | Ability to develop interior design proposals that are suitable for national and international standards, professional etiquette, regulations and legal procedures. | S | |
| 16) | Ability to keep track of contemporary research, inventions, approaches and technologies in order to develop new ways of thinking and creating. | S | |
| 17) | Ability to create a difference through design solutions by defining and evaluating social and spatial problems, ability to make those available to the society. | S | Proje |
| Prepared by and Date | BÜŞRA ÜNVER , October 2025 |
| Course Coordinator | BÜŞRA ÜNVER |
| Semester | Spring |
| Name of Instructor |
Course Contents
| Week | Subject |
| 1) | introducing the course - overview and scope: defining spaces, places, senses - spatial sense |
| 2) | spatial design and senses - defining atmosphere in the context of spatial design - form, materials, sound, temperature, surroundings, [in] Between, interior/exterior, intimacy, and light |
| 3) | experiencing built worlds - examination of the elements of “atmosphere” - atmosphere via surfaces & textures, color& light |
| 4) | dimensions of emotional reactions to environment |
| 5) | design psychology theories & elements and principles of interior design |
| 6) | assessments and appraisals of built environments - observer differences: designers vs users & implications for design |
| 7) | assessments and appraisals of built environments - observer differences: designers vs users & implications for design |
| 8) | interior space and human behavior |
| 9) | territoriality, privacy, personal space, crowding |
| 10) | ethnography of interiors |
| 11) | socio-spatial organization of interiors |
| 12) | thresholds and liminal zones - formation of borders, boundaries, thresholds, or liminal zones |
| 13) | gendered places |
| 14) | final assignment due and reviews |
| 15) | final examination period |
| 16) | final examination period |
| Required/Recommended Readings | Peter Zumthor – “Atmospheres” Juhani Pallasmaa “An Architecture of the Seven Senses” Roberto J. Rengel – “People in Buildings” (Shaping Interior Space) “Human Behaviour and the Interior Environment” Kathleen Sullivan- The Intersection of Design Psychology Theories with the Elements and Principles of Design Eric Laurier – “An Ethnography of a Café: The Socio-Spatial Organisation of Furniture and Background Noise” Daphne Spain – “Excerpts from The Contemporary Workplace” Doreen Massey – “Space, Place and Gender” Celine Rosselin – “The Ins and Outs of the Hall: A Parisian Example” Duncan Patterson – “There’s Glass between Us’: A critical examination of ‘the window’ in art and architecture from Ancient Greece to the present day” Interior Space and the Second Skin, Extensions of Self – Shashi Caan (from “Rethinking Design and Interiors” Evans, G. and McCoy, J. (1998). When buildings don't work: the role of architecture in human health. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 18:85-94. Required readings for each week are posted on Blackboard. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | The course will have presentations by the instructor as well as extensive discussion by the class. The course follows the ‘Flipped classroom’ model, with all the required readings and materials are made available to the students prior to class. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Homework and Projects | 14 Weekly readings and short answer questions, 2 Mid-term Assignments, 1 Final Assignment | ||||||||||||||||||
| Laboratory Work | - | ||||||||||||||||||
| Computer Use | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other Activities | Short video screenings and field work | ||||||||||||||||||
| Assessment Methods |
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| Course Administration |
unver@mef.edu.tr - Attendance is essential for this course. Students are required to attend % 70 of the classes in theoretical courses. Consequently, absenteeism exceeding 4 weeks (classes) will result in failure. All students are responsible for behaving personally and academically in a way that is expected from a university student. That behavior includes but is not limited to respecting views and ideas of peers; not being involved in a discriminating behavior concerning race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation; always using one’s own ideas in their projects. Plagiarism is not allowed and is a serious academic offense. All student work must be original work of the student that is the outcome of his/her intellectual efforts in the studio under the guidance of instructor. Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism: YOK Disciplinary Regulation |
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ECTS Student Workload Estimation
| Activity | No/Weeks | Hours | Calculation | ||||
| No/Weeks per Semester | Preparing for the Activity | Spent in the Activity Itself | Completing the Activity Requirements | ||||
| Course Hours | 14 | 0 | 2 | 28 | |||
| Homework Assignments | 14 | 2 | 28 | ||||
| Midterm(s) | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||||
| Final Examination | 1 | 12 | 12 | ||||
| Total Workload | 74 | ||||||
| Total Workload/25 | 3.0 | ||||||
| ECTS | 3 | ||||||