Where is the reality in a reality design show?

So have you been watching HGTV and wondering if thats what interior design really is? watched an episode of a fluffy make over and asked if thats how easy it really is? watched home decorating shows and thought you have it in you to be one of those designers? Probably so, and so did I, until I enrolled in design school and got an insight, now I can say "Damn they forgot to show the most important part of the project...the design process!"
The design that was created to be fully functional for the intended purpose of its use, All the construction documents drawn, all the details done, the code requirements researched, the human factors studied, the models built, the light studies done, the reason for selecting the materials used, do they adhere to code or not?
Thought an Elf came and did all that when we were all asleep?
Interior Design is more than what its portrayed to be. There is a blurred line between Interior designers and Interior decorators, and reality design tv shows blur that line more.
Out of the whole design process they film the end of an almost completed project, but in reality that was what took the least amount of time to come together. The Design process is time consuming, its the process that makes the project functional, being functional means all the code requirements are met, the right materials are selected, and human interaction within the environment has been taken into consideration.
So next time you watch HGTV remember that Elfs dont exist but Interior designers do, with the vision of protecting the health, safety and welfare of the occupants of the given space.

Designing for the differently- abled

People are living longer and expecting a higher quality of life. Over a typical lifespan people can develop a range of physical disabilities which are no longer perceived as a barrier to having a good quality of life.

The americans with disabilities act (ADA) aren’t just a set of rules used to satisfy code requirements. The ADA, since enacted has changed millions of lives, empowering people with disabilities and giving them a shot at the American dream. The act, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990, changed the way we build buildings, plan parking lots and lay out intersections, slowly morphing urban infrastructure into more friendly terrain.

In 1989, it was legal under federal law for a movie theater to deny admission to a paralyzed person or for a laundry to deny service to someone deaf or blind and for disabled people to have to use a back door to get into a restaurant, or to be cloistered together at sporting events.

Can you see this happening to people around you today?? Think about yourself in a wheelchair unable to do just about anything without a helping hand, how much easier would your life be if things were made to fit you, and not you to trying to fit the things around you.

People with disabilities need to be catered to, as a designer I feel the need to please all the different kinds of people that will be utilizing the space I design, including people who are differently-abled.

So how are designers able to help this community??? In a lot of ways

-        Designers are able to provide an interior structure that helps people in wheelchairs maneuver their way around without difficulty - This includes having doorways and openings wide enough to accommodate the width of a wheelchair

-        Having Ramps where needed so the space is fully accessible to those on wheelchairs – utilizing ADA guidelines for Ramp specifications to elevated spaces within the environment.

-        Including brail and audio materials in allocated spaces allowing deaf and blind people to easily find their way around the space – Having Brail signage at elevators and important nodes within the path of travel labeling the spaces for people who are unable to see.

-        spec’ing out flooring materials that allow for a wheelchair to glide through the space with no resistance – If the material of choice is carpet then carpet Pile should be considered.

-        Including different textures and materiality in relation to the different domains within the area – having a different material in the path of travel allowing the change in the material to dictate the transition made in the space.

The List can go on and on proving that not only are designers helping change the accessibility barriers for people with disabilities, we are changing their lives, changing the way they feel in the environment they choose to surround themselves with, and changing the way they maneuver themselves in a given space. In my opinion this should become the Norm of design, we as humans have defects, lets embrace this fact as a community, as a whole, as a world.

A view from the margin.

For years and years interior designers have been fighting to protect their profession from judgment and stereo typicality. “Interior design has been perceived as feminine, superficial, and mimetic as compared to a male, rational, and original architecture. Although the subtext is not said out loud, it still is clear: interior design is inferior to architecture.”

“The boundary between architecture and interior design remains in place, held there by a persistent idea of difference between the two fields: male vs. female, structure vs. decoration, and superior vs. inferior. Ironically, at a time when interior design has become more like architecture because of its consistent emulation of its practice and education, the field of architecture seems even more intent on keeping this idea of difference in place.”

The definition of an Architect from the architectural resignation board states that :

An architects job is to create the overall aesthetic and look of buildings and structures, but the design of a building involves far more than its appearance. Buildings also must be functional, safe, and economical and must suit the specific needs of the people who use them. Most importantly, they must be built with the public’s health, safety and welfare in mind.

The definition of an Interior designer from the national council for interior design states that:

Interior design is a multi-faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment. These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants and are aesthetically attractive. Designs are created in response to and coordinated with the building shell and acknowledge the physical location and social context of the project. Designs must adhere to code and regulatory requirements, and encourage the principles of environmental sustainability, they must be at best interest of occupants and ensure the health, safety and welfare of the public.

Reading both definitions it is clear that both architects and designers have the same objective, same goal, and same vision for a building…to protect the publics health, safety and welfare….So what is the difference??? Where are we drawing the line stating that Architects and designers are from different worlds…If we work to achieve the same goals??

Sure an Architect can be called superior to an Interior designer but to what extent? An Architects job is to “create the overall aesthetic look of buildings and structures” while an interior designers job is to make the interior space functional for its intended purpose. It’s a fact that the architect must complete his/her job first for an interior designer to take over and finish the job off. Architects aren’t fully equipped with education relating to interior building codes such as fire rated materials, means of egress and human factors that deals solely with human interaction within the given environment. So if you ask me we are here to make the architects building fully functional inside out… We must work hand in hand for a project to reach the vision we had for it.

My opinion on this topic is simple, sweet and logical- We must co-exist to unselfishly provide a structurally functional, aesthetically pleasing and safe environment for the occupants of the space who wish to enjoy the building and all it has to offer, from the interior to the exterior, without worrying about dying in it.

Interior Design

Interior Design to me is not only the area of study i wish to successfully graduate in...Its more than that, It is the process of making a space a wonderful and memorable experience for every single person that walks in it, and with the help of my education realize that there is so much more that goes into designing than just designing itself, such as Human factors, Code regulations, the factors to consider while providing for people with disabilities, the safety and hazards of materials, and most of all the health safety and welfare of every individual that is intended to be using this space. Many people ignore the importance of designers...but think about it...bad design can not only be dis functional, but it can kill you.

There are many times i have walked up to a building with my brother in his wheelchair and I looked at the entrance to the building and said to him "Its not accessible, wait here for me". As i walked into the building i would curse the designer in my head, thinking what if he/she had been educated enough to know that not only is their design affecting people physically but emotionally too. What if this designer took into consideration the different kinds of people that will want to access this building but due to the ignorance of the designer they couldn't do so....what if....
This is where one of my favorite quotes makes the most sense
"you have to be the change you want to see" - Mahatma Gandhi