Theme-Scenario Development in Interior Architecture: Healthy Living in the Metropolis

Introduction

This chapter focuses on the importance and methods of developing themes and scenarios in the design/educational process of interior architecture. The design process consists of different stages in interior architecture as in other design disciplines. The issues that comprise inputs for design include not only physical dimensions but also the different dimensions of interior life and its integration with the physical and social environment. Therefore, it is necessary to define the interior design not only as a physical formation but also as the determination of the issues, which need to be considered and discussed from many different perspectives.

Today, as life in big cities is getting more crowded and accelerated, people spend most of their time working in the workplaces, and in the remaining time they return home. With the rapid intensification of the built environment, life is moved away from nature, therefore, the desire for nature and what is natural is on the rise especially for the families with children. Although positive aspects of city life are indispensable for the citizens, moving away from natural environment causes various problems regarding to physical and psychological health. The increasing use of medication for different reasons may be an indicator of this argument. The approach of interior architectural design to this problem, which concerns a large audience, should explore how the interaction with nature in relation to the external environment can exist in interior spaces while the indispensable experiences in the city life can be sustained without leaving the city. For this purpose, different/innovative projects are needed to be developed by considering the homes, where people spend most of their daily time, working environments and social spaces where people come together during the day.

Study covered in this chapter discusses the significance of theme and scenario development, presents a descriptive reading through the experiences in the Interior Architectural Design Studio, and in this sense evaluates the discussion within the educational process. Studio addresses the issue by generating interior design ideas and scenarios that are searching for different ways of healty living connected to nature and productivity within the city of Istanbul, a metropolis which has more than 15 million population today. Design studies cover two different sites, the first one is the interior of a detached house in Arnavutköy, a district which is at the seaside with a natural environment. The other study is carried out in Bomontiada, which has been transformed from a brewery facility into a site with social-arts spaces as an adaptive re-use project in one of the central areas of the city. In both projects, alternative usage and space/living scenarios that aim to improve the physical and mental health of the citizens positively are discussed and designs are proposed within the scope of these scenarios. It has been investigated how a healthier and happier life can be achieved through different spatial scenarios without leaving city life through interior architectural design practices.