Industry Collaboration in Interior Architecture and Environmental Design Education: Virtual Space Design

Abstract

This article examines the transformative impact of digitalization on interior architecture and environmental design education. It addresses how the traditional "bespoke" understanding of interior architecture, focused on the individual user, is evolving into a new paradigm shaped by multi-user, system-oriented approaches and spatial storytelling required by virtual spaces (metaverse, games, simulations). The study is a qualitative case study based on the experimental restructuring of the elective course "Virtual Space Design Studio." Data were collected through a mixed-method approach (qualitative case analysis and structured survey, N=18) and evaluated using thematic analysis. The course content was enriched with the participation of professionals from the gaming and simulation sectors; concepts such as "Spatial Storytelling" and "Intentional Imperfection" were introduced. The findings demonstrate that this intervention significantly developed students' conceptual awareness, technical competencies, and professional vision. Most participants expressed that the course transformed their perspectives and that the knowledge acquired was not present in the current curriculum. It was determined that current interior architecture education may be insufficient in preparing for digital space design. In conclusion, the necessity of systematizing industry-academia collaborations and integrating interdisciplinary competencies for the adaptation of interior architecture curricula to this paradigm is emphasized.

Keywords

• Interior architecture education
• virtual spaces
• spatial storytelling
• industry collaboration

İç Mimarlık ve Çevre Tasarımı Eğitiminde Sanayi İşbirliği: Sanal Mekan Tasarımı

Abstract

Bu makale, dijitalleşmenin iç mimarlık ve çevre tasarımı eğitimi üzerindeki dönüştürücü etkisini incelemektedir. Geleneksel içmimarlığın tekil kullanıcıya odaklanan "terzi işi" (kişiye özel) anlayışının, sanal mekanların (metaverse, oyunlar, simülasyonlar) gerektirdiği çok kullanıcılı, sistem odaklı ve mekansal hikaye anlatıcılığıyla şekillendirilen yeni paradigmaya nasıl evrildiğini ele almaktadır. Çalışma, "Sanal Mekan Tasarım Stüdyosu" seçmeli dersinin deneysel olarak yeniden yapılandırılması üzerine kurulu nitel bir vaka çalışmasıdır. Veriler, karma yöntemle (nitel vaka analizi ve yapılandırılmış anket, N=18) toplanmış ve tematik analizle değerlendirilmiştir. Ders içeriği, oyun ve simülasyon sektörlerinden profesyonellerin katılımıyla zenginleştirilmiş; "Mekansal Hikaye Anlatıcılığı" ve "Bilinçli Kusurluluk" gibi kavramlar aktarılmıştır. Bulgular, bu müdahalenin öğrencilerin kavramsal farkındalıklarını, teknik yetkinliklerini ve mesleki vizyonlarını anlamlı ölçüde geliştirdiğini göstermektedir. Katılımcıların büyük çoğunluğu, dersin bakış açılarını dönüştürdüğünü ve edinilen bilgilerin mevcut müfredatta yer almadığını ifade etmiştir. Mevcut içmimarlık eğitiminin dijital mekan tasarımına hazırlamakta yeterli olamayabildiği tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, içmimarlık müfredatlarının bu paradigmaya adaptasyonu için sanayi-akademi iş birliklerinin sistematikleştirilmesi ve disiplinlerarası yetkinliklerin entegrasyonunun zorunluluğu vurgulanmaktadır.

Keywords

• İçmimarlık eğitimi
• sanal mekanlar
• mekansal hikaye anlatıcılığı
• sanayi işbirliği

Ethical Statement

Çalışma için Etik onay alınmıştır.

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