The Round Table event was moderated by co-chairs Mary Burke, Liz Peterson, and committee members Janet Sager and Annie Chu. The event attracted fewer participants than in 2012, as concurrent events were abundant during Friday. The first comment from the audience came from an architect who teaches interior design at the college level. She issued a challenge for architects to re-examine the curricula of architecture schools for their lack of interior architecture subject matter presented as part of the education of architects. There were quite a few consenting voices from members who stated that what they know about interiors they learned it in practice; although there was one member who was emphatic that he learned interior subjects as part of his undergraduate architectural education, and did not see any lack in the curriculum.
There was a general concern for the perceived status of members who primarily practice interior architecture vs those who are primarily shell and core architects. This has been an ongoing reported perception since the committee began tracking it via our 2010 membership survey. The acknowledgement of the need to promote the interior architecture as a discipline with its own specific body of knowledge seemed to have resonance with most attendees.
A straw poll taken at the Round Table indicated an upward trend in business outlook for interior architecture, but a currently spotty climate where some firms are busy while others are not robust.
We were also joined by John Czernaki, editor of Contract Magazine who will be working on curating session speakers for the 2014 AIA Convention in Chicago.
The Committee met after the session and subsequently at the Knowledge Leadership Assembly to take stock of the quality of the Round Table discussions. They decided to agendize future Round Table with a provocative presentation ahead of the Q&A sessions for greater structure and more robust content.
The Interior Excellence session analyzed the winning projects of the 2013 AIA Honor Awards for Interior Architecture to identify current and evolving issues in design and to recognize the merits of an award-winning project. The panel was assembled by Interior Architecture Committee 2010 Chair Annie Chu, and included Susan Szenasy, editor-in-chief of Metropolis Magazine as moderator for two members of the 2013 jury: Ron McCoy - University Architect at Princeton University, Andrew Wells – Dake|Wells architecture in Springfield, and Annie Chu – Chu+Gooding Architects in Los Angeles and 2003 AIA Honor Awards for Interior Architecture jury member.
The following key themes guided the presentation:
Interior Architecture – a Distinct Discipline
Wellness and Welfare of Occupants
Repurposing Buildings
Places of Gathering
Evolving an Architectural Legacy
Expression of Craft – both Analog and Digital
Expanding Role of the Architect
The participation from the audience with the speakers after the presentation was robust and led to discussions about adaptive reuse, the impact of architecture on wellness and health, the role of architectural history, canon for interior architecture, craft and projections for the future of design.