In review: BA (Hons) Interior Design Degree Show

Read a review of the BA Interior Design Degree Show 2019 by Interior Designer, Louise Ives-Wilkinson.

2019 saw the first cohort of graduates from the newly formed BA (Hons) Interior Design degree course at Norwich University of the Arts.

After visiting the course as a Guest Lecturer, I was thrilled to be invited back to the private view of the graduate show to see how they had developed throughout their time at NUA.

BA Interior Design and BA Architecture students are now located in Boardman House. This newly renovated historic building, tucked away from the main campus, is a truly inspirational space for the students to work in. One can imagine how studying in such an architecturally interesting environment really enhances creativity.

While every Interior Design graduate’s final project was unique, there was a distinct commonality throughout, which was a focus on wellbeing.

This was especially interesting as this way of designing is becoming more prevalent today and something we are known for in our studio, using Biophilic Design to improve health and wellbeing.

Projects which stood out included Leonor Peixoto’s ‘Scope Norwich’ which was all about creating sculptural, social spaces for interaction, stimulation and reflection, including one location at City Hall square.

The geometric, vibrant designs, intended to be a collaborative project between designers and the public, stood out with an eye-catching scale model using neon Perspex.

Laura Kidd’s ‘Contemporary Tiny Living’ tackled the very current issue of lack of affordable housing stock in overpopulated urban areas.  The contemporary abstract architecture comprised of prefabricated modular systems and clever interior layouts, were designed to be located on the banks of the River Wensum.

Rebecca Anderson’s Evaporate into the cumulus was very appealing to the eye. The cloud structure was almost womb like, with multisensory elements including sound and smell.

Designed to be a sanctuary from the fast paced, hectic lifestyles we lead, the all-white structure has been designed to sit inside Blackfriars Hall and uses coloured light to create the required mood, it was a space I could definitely see myself being drawn too.

While looking around the other graduate shows, including BA Photography, B Fashion, BA Textile Design, graphics and BA Fine Art I did notice how this year there was an overarching vibrancy throughout the whole university. A lot of warm, rich colour has been used, creating a cheerful, positive feel, which was a pleasure to experience.

I wish every graduate success in following their chosen career path and look forward to working with the up and coming interior design students in the near future.

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