The study of Interiors is a rich field that can provide us with a sense of broad social, political, and cultural perspectives. Yet interiors are still largely unexplored as a historical field of study, partly because they are essentially ephemeral and hard to trace, mostly lacking the kinds of documents (plans, sections, photographs, other historical records), that architectural history relies on. This class aims to re-think the study of interiors: rather than conceiving interiors as merely the “empty” spaces contained by architecture, we will suggest a much broader understanding of interiors, by seeking new analytic tools that may help us explore what interiors are, have been, and increasingly will be. Our approach, as evidenced through the topics we will study ---such as modernity, privacy, comfort, domesticity, gender, sustainability--- addresses Interior Design as a socially relevant practice that is closely in step with daily life and local cultures. Whereas non-western examples will be considered, given the availability of source material, emphasis will necessarily be on western contexts. Students will be strongly encouraged to explore non-western interiors in their own research.

The study of Interiors is a rich field that can provide us with a sense of broad social, political, and cultural perspectives. Yet interiors are still largely unexplored as a historical field of study, partly because they are essentially ephemeral and hard to trace, mostly lacking the kinds of documents (plans, sections, photographs, other historical records), that architectural history relies on. This class aims to re-think the study of interiors: rather than conceiving interiors as merely the “empty” spaces contained by architecture, we will suggest a much broader understanding of interiors, by seeking new analytic tools that may help us explore what interiors are, have been, and increasingly will be. Our approach, as evidenced through the topics we will study ---such as modernity, privacy, comfort, domesticity, gender, sustainability--- addresses Interior Design as a socially relevant practice that is closely in step with daily life and local cultures. Whereas non-western examples will be considered, given the availability of source material, emphasis will necessarily be on western contexts. Students will be strongly encouraged to explore non-western interiors in their own research.