In 1906, Frank Alvah Parsons established the first academic interior design program in the United States and Parsons continues to lead this evolving field with three programs in interiors. Students within the AAS Interior Design program develop an awareness of the socio-cultural and environmental dimensions of interiors through curricula and projects that investigate global concerns such as environmental sustainability, health and well-being, and the socio-economic forces transforming our experience of the interior.

The AAS Interior Design program provides students the opportunity to attain the professional-level education necessary to become interior design practitioners. Students possessing a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field leverage their previous education, and work/life experiences to inform their project-based research and design to the practice of interior design.

Here listed are the program studio faculty from core ID Studios 2 and 3. In addition, however, program and graduating students recognize and extend the most profound gratitude to all The New School faculty who shaped the learning experiences and influenced the outcomes presented below.

Interior Design Studio 1 introduces students to the fundamentals of interior design--program and concept development, proxemics, lighting, materials, the decorative arts, and more--through a series of small scale design projects that emphasize creativity and inventiveness. Presentations for studio work utilize a variety of analog and digital techniques of representation to communicate design ideas to a viewer or client.

Live/Work/Boutique Retail - Design principles are embedded in the course through readings and discussions throughout the semester with the intention of applying this knowledge to better inform studio projects. There are two main design projects, each of which focuses on specific topics in interior investigations, a live-work space, and a boutique retail space. Students are required to work independently, as well as in groups to develop creative, collaborative thinking and making. The aim of each project is to develop an original approach and produce proposals focused on a strong set of design concepts.

Interior Design Studio 2 focuses on the impact of interiors on civic life. Students address the function, aesthetic, equipment, material, and lighting needs of these complex programs. Program research, space planning, and building codes are discussed. In ID Studio 2 students have an opportunity to appreciate the potential benefit of digital modeling tools on the design process and outcomes to tell the story of the interior experience.

The popular corporate-office model set forth by tech innovators like Google and Facebook and copied by numerous aspiring organizations is being questioned by the impact of Covid on the idea or workspace.  New definitions of work and the work environment are being developed and corporations struggle with the return to in-person working.  This has further been complicated by vast changes in the workforce resulting from the questions of personal goals, identities, and cultures.  The resulting attitudes deserve critical investigation of its values manifested through physical space, human interaction, and signaling of the ongoing cultural shift.

In ID Studio 2, we learn to question and design for ethical, social, and environmental values in the workplace and organizations. We will study how the current model of workplace design is impacting work vs. life balance, personal vs. shared sphere, and our relationship to technology and to our community.

The goal of ID Studio 3 is to reach beyond a rudimentary understanding of design by analyzing, evaluating, and investigating the components of hospitality, retail, and/or workplace interiors. ID Studio 3 focuses on research, strategic thinking, material investigation and design development, and the design of a sequence of experiences organized around an urban hospitality program.

As the current business model is being questioned as a result of the impact of travel restrictions due to the impact of Covid, what is hospitality and a hotel in the 21C? How can hospitality design leverage new behaviors, practices, and technologies to lead resilient transformations in the way we live, play, and work? What are the emerging developments and trends in how people are living?

The ID Studio 3 project is limited in size in order for students to fully design the hospitality experience. Special attention will be given to areas that can be shared by hotel guests and the public. The studio's objective is to further students' understanding of designing for experiences cultivated through an understanding of the current and future cultures of a local. Students are challenged to build a knowledge base of precedent and taste to direct formal and material design decisions.

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