Reflections and prospects about the relationship between master thesis and design project in interior architectural education

Abstract

Abstract: The Bologna process, initiated in 1999, propelled an ongoing reform of the European higher education. One of many processes is the integration of design schools – formerly belonging to a polytechnic or beaux-arts tradition – into academia. It presents challenges to universities and design schools alike. Commonly, many debates centre around the issue of research: output media, ‘measurability’ of output and the relationship between research and education. In this paper we would like to focus on the latter by discussing the set-up and organisation of our master programme in interior architecture. Reflecting about existing material of our students stimulated us to explain the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of our current approach. We also propose a line of reasoning about re-organizing the set-up of master thesis and design project at our department in the years to come. In our view, this line of reasoning will allow our students to better blend their research with the design project.