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interior design Blog Posts - The Open College of the Arts

To find out more details about the transfer to The Open University see A New Chapter for OCA.

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interior design


What kind of spatial designer am I? #3 Tansy Hargan, artist. thumb

What kind of spatial designer am I? #3 Tansy Hargan, artist.

Studying Interior Design, Spatial Design, Interior Architecture – or any kind of design of the built environment – can lead to many different careers. In this series of blog posts we are looking at the experience and careers of different design professionals and finding out what inspired them to study in the first place. Our […]

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What kind of spatial designer am I? #2 Ian Rudolph, Architect. thumb

What kind of spatial designer am I? #2 Ian Rudolph, Architect.

Studying Interior Design, Spatial Design, Interior Architecture – or any kind of design of the built environment – can lead to many different careers. In this series of blog posts we are looking at the experience and careers of different design professionals and finding out what inspired them to study in the first place. Our […]

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The Section Drawing: Communicating Experience thumb

The Section Drawing: Communicating Experience

When people think of interior design or architecture drawings, usually floor plans come to everyone’s mind first. However, a designer will quickly understand that a section drawing, that is a vertical slice through a building, space, object, etc., is the one that allows you to understand and test the experience of a design more effectively. […]

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Scale – Why is the scale of things important? thumb

Scale – Why is the scale of things important?

I’m a tutor on OCA’s Interior Design courses. I was sent images of a model made by one of my students. It represented a pavilion design and was well made and interesting to look at. Trouble is, I had no idea how big it was supposed to be. The dictionary definition of scale is “The […]

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What kind of spatial designer am I? #1 Christopher Hartiss, Architect. thumb

What kind of spatial designer am I? #1 Christopher Hartiss, Architect.

Studying Interior Design, Spatial Design, Interior Architecture – or any kind of design of the built environment – can lead to many different careers. In this series of blog posts we look at the experience and careers of different design professionals and find out what inspired them to study in the first place. We’re starting […]

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How do we start designing for what isn’t visible? thumb

How do we start designing for what isn’t visible?

How do we start designing for what isn’t visible?  Interior design as an industry is notorious for not providing fully-considered spaces for individuals with disabilities. Spaces may be compliant with regulations, but it might be that ramps aren’t conveniently located or even that only a ramp is provided when some people with disabilities are actually […]

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Interior Design and the use of model-making. thumb

Interior Design and the use of model-making.

As a way of exploring the use of model-making in Interior Design Tutor Mike Fairbrass – a very experienced professional model maker, and Programme Leader Catherine Byrne – a spatial designer, have had a conversation about their own experiences of the uses of model-making in spatial design.

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New Programme Leader: Introducing Catherine Byrne thumb

New Programme Leader: Introducing Catherine Byrne

As the new programme leader for the OCA Interior Design course I’d like to give you a bit of background to my own education and career, and also a little insight in to what you can expect from the course – as a student of Interior Design at the OCA.

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Are you ready to become a spatial dreamer? thumb

Are you ready to become a spatial dreamer?

If you think interior design is just about choosing fabrics and collecting colour charts, think again. The newest degree to join our expanding range of courses, the Interior Design degree is not an architecture course, nor is it ‘cushions and curtains’ – it sits somewhere between the two.

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Anyone can cook thumb

Anyone can cook

You will each have your own places that give you happy memories. We want to tap into that potential within each of us by providing opportunities to engage in design practice and to learn design through new programmes at the Open College of the Arts. I’m very excited to announce that the first of these is now ready – we have a foundation in Interior Design which you can sign up for from today.

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