<p>i really like interior design but as well as the design focus of interior spaces i also would like to design the strucual aspects of interiors( designing windows and their placement, design the ceiling, wall placement, etc.)</p>
<p>as far as i know, to be apart of the structual aspects of interior design one would have to have a degree and licence in architecture to practice. </p>
<p>my question is if i want to be apart of the design and structural parts of interior spaces should i study interior design first then go back and study architecture?
or study architecture then go back to school and study interior design?
or should i major in one and minor in the other?
or is studing interior architecture and design (like at schools such as milwaukee institute of art and design or at the academy of art university) good for someone like me?</p>
<p>I feel like a broken record on this, but make sure you choose an educational track that can prepare you for licensing as a architect. Generally, that is either a 5 year architecture program or the 2-3 year master’s program, plus a few years of practice under a licensed architect. Interior designers don’t need a professional license to practice their craft, but if you want to touch any other structural or life safety aspects of the interior architecture - as you have noted - you MUST be licensed as an architect to submit plans for approval to local building officials.</p>
<p>So wherever you choose to go to school, make sure you first ask the tough question about how the school will prepare you for licensing. Don’t accept mushy answers. Get some hard evidence of graduates & alumni. That said, there are a number of schools which have interior architecture programs that include both interior design and architecture courses. These schools will prepare you for the professional master’s degree. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has a highly regarded interior architecture program, as do a number of other Midwestern schools (Iowa State, Ball State, etc.). Do your research and you’ll find something to your liking.</p>
<p>Interior architecture programs do not prepare one for licensing, and I have been told by several people that they are just interior design programs that renamed themselves ‘interior architecture’ to distance themselves from decorators.</p>
<p>The architectural curriculum is much more broad based than an interior design one. At a minimum, it will give you a much better theoretical foundation to pursue any kind of building design. As Daad above has said, look very carefully at the educational track that the school provides. There are very few roads that lead to becoming an architect. The B.Arch is very focused and very demanding with little room for electives. I might suggest taking a summer course in architecture to see if it is what you want.</p>
<p>AS I posted elsewhere, the top 100 Interior designers list is chock full of designers who trained as architects. ARchitecture school is an excellent way to prepare for a career in interior design. I imagine an architecture degree would be a huge asset when applying to interior design firms.</p>
<p>however, there are other, less demanding paths to interior design. AA has a good suggestion. Take a summer course. Also, find an interior desin g firm that you admire and ring up and ask to speak to their hiring partner if possible. Ask him/her what training they prefer–and which schools they admire.</p>