The value of the interior designer in the management and construction of sustainable buildings
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Date
2021
Authors
Ngandane, Nokuzola
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Abstract
The aim of the research report is to determine and evaluate the value of interior design in the management and construction of buildings particularly sustainable buildings. The building industry has a significant impact on the environment due to the nature of its large footprint on the environment and usage of natural resources. Like any other industry, the building industry is
gradually moving towards sustainable or green solutions to mitigate the negative impacts it has on
the environment and improve quality of life for present and future generations. Sustainability in
its definition includes not only the conservation of the environment but also creating healthy
physical environments for human beings including indoor spaces where they spent majority of their
existence.
The project management frameworks that have been developed for the implementation of green
buildings entail a holistic and comprehensive design approach that requires all professions
involved in the design process to be included in the initial phase of the Project Lifecycle Process
for effective implementation of a sustainable building. However, in most building projects,
interior designers are often not included in initial stages of the project but rather after
construction due to many factors that will be explored in the report. Excluding the interior
designer can result in design solutions that do not cater for human consideration and the end -
user experience. This is qualitative research where a qualitative research method in the form of
one-on-one semi structured interviews was utilized. The participants who took part in the one-
on-one interviews consisted of 21 professionals within the built industry who were selected based
purposeful sampling. The participants were pre-selected based on educational qualification within
the built environment, experience in number of years and registration with a professional body in
their respective fields. The participants were asked preformulated questions but the interviews
themselves were semi structured to make room for more discussions, ideas and more questions to be
explored to answer the research question.
The findings of the research based on the qualitative interviews and literature review revealed
that interior design is still a developing profession in South Africa. It is a profession that is
struggling to find its rightful place due to being misunderstood based on a general lack of
knowledge and being perceived as an artsy career based on aesthetics rather than functionality and
technicality. It finds itself having to compete with more developed and dominant professions within
the building industry. This leads to interior designers being undervalued, underappreciated and
underutilized. However, the study determined that there is indeed value in the inclusion of
interior design in the inception phase of building projects particularly green building projects
depending on the type and size of building project
Description
A research report submitted in fulfilment of the degree of Master of Science (in Building) for the The School of Construction Economics and Management, at the University of the Witwatersrand, 2021