Introduction

Masters in Interior Design programme at NCA was initiated in the year 1999. It is a pioneering venture in training professional interior designers. Awareness of interior design as a discipline and profession is a fairly recent phenomenon and few institutions are offering masters in interior design. The introduction of Masters in interior design at NCA has enhanced the diversity of the Institution. This has not only imparted stimulus to this profession nationwide, but it has also created awareness about cultural sensibilities and living spaces. The duration of this programme is 2 years and it is recognized by the HEC and acknowledged by international institutions. The rate of professional employment of NCA interior design graduates is almost 100%. Graduates of the programme are also teaching at various institutions and have played a key role in setting up new interior design programmes in HEC recognized public and private universities of the country. Interior design graduates have also gone abroad for higher studies and professional employment. In the recent years, this programme is proving to be a base for teacher training, as number of young faculty members of NCA and other institutions have enrolled in this program and graduated. The richest asset of the department is the learning environment and facilities comprising of various art and design departments of the National College of Arts. The students use these facilities and participate in the vibrant cultural activities of the college as well.

The program of study consists of courses in design, materials, colour theory, lighting, drawing and presentation, art history, etc. The thesis project is completed in the fourth term of the course.

Objectives

The Masters in Interior Design program aims to train professionals seeking innovative and socially responsible design solutions and provide an academic platform for research in the field of interior design. It also aims to impact the profession by instilling creative and ethical qualities in the practice and finding its application in the related areas of furniture design, interior textiles, adaptive reuse of historic buildings, etc. The graduates are seen as leaders of the profession for envisioning a humane and inspiring environment for the future through design rooted in the cultural sensibilities of the region.

Philosophy And Methodology

Applicants from all over the country having diverse cultural backgrounds and education in various creative disciplines like architecture, architectural engineering, civil engineering, design, fine arts and interior design are admitted to the program. This creates a rich mix of skills and intellectual abilities in the program. Peer learning therefore is a key aspect of this program. This rich mix of students from diverse backgrounds of creative and liberal arts and social sciences proves to be helpful in developing a holistic and inclusive approach to design. It helps in designing inspiring environments that trigger human creative abilities.

The program of study gradually develops through the two academic years. The initial focus is on developing sensitivity towards the built environment in the context of the social environment, culture and life. This is achieved through visiting and connecting with the city and its places of cultural importance. The unique location of NCA in the heart of the historical centre of Lahore and in close vicinity of the Walled City plays a key role in this regard.

Imagination is of core importance in interior design. Creative expression of an interior designer is based upon his power of imagination. This is achieved through an interdisciplinary approach that is unique to the NCA. Students are encouraged to visit other departments and participate in their co-curricular activities.

In the later part of the program, students are introduced to the tools of critical thinking and analysis for design rooted in the socio-cultural realities of the region. Research methods and report writing are key skills taught to the students to encourage a well-researched and structured approach to design in the final thesis project. This thesis project provides opportunity for the students to pursue with great freedom a selected topic of their choice. The students work with their internal advisors and the thesis project is finally graded by an independent jury comprising of professionals from the field of interior design and architecture.

Programme Structure



Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4


Interior Design Studio I

This course deals with our relation to space, form, and the environment in a broad sense. The emphasis is on human factors, scale, materials, and structures. The subject progress from the abstract to problem solving through analysis, and include consideration of professional design problems of moderate scope. The students are familiarized with the fundamentals of interior space planning by progressing from the small scale design project of their own residence to a mid-scale problem concerning the design of a corporate setup.

Construction Technology & Materials I

The course will first develop the fundamental understanding of the building’s structural units; this is especially for the benefit of students with a non- technical background. It would progress to different materials and their in-depth properties and behaviours as well as their aesthetic values. Their applications would also be discussed. There would be accompanying field visits after subsequent lectures in order to clarify the process involved and the usage of these materials.

History of Interior Design I

This course is organized as a chronology of ideas that has shaped the discipline of interior design. It will start by discussing the beginning of human expression through Cave Art and focusing on major changes in thought throughout history in the Middle East, Europe, India and China, will conclude at the European Age of Enlightenment. The course is structured in modules based upon thematic grouping that takes into account major factors shaping societies and hence the production of art and design. The students will be taken through the historical process with a focus on the evolution of ideas and its impacts on society, art and architecture.

Drawing Presentation I

This course is designed to enhance the sequential developments of architectural and interior drawings from basic line to different complex geometries in a digital manner with the use of AutoCAD software. It will start with the 2d planar drafting technique, while in the parallel addressing the proportions of the form into different planar settings. Later on it will add the simple geometries to explore new concepts of designs with the further advancement of them into complex geometries. This course also assembles the visualizing dimensions of designs with the making of various geometric views which will be beneficial for the students to explore new design dimensions at different levels.

Drawing I

The course is designed to teach the sequential developments of design elements, from basic volumes to different compositions. Different perception modes, drawing arrangements, details and perspective will lead the course with multiple interest and flavours in it. Beside that colour balancing will also be taught in this term to respond to different interior finishes.

Colour

This course aims to develop an understanding of the physics of colour, the different hues and its importance in interior design. The course will focus on colour and its implications in a space with the principals of colour theory. The students will be able to critically understand the tonal variations and the colour language.

Interior Design Studio II

In this course, the students will deal with the design of large-scale spaces with an emphasis on planning of hospitality and commercial spaces. The course includes an exploration of complete solutions to environmental, interior, and architectural problems based on space analysis and planning. Coordination of furnishings, materials, user needs, and equipment is emphasized. Emphasis is placed both on the experience of macro and micro environments within the interior and on the use of metrics for assessing the performance of projected design proposals. The ability for the interior to include a range of spaces, at times public and private in their adjacency, becomes the focus for this studio.

Construction Technology & Materials II

This course deals with the development of understanding of different materials that are used in an interior space. The focus in this course is on the materials and systems that physically divide and create an Interior Space; the various partitioning systems. The course will explore the different ways in which different materials can be modelled and modified to translate a creative and imaginative concept into reality.

Drawing Presentation II

This course is designed to teach students more provocative ways in which they can imagine and make their presentations of drawings more interesting and unique. They will learn different software for the enhancement of their presentation drawings and ways to compose them. The course will start will the importing of 2D and basic 3D drawings from AutoCAD to Photoshop. It will advance to different tools available in Photoshop to create realistic and non-realistic presentation drawings that are aesthetically appealing.

Drawing II

The course is designed to make students improve their observational skill in order to dissect a space into its multiple forms and components. It progresses from basic geometries to still life compositions and then moves on to the teaching of the drawing of space in the form of one point and two point perspective. Various mediums such as graphite pencils, colour pencils, watercolours, charcoal and their behaviour on different surfaces like basic paper, newsprint are explored. The concept of human scale and proportions in a space will be taught.

Furniture Design

The course begins with the introduction to the concepts, function, materials, and techniques of furniture design. It will further review the design theory development in two- and three-dimensional forms of a basic furniture concept or design. The course is structured as design problems involving full scale drawings and scale models in order to take students through the in-depth process involved in furniture design with hands on approach. Furthermore, the course will also teach the various kinds of finishes available and required while designing any kind of furniture.

History of Interior Design II

This course takes a critical look at the history of art and space design from the 19th Century onwards. It focuses on the impact of technological advancement and changing power structures on culture, the arts and ways of living. The course begins in the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution, discusses the ‘modernization’ of Western societies and its impact on the globe through imperialism and colonization and explores the mutual exchange of ideas between cultures throughout the 20th century. It concludes at the 21st century with a discussion on postmodern and contemporary art and the destruction and censorship of art and culture in the fight between ideologies.

Interior Design Studio III

The interior design studio III shall explore design issues of added complexity in terms of the range of design concerns addressed in the studio projects. These issues range from adaptive reuse of historic buildings to sustainable interiors to exploring the interface of interior design with other creative disciplines like music, fashion, cinema and literature. There are two projects during the semester, both of eight weeks duration. The first one is based on the interrelationship of design with other creative disciplines like literature and art. The second project is based on adaptive reuse of historic buildings in which the chosen building has a historical and cultural significance.

3D Studio Max

This course is organized as to be a constructive tool towards an idea to imagine and develop a 3d space with all of its essentials. This course is structured into different categories, beginning with the basic introductory settings of the software to start a work on developing an architectural space. Later modelling section will come in which student will learn to import the 3d from the auto cad or rather import a plan and modelled the whole space into the 3d max. After that it will develop the usage of 3ds essential commanding sections like lights, materials, and camera and render settings to explore the 3d formation and manage the whole environment through the collaboration of different designed layouts.

Lighting Design

This course is organized from a macro to micro understanding of the electrical supply system. It starts with a broad understanding of the power distribution from the main grid to individual users.This will also touch upon the basic physics of electricity. It then narrows down to the design of electrical system in a building. It explores the importance of lighting design with respect to the intensity of lights and the selection of appropriate light fixtures. The course will also teach the fundamentals of safety while designing electrical layout of a set up. Furthermore, it will also teach the students how to present electrical design on a plan.

Professional Practice

The course starts with a debate about the profession of interior designer, its role in the construction industry and the responsibility of an interior designer in any given project. The course then proceeds to discuss the professional codes and regulations that affect the practice of interior design. The historical background of interior design and the preservation of interior heritage are discussed later. The students would be introduced to the different stages and phases of the project, from the initial concept to the on-site supervision and the relationship between the client and the contractor. In addition, the modern practices and how technology plays a role in the professional practice will be taught.

Thesis Research and Report writing

It is a lecture/ seminar based course that is focused on applied research methods for thesis research. It covers all the pre-design research culminating in an 800010000 word report. The course shall start with the students writing a statement of intent which will be developed into a synopsis. A research methodology with identified research tools and techniques shall be devised to conduct the research. This will finally go towards the thesis report covering the research aspects, case studies, design considerations and design concept.

Examination Rules

1. In theory courses comprising 18 credits, a semester report (3000 words) will carry 40% of the total marks while the final exam will be given 60% weightage. The assessment will be carried according to following criteria:

• Knowledge of the Subject
• Analytical Skills
• Report Writing Skills (Referencing and Citations)

2. In practical courses, which comprise of 18 credits, students are required to work on individual projects, which will consist of practical work and a written component (500 words), which will be progressively marked.
3. By the end of the programme, the students will be required to produce a body of work on the basis of applied research. The students will initially produce written Research Report (8000-10000 words) in Chicago. The findings of the research will be tried and tested in the Design thesis project. The assessment will be carried out by External Examiners based on following criteria:

• Analytical Skills
• Creative Skills

Admission Requirements

Entry Requirements

Graduation with minimum of 16-years of education in Architecture, Design, Fine Arts, Film & Television, Performing Arts, Home Economics, Applied Arts or other equivalent degree in relevant subject with minimum 60% marks are eligible to apply.

Admission Criteria

Aptitude Test
Interview