The bestselling guide to interior design, updated with new code and technology
Interior Design Illustrated is the definitive guide to design for interior spaces. Richly illustrated in author Francis Ching's signature style, this book introduces complex design concepts in a visually stunning format; from defining the space and using the elements of design, to planning building systems and incorporating sustainable materials, this volume embodies the idea that beauty and function are not separate entities, but two parts of a whole. This new fourth edition has been updated to reflect the latest building codes and design practices, with discussion of new materials related to acoustics, lighting, and sustainable furnishings. Renewed attention to sustainability includes new information on energy conservation, design for longevity and adaptive reuse of existing buildings, as well as an updated discussion on LED lighting, workplace design, use of color, and computer modeling software to provide a well-rounded view of how interior design firms are working today.
This classic text brings the elements and principles of design to life, giving students the practical skills they need to transition from idea to concept.
Understand the latest building codes and how to integrate them into your design
Explore new advances in materials, lighting, and wireless technology
Design from a perspective of sustainability, longevity, and energy efficiency
Delve into BIM, including software for modeling lighting, acoustics, and more
Interior designers work at the intersection of aesthetics, functionality, regulations, accessibility, sustainability, and technology. There's no one formula for getting it right, only an eye trained by experience, based on a mastery of design fundamentals. Interior Design Illustrated begins laying that foundation, guided by a leading global authority in the field.
Space is a prime ingredient in the designer's palette and the quintessential element in interior design. Through the volume of space we not only move; we see forms, hear sounds, feel gentle breezes and the warmth of the sun, and smell the fragrances of flowers in bloom. Space inherits the sensual and aesthetic characteristics of the elements in its field.
Space is not a material substance like stone and wood. It is inherently formless and diffuse. Universal space has no defining borders. Once an element is placed in its field, however, a visual relationship is established. As other elements are introduced into the field, multiple relationships are established between the space and the elements, as well as among the elements themselves. Space is formed by our perception of these relationships.
The geometric elementsâpoint, line, plane, and volumeâcan be arranged to articulate and define space. In architecture, these fundamental elements become linear columns and beams, planar walls, floors, and roofs.
A column marks a point in space and makes it visible in three dimensions.
Two columns define a spatial membrane through which we can pass.
When supporting a beam, the columns delineate the edges of a transparent plane.
A wall, an opaque plane, marks off a portion of amorphous space and separates here from there.
A floor defines a field of space with territorial boundaries.
A roof provides shelter for the volume of space beneath it.
In architectural design, these elements are organized to give a building form, differentiate between inside and outside, and define the boundaries of interior space.
A building's form, scale, and spatial organization are the designer's response to a number of conditionsâfunctional planning requirements, technical aspects of structure and construction, economic realities, and expressive qualities of image and style. In addition, the architecture of a building should address the physical context of its site and the exterior space.
A building can be related to its site in several ways. It can merge with its setting or dominate it. It can surround and capture a portion of exterior space. One of its faces can be made to address a feature of its site or define an edge of exterior space. In each case, due consideration should be given to the potential relationship between interior and exterior space, as defined by the nature of a building's exterior walls.
Buildings affect and are affected by conditions of their sites and the wider environment. Selecting and developing sites to reduce site disturbance, stormwater runoff, heat island effects, and light pollution contribute to sustainable design.
A building's exterior walls constitute the interface between our interior and exterior environments. In defining both interior and exterior space, they determine the character of each. They may be thick and heavy, expressing a clear distinction between a controlled interior environment and the exterior space from which it is isolated. They may be thin, or even transparent, and attempt to merge inside and outside.
Windows and doorways, the openings that penetrate a building's exterior walls, are the spatial transitions between exterior and interior space. Their scale, character, and composition often tell us something about the nature of the interior spaces that lie between them.
Special transitional spaces, belonging to both the outside world and the inside, can be used to mediate between the two environments. Familiar examples include a porch, a veranda, or an arcaded gallery.
Many single-family residences have steps at all entrances that present barriers to people with physical disabilities. Visitability is a movement to construct new homes so that they can be readily lived in and visited by people with mobility impairments.
Entrances mark the transition from here to there.
Upon entering a building, we sense shelter and enclosure. This perception is due to the bounding floor, wall, and ceiling planes of interior space. These are the architectural elements that define the physical limits of rooms. They enclose space, articulate its boundaries, and separate it from adjoining interior spaces and the outside.
Floors, walls, and ceilings do more than mark off a simple quantity of space. Their form, configuration, and pattern of window and...
