Interior Architecture and Product Design

Head:

Lorraine Cutler

Director of graduate studies:

Neal Hubbell

Graduate faculty:

Vicky Borchers, M.Arch, Texas A&M University.
David Brown, M. of Product Design, North Carolina State University.
Robert Bullock, MFA, Michigan State University.
Lorraine Cutler, MA, University of Phoenix.
Steven Davidson, M.Arch., University of Kansas.
Donna Lynn Fullmer, MA, DePaul University.
Allan Hastings, BPA Industrial Design, Art Center College of Design.
Gary Haycock, M.Arch, University of Oregon.
Neal Hubbell, M.Arch, University of Texas at Austin.
Fayez Husseini, MFA, Kansas State University.
Katrina Lewis, MRCP, Kansas State University.
Carolyn Thompson, M. Arch, .(Emeritus) Columbia University.
Rodney Troyer, M.IntArch, University of Oregon.

The master of interior architecture and product design first professional program consists of a four-year and a summer course of study following the one-year environmental design studies program. The department’s five-year program of study is one of the first curricula in this profession to be recognized and accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) in the United States. The department’s first professional program is also accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Students in the Master of Interior Architecture and Product Design Program have the opportunity to gain competency in interior design, furniture design, product design, and space planning. Projects include exercises in space articulation, programming, human behavior, material and finish selection, furniture and fixture specification, signage, historic preservation, and facility management. By studying design in a holistic manner, students become more versatile and develop a variety of marketable skills.

Product design projects will relate to the development of new and existing products using various manufacturing methods and materials such as woods, metals, plastics, and synthetics. Products can range in size from a small flashlight to a large space station. In furniture design studios, hands-on experience is gained in producing prototypes of the students’ own designs in fully equipped wood, metal, plastic, and upholstery workshops.

Computers are integrated into studio beginning with the third year, and computer cabinets virtually replace drafting tables. Students are encouraged and aided by faculty in the use of CAD, 3D-modeling, graphic design, word processing, spreadsheets, multimedia presentation, and Internet software.

Exposure to design in metropolitan areas is achieved through field trips that are a part of the studio curriculum. During the second and third year, a one-week trip to a city such as Chicago or Dallas is planned to increase student awareness and experience. Faculty also arrange for the students to visit appropiate places of interest related to the assigned design problems. These visits are often to Kansas City, Topeka, or another nearby community.

By the second semester of the fourth year and during the summer between the 4th and 5th year, students have several alternatives to staying on campus. Credit can be earned by studying abroad or participating in a professional internship. The Department of Interior Architecture has an exchange program with Trier and Coburg, Germany. Students can also participate in an exchange program with Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic and DIS in Copenhagen, Denmark. The College of Architecture, Planning and Design offers programs in Castiglion Fiorentino and Orvieto, Italy. The professional internship, arranged with the aid of professors, is a paid position.

As the education in interior architecture and product design is diverse, so are the career possibilities. Graduates have chosen to work as interior architects, furniture designers, facility managers, historic preservationists, exhibit designers, or space planners. Others have chosen graphic design, automotive design, industrial design, or lighting design. Other graduates have opted to work in the amusement or theme park arena, or aircraft, yacht, and boat design, while some have become illustrators or model builders.

For more information

For additional information and application materials please contact:
Graduate Program Coordinator
Kansas State University
Interior Architecture and Product Design
203C Seaton Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-5992
Home Page: http://capd.ksu.edu/iapd/