Interior Architecture

Interior architecture is concerned with the transformation of interior spaces, taking existing buildings and reimagining them as environments that are functional, meaningful, and inspiring for the people who use them. It differs from interior design in its emphasis on the structural and architectural dimensions of space: how buildings work, how interventions within them can alter the relationship between people and their environment, and how good design can adapt existing structures to new purposes rather than simply decorating them.

At the University of Westminster, this three-year full-time programme takes a distinctive approach to the discipline, focusing on adaptive reuse and the creative challenge of working within and against the constraints of existing buildings. You will develop your design thinking alongside technical skills in spatial analysis, materials, structural understanding, and representation. The programme includes a sandwich placement year, giving you direct experience of professional practice in an architecture or design studio alongside your academic work.

This placement is a crucial part of the programme, connecting the theoretical and studio-based learning you do at Westminster with the reality of working in the industry. You will build a portfolio that demonstrates your design process, your technical competence, and your ability to develop ideas from initial concept through to resolved proposal.

Graduates of interior architecture programmes go on to careers in architectural and interior design practices, property development, retail and hospitality design, exhibition design, heritage and conservation projects, and set design. The adaptive reuse focus at Westminster also connects well to the growing interest in sustainable design and the conversion of redundant buildings to new uses, a field that is expanding rapidly. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in architecture, interior design, or related disciplines, working towards professional registration or developing a more specialised research practice.