Bachelor Interior Architecture & Furniture Design

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Royal Academy of Art

Program Overview

If you’re someone who enjoys thinking beyond just “designing spaces” and instead wants to explore how people live, interact, and connect with their surroundings, the Interior Architecture & Furniture Design (BA) at KABK is built exactly for that. You’ll learn how to turn ideas into meaningful spatial and object-based designs through experimentation, research, and hands-on making — not just creating beautiful work, but work that has purpose.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1 – Explore

In your first year, the focus is on discovering how design works — both conceptually and practically. Through modules like Context 1: Vocabulary (Assemble) and Tools & Materials (Assemble), you start understanding how designers think, communicate, and work with materials. At the same time, projects like Alchemy 1: Material Biographies push you to experiment, question materials, and explore how design connects to real-world contexts.

Year 2 – Focus & Connect

By the second year, you begin shaping your own direction as a designer. Courses such as Context 3, Common Ground Material Labs, and Design & Analysis help you connect ideas with actual design outcomes. Projects like Improvised Building and Finding Focus encourage you to collaborate, test ideas, and start developing a clearer personal design voice.

Year 3 – Professional Practice & Development

This is where things start to feel real. In year three, you move closer to the industry through modules like Internship Preparation, Reality Check 2, and Field Research, giving you insight into how design works outside the classroom. You’ll also take on more applied projects such as Design & Society and Project X, often working in ways that reflect real client or societal challenges.

Year 4 – Position (Graduation Phase)

Your final year is all about defining who you are as a designer. Through A Year of Research: Input!, Applied Assignment, and your Material Process (Graduation Project), you’ll develop a strong, independent body of work. With support from modules like Communication Design and Reality Check 4, you’ll learn how to present your ideas confidently and graduate with a portfolio that truly reflects your identity.

Focus Areas (in a string):

Spatial design, furniture design, cohabitation, material experimentation, social context, design research

Learning Outcomes (in a string):

Conceptual thinking, independent design practice, material exploration, collaboration, critical analysis, contextual awareness

Professional Alignment (accreditation):

Accredited by the NVAO (Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders)

Reputation (employability / recognition):

Part of the University of the Arts The Hague, known for its strong reputation in concept-driven and experimental design education, with graduates entering diverse creative industries globally

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

What really stands out about this programme is how quickly you move from “learning about design” to actually doing it yourself. From the start, you’re working in a studio environment that feels more like a creative lab than a classroom — testing ideas, building prototypes, and experimenting with materials. The course is designed as an open research and making space, so you’re constantly exploring, failing, refining, and improving — which is exactly how real designers work.

You’re also supported by tutors who are active designers and architects, so the feedback you get is grounded in real industry practice. Alongside this, the programme is structured around Studio, Media & Materials, and Professional Practice, meaning every idea you develop is pushed into something tangible — whether that’s a model, a spatial concept, or a full design project.

As you move through the course, your learning naturally expands beyond the classroom into collaboration, research, and real-world exposure:

Your own design studio space: You’ll spend most of your time in studio, developing concepts into physical models and spatial outcomes — this becomes your creative base throughout the programme
Material & making workshops: Through the Media & Materials track, you experiment directly with materials, fabrication techniques, and hands-on processes rather than just studying them theoretically
Collaborative projects: Projects like Improvised Building and Design & Society involve working in teams, helping you experience how design actually happens in collaborative environments
Real-world assignments: The Professional Practice track introduces projects connected to real contexts and external partners, so you understand how design works outside university
Internship preparation: Modules like Internship Preparation and Reality Check guide you toward industry exposure and help you transition into professional practice
Exhibitions & public showcases: You’ll take part in events like the Graduation Festival and Open Days, where you present your work to a wider audience — a great way to build confidence and visibility
Field research & site-based work: Through modules like Field Research, you explore real environments and use them as the basis for your design thinking
Workshop weeks & skill development: Dedicated workshop periods allow you to focus on specific making techniques and expand your technical abilities
Independent projects: By the final year, you’re leading your own direction through your graduation project, building a portfolio that reflects your personal design identity

Progression & Future Opportunities

By the time you graduate from the Interior Architecture & Furniture Design (BA) at KABK, you won’t just have a degree — you’ll have a strong portfolio and a clear sense of who you are as a designer. Students typically move into roles like Interior Designer, Spatial Designer, Furniture Designer, or independent creative practitioner, while some choose to collaborate with design studios or explore interdisciplinary creative fields.

What really makes a difference here is how early you start building real-world experience — it’s not something saved for the final year, it’s part of your journey from the beginning:

Industry exposure throughout the course: Your projects are closely connected to real design practice, so you’re constantly working in ways that reflect the professional world
Internship opportunities: You’re prepared and guided towards internships (often up to one semester), helping you gain hands-on experience and understand how studios actually operate
Work with real partners: The programme includes collaborations with external organisations and cultural institutions, giving you experience working on real briefs, not just classroom projects
Learn from practicing designers: Your tutors are active professionals, so you’re not just learning theory — you’re getting insights, feedback, and connections that matter in the industry
Portfolio-focused outcomes: Everything you do builds towards a strong, personal portfolio — which is exactly what employers and studios care about in the design field
Flexible career pathways: Graduates go into studios, start their own practice, or work across creative industries depending on their interests

Further Academic Progression:

If you decide to continue studying, this degree sets you up really well for specialised master’s programmes like the Master Interior Architecture (INSIDE) at KABK or similar courses in Spatial Design, Architecture, or Design Research across Europe. This is where you can refine your niche, deepen your conceptual work, or even move into research and academic roles.