Interior Architecture BA (Hons)

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Cardiff Metropolitan University Llandaff Campus

Program Overview

This BA (Hons) Interior Architecture degree at Cardiff Met allows you to reshape, redesign, and reinvent interior spaces — turning them into functional, sustainable, and emotionally resonant environments. It’s especially well suited for creative students who want to bridge design thinking with technical architectural knowledge, focusing on how people interact with the spaces around them.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1

In your first year, you’ll dive into Interior Design Studio 1.1, learning foundational design concepts like adaptive reuse, regeneration, and the relationship between space and place. Along with that, Interior Design Studio 1.2 helps you begin developing your identity as a designer or interior architect through self‑led project work. You’ll also study Research Basics, which builds your ability to gather, evaluate, and analyze information, and take Interdisciplinary Understanding, where you collaborate across disciplines to tackle societal or cultural design challenges.

Year 2

In year two, you’ll work on Interior Architecture Studio 2, where you explore more advanced and individual design trajectories and begin to define your creative and professional voice. The 21st Century Challenges module brings future-focused, live briefs that ask you to think about issues like social change, sustainability, and community, while Real‑World Contexts tasks you with applying your design thinking to actual stakeholder and community-based projects. You’ll also prepare for your final year by writing a Research Proposal that helps you articulate a focused design inquiry for your third year.

Year 3

For your final year, you’ll undertake a Major Project, where you define your own design brief and deliver a comprehensive piece of work that demonstrates your skills in adaptive reuse, materiality, construction detailing, and building regulations. Alongside, the Positioning in Practice module encourages you to reflect on your studio work and professional growth, helping you understand how you might work in the real world as an interior architect. Finally, the Contribution module gives you space to show your research strength — integrating design thinking and theory to present a meaningful written or practical exploration.

Focus Areas

Adaptive reuse & regeneration, sustainable design, people‑centred environments, materiality & structure, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional practice.

Learning Outcomes

You will graduate able to design thoughtful, human-centered interior spaces; apply architectural principles to interior layout, structure, and detailing; evaluate social and environmental contexts in your work; and articulate a professional and research-informed identity for your future career.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

This course is part of the Cardiff School of Art & Design, and emphasizes real-world design practice, interdisciplinary skills, and professional readiness. It gives a strong foundation to work as an Interior Architect or Interior Designer, though students may also choose to pursue further postgraduate education in design and architecture.

Reputation (Employability & Rankings)

Cardiff Met’s Interior Architecture degree is well regarded within the design community, being known for its studio-based teaching, industry‑relevant briefs, and strong links with practicing designers and architects. Graduates are typically equipped to step into careers in commercial, residential, or public interior architecture and design, or continue in higher‑level study or design research.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Cardiff Met, the Interior Architecture course is deeply studio-based. From year one, you’re working in design studios where you explore how to adapt, reuse, and re‑imagine existing interior spaces. The programme is very people-centered — you'll design with the well‑being, accessibility, and sustainability of the occupants in mind. As you advance, you take on real or realistic design briefs, pushing you to consider environmental impact, structural detail, and material choices. The department collaborates with architects, interior designers, and design technologists, so you benefit from professional insight. Your learning is not just conceptual — you build, model, and simulate your ideas digitally and physically. You also develop strong research skills, and by your final year you drive a major design project (your “Major Project”) that synthesises theory, practice, material science, regulations, and professional thinking. The course includes professional‑orientation learning, preparing you to enter the world of practice, research or even start your own design venture.

Key Experiential Learning Features

Studio-Led Practice from Day One
Design studios are central: you engage in individual and group projects, sketching, modelling, and critical reflection, learning to express design ideas both visually and verbally.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
The course is housed in the Architecture & Designed Environments department, which means you frequently interact with architects, interior designers, and technologists — this builds your ability to think across disciplines.
Sustainable & Adaptive Reuse Focus
A major part of your work involves remodelling and reusing existing spaces, pushing you to think about sustainability, material reuse, and how people inhabit environments.
Digital & Immersive Modelling Tools
You work with advanced digital simulations, immersive environments, and rich data-driven models — strengthening your skillset in visualisation, spatial analysis, and design communication.
Research-Driven Design
From early modules like “Research Basics,” you build strong academic and theoretical foundations. This supports independent inquiry and helps you frame design decisions in cultural, historical, and environmental contexts.
Real-World Briefs & 21st‑Century Challenges
You take part in live and future-thinking briefs that are socially relevant, addressing community needs, sustainability, and emerging design paradigms.
Major Final-Year Project
In your final year, you lead a self-directed design project where you define a concept, develop detailed proposals, consider construction and regulatory frameworks, and present your work professionally.
Professional-Awareness Module
You have a dedicated module (“Positioning in Practice”) to reflect on your career path, understand professional practice, and prepare for work or further study in interior architecture.

Why This Degree Matters for Your Future

You become an interior architect: not just someone who decorates spaces, but a designer who understands structure, materials, and the human experience in built environments.
The strong emphasis on sustainability and adaptive reuse means you’re ready for the growing demand for environmentally responsible design.
Digital modelling, immersive simulations, and visualisation skills set you up for modern architectural and design practices, especially in firms that prioritise innovation.
Reflective and research-based learning gives you the flexibility to either enter professional practice or pursue further academic study at master’s level.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates from Cardiff Met’s BA (Hons) Interior Architecture develop the skills needed for careers where creativity, spatial understanding, and technical design converge. Many progress into roles such as interior architect, spatial designer, exhibition designer, or environmental design consultant. The degree equips you with both practical and theoretical knowledge, making you highly employable in professional design and architecture sectors.

University Services & Support
- Dedicated career services provide guidance on placements, portfolio development, and career planning.
- Opportunities for live design briefs and work experience as part of coursework help you build real-world contacts.
- Access to fully equipped design studios, fabrication workshops, and digital simulation tools to develop both physical models and immersive digital designs.
- Support for entrepreneurship, with mentoring and guidance if you wish to start your own design practice or consultancy.
Graduate Employment & Salary
- A significant proportion of design-studies graduates move into work or further study within 15 months of graduation.
- Many graduates enter highly skilled roles, including interior architecture, spatial design, and environmental consultancy.
- Early-career salaries for interior design and architecture-related roles are typically around £24,000, increasing with experience and seniority.
Industry & University Partnerships
- The course operates within the Architecture & Designed Environments department, offering collaboration with architects, interior designers, and technology practitioners.
- Emphasis on adaptive reuse, sustainability, and inclusive design aligns with contemporary industry needs.
- Interdisciplinary projects, client-led briefs, and community-focused challenges help you build a portfolio relevant to real-world practice.
Long-Term Accreditation Value
- The degree provides theoretical and technical training, preparing you for professional design practice or specialised architectural roles.
- Skills in sustainability, material reuse, and digital modelling ensure your education remains relevant to modern architecture and interior design practices.
Graduation Outcomes
- Typical career paths include:
  • Interior Architect / Interior Designer
  • Spatial Designer (exhibition, retail, hospitality)
  • Environmental / Sustainable Design Consultant
  • Entrepreneur / Design Studio Founder
- Some graduates continue into postgraduate study, research, or teaching roles.

Further Academic Progression:

After completing the BA (Hons) Interior Architecture, you can continue your academic and professional development through:

Master’s Study: MA or MSc in Interior Design, Spatial Design, Architecture, or Sustainable Built Environments.
Professional Practice & Chartership: Work in design firms or architectural practices and progress toward professional recognition.
Doctoral Research (PhD): Opportunities in adaptive reuse, sustainable materials, digital design, or human-centred spatial research.
Entrepreneurial Path: Launch your own interior architecture or design studio, supported by the skills and mentoring gained during your degree.