Interior Design and Lighting, BA (Hons), with industry placement

Both natural and artificial light impacts human response and behaviour, as well as influencing and manipulating space through strategic lighting design. This three year full time course investigates lighting for contemporary lifestyle and luxury interiors including architectural spaces (residential, commercial, retail, public), and for entertainment, events and art installations.The course covers a complex mix of technical illustration and drawing skills (CAD), combined with the knowledge and understanding required to correctly interpret the ‘light’ atmosphere of a space, and translate this into creative and technical lighting design solutions. Participants understand the principles of lighting, learning how to successfully create a project outline or light installation for an exhibition, fashion show, retail space, or residence. They move onto study more technical aspects of lighting design including LED and fibre optics, colour, beam, light shaping, output and distribution, and are encouraged to experiment with contemporary design as well as considering new and innovative approaches in the industry that are evolving today. The study of the relationship between humans, light, and space is an essential element of the whole interior design process, and participants learn the importance of developing a detailed lighting project for different contexts, with particular focus on the fashion and luxury markets, analysing events where lighting installations may take days to set up, for just a few moments of spectacle. They look at the affect of lighting in retail, and how colour and light intensity change the overall space, or appearance of a product.Case studies of famous Italian lighting brand designers, such as Achille Castiglioni and Vico Magistretti provide an insight into the fundamental synergy between lighting and industrial design as seen in their masterpieces combining tradition and innovation with an accurate study of lighting principles. Participants experience ‘real world’ project development collaborating with companies on industry projects, taking an idea from concept through to final presentation, as well as ‘signing-off’ the space upon completion.Throughout the project they receive professional feedback and guidance from the company while a final graduation showcase provides the opportunity to exhibit their designs, completing the course with the skills to manage projects from a technical and emotive point of view covering all contemporary lifestyle locations.This course is part of the interior design study pathways. With interior design as the core subject, participants specialise in the chosen area of interest (lighting), positioning themselves as an industry expert with a specific and highly sought after professional profile.