CFP - Current Issues in Interiors Symposium
Matthew Heins
Current Issues in Interiors [CII] 2026 Symposium aims to bring together leading academicians, researchers, students, and vendors to share their research experiences and findings on various aspects of interior architecture and design, including adaptive reuse for interiors, design and culture, environment and behaviour, environmental systems, and technology. Prospective authors and participants are kindly invited to submit their abstracts and present their research papers. Through the submitted abstracts and papers, this three-day symposium targets an interdisciplinary environment for producing, sharing and discussing academic knowledge, by taking interior architecture and design as its main focus.
Track 1: Adaptive Reuse for Interiors
This track seeks to engage scholars, practitioners, and educators from diverse disciplines to critically examine the theory and practice of adaptive reuse in the context of historic architecture and urban environments. As a vital area of research and practice in spatial design, adaptive reuse involves the transformation of cultural heritage sites for contemporary purposes, while maintaining a dialogue with the past. This process presents inherent challenges, particularly in balancing historical authenticity with the demands of modern functionality. However, these challenges offer the opportunity to enrich the social, functional and aesthetic character of historic existing buildings and urban textures when the interventional design is thoughtful and well-executed. The rich tangible and intangible data accumulated within existing buildings provide invaluable inspiration for creative design solutions, fostering a diverse range of contemporary approaches varying between harmony and contrast. This symposium invites proposals that address theoretical frameworks, historical perspectives, practical applications, and educational methodologies related to adaptive reuse of interior spaces, with an emphasis on evolving practices and new emergent trends in the field.
Themes
- Contemporary approaches in the spatial transformation of historic interiors
- Theoretical and practical aspects of authenticity in adaptive reuse
- Sustainability in historic building transformation
- Memory, identity, and narrative in adaptive reuse
- Emerging materialities in the adaptation of existing spaces
- Cultural heritage, intangible values, and their impact on interior design
- The future of cultural heritage and interior architecture education
- Ethical considerations and community engagement in adaptive reuse projects
- Technological advances and digital tools in adaptive reuse design
Track 2: Design, Culture, Environment and Behavior
Our objective in this track is to establish an interdisciplinary sharing environment for contemporary research in interiors. This will be achieved by concentrating on the theoretical underpinnings of interior architecture and design practices, as well as by integrating theoretical and practical knowledge through the examination of issues in design, culture, environment, and behaviour. Interiors today are fundamentally influenced by research, initiatives, and applications that pertain to design, culture, environment, and behaviour relations. Consequently, we provide this track as a platform for exchanging ideas and the benefit of shared experiences. These could include the ways that design history studies have helped to analyse cultural codes, work with contemporary design approaches to solve interior spaces that serve various purposes by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and explore novel ways that behaviour and space interact. We encourage proposals that interrogate the interior beyond disciplinary boundaries and that contribute to redefining the scope and impact of interior design as both academic inquiry and spatial practice. We welcome interdisciplinary approaches and diverse methodological perspectives under the following themes.
Themes
- Cultural narratives, identity, and semiotics in interior environments
- Interiors as platforms for interdisciplinary expression and cultural negotiation
- Crossovers with art, fashion, cinema, literature, and philosophy
- The interior as a narrative and interdisciplinary medium
- Critical perspectives on domesticity, dwelling, and residential design
- Interior responses to crises such as pandemics and their spatial implications
- Design, experience, and function in public, institutional, and commercial interiors (e.g., retail, healthcare, hospitality, education, and workplaces)
- The role of interiors in urban life and social infrastructure
- Historical and theoretical studies on interior design and modern aesthetics
- Innovative approaches in design education, pedagogy, and studio practices
- Environmental psychology and the embodied experience of space
- Inclusive and adaptive interior design addressing accessibility, aging, and diverse identities
Track 3: Environmental Systems and Technology
In this track, we aim to attract researchers wishing to contribute to CII in environmental control, construction and technology. The objective of this track is to establish a collaborative platform that encourages the exchange of interdisciplinary ideas and research related to Environmental systems and technology. In interiors, modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, simulations, and experimental methods are utilized to create more comfortable and innovative spaces. However, the task of designing spaces that are both sustainable and healthier has become increasingly challenging. Furthermore, integrating environmental systems into visually appealing designs has proven to be a complex endeavour. We are seeking proposals covering interior architecture and environmental control, such as green building technologies, indoor comfort, sustainable interiors, building information technologies, and artificial intelligence in design. Additionally, we encourage proposals related to building components and building information modelling.
Themes
- Healthier and safer interiors
- Sustainable interior design, renovations, and green building technologies
- Eco housing, low-energy houses, net zero-energy design
- Passive interior design systems, low-emitting materials
- Indoor comfort; natural lighting, artificial lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort, and occupant wellbeing
- Building components, systems and finishing materials
- Building information technologies and modeling, life cycle and circular construction, automation and robotics, virtual and augmented reality, software development
- Digital tools and advances in environmental control systems
* All accepted full papers will be published in the online Proceeding Book with an ISBN number.