do architects hate interior designers?

[Antra]

I would be more than happy to become the architect, but because of financial reasons had to leave the school and start to work (in hope one day return to school). So now I work on interior works.
Used to work for an architect's office, but for the moment I live in a place, where the word design is just starting to be recognized. So I started to work as there was demand.
I do feel the negative attitude from local architects. So I wondered why would they be so negative...

[Antra]

as I present me as a designer (although I see that the local interior designers tend to call themselves - architecte d'interieur), they look at me like I'm lower cathegory or smth.
Most of the buildings are ugly here, so I assume that they don't have time to spend on doing nice interiors, as there is a crazy building business. So they just keep on making all those concrete boxes (tropical climate here).
I saw people discussing about prices etc. Here happens that there are the people who charge 100 euros per hour just for consulting... crazy place

[?eter]

Welcome Antra, hope you enjoy PPB.

The problem is two-fold:
One is that architects often like to have control over all scales of work they are involved in- many famous architects have worked at ALL scales, from the region through the city to the house and down to furniture and ironmongery. Often architects view all of this domain as theirs.

Secondly, there is often confusion between 'interior designer' (designer specialising in interior spaces) and 'interior decorator' (person who chooses furniture and fabric for a room). Interior decorators have a reputation for, uh, not appreciating the aesthetic of a building (Baroque furniture and curtains in Modernist buildings etc.) and I think that reputation gets transferred to interior designers (BTW, one of the local design schools calls it's interior course 'interior architecture' as well)

[gorgon]

Welcome to the forum Antra

Originally Posted by ?eter

'interior architecture'

I thought that was the usual term...

Another couple of issues; money, which you touched on. Interiors is low low risk and you guys do what 3 years at university. but you guys get paid a fortune. We have high risk (liability wise) and spend up to 6 years in Univeristy and get paid badly. we're jealous


Architects are also really snobby as a breed. sorry 'bout that.:o

[mperna]

What I've always wondered is then why dont more architects do interior work? is it the snobbery?

[Antra]

just that Your works is longer lasting, it's more valued. Me - I would prefere to do the buildings as well. Because it's not always easy to adapt interior for existing building. Currently I'm working on redesigning a restaurant. The building is old (seems that it had been a private house before), everything is attached so so, kg of paints, million wires, crazy client and even crazier neighbour (tells that will call police if we make the smallest sound (so far he insults the clients, who eat in the enclosed garden)). The building doesn't have existing plans, so I measured up all by mayself. Client doesn't start paying until the moment You present the concept and detailed invoices. Client has crazy wishes, and doesn't understand why I wouldn't do certain things. AND there are 3 things - "je veux que c'est joli, pas chère et vit fait". Sorry french is not my native language (I'm Latvian), in english it would be 'I want it beautiful, not expensive and quickly'. They just don't think that as it's an island, there is almost nothing in stock here. I import even things from Canada, I arrange the transport costs, I bring them products. There is even the time, when I paint the walls myself, as the people have 35h working weeks here and You can't get a good painting guy. Thankfully I haven't got yet till installing tiles or smth.
So here it is - the 'easy' job of interior desginer...
P.S. And because I'm a girl, I have to fight with damn workers that they respect me, as apparently here women would never dere to tell a man that he is not good at installing sink or that the electricity switch is in a wrong place (they don't read the drawings).
P.S.1 I still love my job though...

[lewisuk]

From the sound of your last post you would be a highly valued part of any architecture practice and (i have no idea what the process in latvia is but) you could perhaps work as a trainee architect and qualify that way if money is a problem?
As for architects hating interior designers i have to say that in my university i am very fond of many of the interior design students, much more so than the architects

[archie1492]

I don't hate interior designers. I don't even hate bad interior designers. Although, what is bad is always the question. I really like interior design. The best way to word it is I hate the type of interior designer that takes a decent building and frills it up with stupid curtains, excessive clutter, and tacky furniture.

Architects tend to think in terms of spatial geometries, color, light, order, composition....

A lot of interior designers from my area of the world are from the school of thought of "Disneyland stylistic imitation". They decorate rooms to look a certain way. i.e. The Southern Vernacular themed room or The Pirates of the Carribean themed room..... or the Victorian Room...... or the Mark Twain theme room....... you get the idea.

This too often becomes a cheap rip off with no real meat to the building. If the mechanics aren't there then what makes an interior work?

[lewisuk]

Wohnzimmer in Berlin is probably my favourite place in the world and that is all the work (thesis) of an interior designer!

[Nick Fox]

It's an architects right to wear a spotted bow tie and they only hate interior designers who wear them too.