Abstract:

Abstract The main goal of interior design is based on the strategy of creating spaces where people can live. This strategy, however, has recently begun to fall apart owing to climate change and the reduction of natural resources. The alternatives of architects and interior architects in their design practices are limited within the framework of the concepts of "ecology and sustainability". To reduce negative environmental impacts and move towards a more sustainable future, environmentally friendly design approaches must be dwelled upon as of the early stages of education. Education is, doubtlessly, a critical factor in gaining environmental awareness. One of the foremost roles of higher education is to raise master professionals who are sensitive to the environment. In this context, higher education aims at providing students with environmental awareness, necessary for local and global development. The awareness that individuals who receive design education should be intertwined with nature instead of being against it, is important in terms of professional responsibility. For this reason, it is supported by studies that the concepts of ecology and sustainability should be included in the course curriculum to adopt environmental awareness and ecological approach to interior architecture students, who are in the design education spectrum. This study aims at specifying the awareness levels of the undergraduate students of Selçuk University, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Department of Interior Architecture about the concepts of ecology and sustainability. A survey was applied to the problem. The survey involves the demographic characteristics of the participants, their knowledge levels about the concept of ecology before and after taking the ecological design course, and finally their evaluations about the learning outcomes of the course in question. As a result of the data obtained, it has been evinced that the ecological design course in the interior architecture education curriculum affects the knowledge levels about ecology and sustainability. In the findings collected from the course learning outcomes, it was conjectured that ecology awareness should be given in the education process. For this reason, it has been concluded that the concepts of ecology and sustainability play a crucial role in the training of environmentally conscious designers, both by giving education from the beginning stage and by organizing workshops and conferences to support education.

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