Abstract

The International Masters of Interior Architectural Design (IMIAD) was developed as a European Union project under the curriculum development program, in 2005. As a “design-based” program, IMIAD’s core curriculum is centered on design studios. The program has three such studios, one for each semester. In the first semester, the main focus of the design studio is “Corporate Identity.” In the second, the topic is “Design in Cultural Context,” and in the third, the topic is “Thesis Design Study.” These three design studios engage in “research-based design,” which integrates theory, research, and practice. Research-based design can be defined as a method focusing on research to find solutions to design related issues. In other words, this method produces designs according to information obtained through research and generates new disciplinary and experimental knowledge (i.e., different forms of knowledge). Research-based design offers a new method to professionals, educators, and students in design-related fields. In the context of design education, research-based design is done in research studios, which can be held in classrooms, studios, or on site by leading professionals and/or instructors. This article focuses on IMIAD design studios, which offer an environment that includes research, discussion, participation, and experimentation involving all contributors and examines selected studio products from author’s point of view as an educator and a chief instructor from 2008 to 2015.