Prefabricated Interiors: Through the Lens of an Interior Systems Theoretical Framework

The submitted publications and commentary demonstrate my founding literature on the topic of prefabricated interiors. Prefabricated interiors are fabricated off-site, typically customizanble, transformable, transportable, and place-making within both architecturally defined and non-architectural settings. They foster user attachment, promote regenerative design, and have significantly advanced the evolution of prefabrication across the built environment. I am the first scholar to discuss prefabricated interiors as a stand-alone design practice, theoretical approach, and pedagogical subject. As such, I have received global recognition as an authority on the subject. This commentary analyses the source materials that introduce the topic of prefabricated interiors through a theoretical framework and introduces a novel methodology for classifying them, distinguishing them from prefabricated architecture. Using my interior systems theoretical framework—combining systems thinking and emotional design—the scholarship examines how strategies of modularisation and mass-customization differentiate prefabricated interiors from prefabricated architecture. The research fills a gap in the literature by introducing the role of interior design in prefabricated technology. The research underscores systems thinking in interior design, viewing interiors as interconnected systems that optimise materials, minimise waste, and enhance user attachment. These strategies support sustainability efforts globally. From screens to modular elements to complete units, prefabricated interiors serve as place-makers, shaping undefined spaces into transformable, transportable, cohesive environments that catalyse an emotional connection between the user and the environment. The research contributes to modern prefabrication techniques across the built environment by articulating the role of prefabricated interiors. Prefabricated interiors hold transformative potential in shaping future architectural practices, fostering adaptability, emotional attachment, and regenerative design in the built environment.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Ph.D. by Published Work

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

PhD thesis

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Westminster

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Schneiderman, Deborah

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• McLean, W.
• Spankie, R.

Identifier

oai:westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk:x04q1

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk:x04q1