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Spider Models Research

To collect data to be able to get a good overview on the profession in the different countries of the EU / Europe. This will be done in collaboration with the University of Antwerp. Research and networking.

The research

In 2021 ECIA already did a pre-study in three countries (DE/FR/NO) but with the support of the European Commission we are able to further execute this valuable project.

The ambition of the project can be divided into 4 topics:

  1. Mapping and making visible the diversity in the regulation of the Interior Architecture discipline in Europe.
  2. Mapping the diversity to compare and determine the degree of professionalisation of each country and, by extension, the interior discipline in Europe.
  3. On the basis of which assumptions/hypotheses (need for an agreement on what is professionalisation and on its features among ECIA members/board):
  4. the profession and its professionals/practitioners are best served with a highly regulating framework
  5. a highly regulating framework will lead to a general recognition of the profession by the public (status).
  6. a highly regulated framework will lead to a higher level of professionalization
  7. Using the mapping and evaluation as a tool for member countries to put pressure on local authorities to advance the professionalisation of the interior discipline in their countries.

In 2022, after a careful preparation the questionnaire was sent per country to at least two persons. It consists of two parts, one for professionals and one for the education/academics. The first, about education, was sent to several experts (mostly professors/lecturers) in all the (by that time) fifteen ECIA-members, including the observer-member Slovakia. The second questionnaire about organisation/practice and legislation, was sent to members, mostly presidents of ECIA member organisations. In addition, the first preparatory documents regarding the discussion of so-called focus-groups later this year have been produced. To prepare and organise these discussions, a national assessment of the situation (of the discipline of interior architecture) was made tangible in the form of individual information sheets per country, considering the national context.

2023 First Findings presented

At the ECIA General Assembly in Stockholm in September 2023, the first findings of the research from University of Antwerp were presented by the researcher Louis Debersaques, as a key note speach for the round tables. The topics for the discussions were derived from the key-findings with the objective to convey first insights in the acquired knowledge. The report of the round table discussions can be found on the webpage of Subproject 6, Representing the Network.

Lecture UAntwerp about the Spider Models Research first results

On the 17th of October 2023, the University of Antwerp organised a double lecture on the professionalisation of interior design. Grace Lees-Maffei (University of Hertfordshire) spoke about New Histories of the Professionalisation of Interior Design, followed by a lecture of Els De Vos on the professionalisation of Interior architecture in Europe. In her lecture, Els presented the "Spider Models Research" project for ECIA. Watch Els De Vos's lecture on replay here (slides are available for download below).

2024 Prelaunch report at the General Assembly

At the ECIA General Assembly in Lucerne, the draft report served as inspiration for the round table discussions. Prof. Dominic Haag-Walthert, ECIA Board Member, leader of BCSP Subproject 1, gave a keynote lecture about the findings of the research and presented three topics derived from this the study about professionalization of interior architecture in Europe. Find the report of the round table discussions on the webpage of Subproject 6, Representing the Network.

24 April 2025 Official Launch Report

Th official launch of the report will take place at the hybrid ECIA conference Substance, 24 April 2025 at Kristiana University in Oslo (NO).