Applying Project Management Principles to Interior Architecture Studio Projects

Interior architecture studio projects sit at the intersection of creative design and complex project delivery. While studio pedagogy emphasises iterative exploration, conceptual development, and craft, professional practice relies on structured project management to deliver outcomes on time, within scope, and on budget. This article investigates how established project management principles can be intentionally applied within interior architecture studios to improve learning outcomes, project efficiency, and professional preparedness. Drawing on literature from project management, design pedagogy, and architecture practice, the study develops a theoretical framework that integrates project management processes (initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, closing) with design studio cycles (research, ideation, development, detailing, presentation). A qualitative case study methodology—comprising three studio projects, semi-structured interviews with students and instructors, participant observation, and document analysis—was employed to explore tensions, affordances, and strategies for integrating project management into studio workflows. Thematic analysis revealed five key themes: alignment of scope and creativity, staged planning as a scaffolding tool, communication and stakeholder simulation, risk awareness and mitigation, and reflective project closure. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for studio instructors and curriculum designers, suggesting specific pedagogic interventions (project charters, milestone schedules, risk logs, client brief simulations, reflective post-mortems) while preserving the studio’s exploratory ethos. Implications for professional readiness, interdisciplinarity, and further research are discussed. Keywords: interior architecture, design studio, project management, studio pedagogy, qualitative case study, project delivery, curriculum integration