An Imaginal Interpretation of Interior Design's Methods of Cultural Production

498 Pages·2015·24.58 MB·English

An Imaginal Interpretation of Interior Design’s Methods of Cultural Production:
Towards a Strategy for Constructing Meaning

Philosophaie Doctor
Raymund Königk
Department of Architecture
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
vir Karel
An Imaginal Interpretation of Interior Design’s Methods of Cultural Production:
Towards a Strategy for Constructing Meaning

Raymund Königk

Submitted in fulfilment of part of the requirements for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in the Faculty of
Engineering, the Built Environment and Information Technology
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

Supervisor: Professor Karel Anthonie Bakker

Examiners: Associate Professor Suzie Attiwill,
School of Architecture and Design, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

Professor Anne Massey
School of Art and Design, Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom

Professor Charles Rice
Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney, Aurstralia

July 2015
I declare that the thesis, which I hereby submit for the degree Philosophiae
Doctor at the University of Pretoria, is my own work, and has not
previously been submitted by me for a degree at this or any other tertiary
institution.

Raymund Königk
14 July 2015
The drugstore (or the new shopping centre) achieves a
synthesis of consumer activities, not the least of which are
shopping, flirting with objects, playful wandering and all the
permutational possibilities of these … [the drugstore] does
not juxtapose categories of merchandise, but lumps signs
together indiscriminately, lumps together all categories of
commodities, which are regarded as partial fields of a sign-
consuming totality. In the drugstore the cultural centre
becomes part of the shopping centre. It would be simplistic
to say that culture is ‘prostituted’ there. It is culturalized.
Simultaneously, commodities (clothing, groceries, catering
etc.) are also culturalized in their turn, since they are
transformed into the substance of play and distinction, into
luxury accessories, into one element among others in the
general package of consumables.
Jean Baudrillard
The following people and institutions assisted me:

The University of Pretoria who granted me generous study leave and
research support;
The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) who
undertook the DFIE process which was a catalyst for this study, and who
gave me various platforms for my ideas;
My colleagues in the Programme for Interior Architecture, and others in the
Department of Architecture;
The Department of Library Services, UP;
Members of EBIT faculty administration, specifically Dawn Taljaard and Liz Jones;
Previous and current Heads of Department, and previous and current
Programme Coordinators, who set the tone;
Shashi Caan, IFI, in her enthusiasm for interior design, her scholarship,
and her enthusiasm for what I had to say;
My parents who supported my intellectual development and paid for my
initial education, who acculturated me, and who allowed me the freedom
to pursue myself and my own interests;
Karel, who advised me to fly higher and delve deeper into theory;
Cobus, this is a final ending; and
Daniel, you are more precious than knowledge.
ABSTRACT

An Imaginal Interpretation of Interior Design’s Methods of Cultural Production: Towards a Strategy for
Constructing Meaning

by

Raymund Königk

Supervisor: Prof. KA Bakker
Department: Architecture
Degree: Philosophiae Doctor

The main research problem was to determine interior design’s methods of cultural production. The original
knowledge contributions of this thesis is summatively included in the imaginal interiors hypothesis: “Interior
design produces culture through synthesis, proximity, associations, timeliness, and technification”.
The study was undertaken as an initial study of the role of interior design in the field of cultural production. It
aimed to make tacit interior design methods explicit and emerged from the assumption that interior designers
who excel in the creation of meaning are rewarded for it in the form of cultural and economic capital. The study
is important since it may improve the praxis of interior design, it expands the discipline’s research methodology,
and it reviews the production methods of an emergent discipline.
The study considered cultural production as an iterative practice comprised of the individual acts of
generation and interpretation and the group manifestations of meaning. Within this domain interior artefacts are
considered as a material objects within a semiotic context. These objects are functional and their primary
communicative role is to portray their function. Making the generation of culture analogous to the generation of
meaning allowed me to assess the interior artefact from a logical point of view and enabled me to speculate on
the role of interior design within the larger cultural discourse.
The research was located in the interpretivist paradigm. It took a non-positivist, social constructivist stance. I
believe that meanings are emergent from the research process. The research encompassed a literature review,
the collection of suitable examples, and the conduct of critical analysis. The primary research methods were
constructivist grounded theory and phenomenography. Qualitative, interpretivist tools were developed and
utilised in the content analysis through interpretation. The analysis followed a process of coding and analytic
integration to construct theory. The analysis is based on a non-probability, judgmental sample of representations
of interior artefacts which was compiled to cover the substantive area with a degree of representivity and
generality. The corpus contains photographic documentation and meta-data for 72 interior artefacts.
The thesis presented a theory for the construction of meaning in interior design as it manifested in the
substantive area. This was presented in a narrative format where the five imaginal methods were described by
illustrating and discussing their general properties, the actions they undertake and the effects these create.
‘Synthesis’ relate to the selection of meaningful components and bringing them together in a cohesive whole.
‘Proximity’ relates to the placement of objects in space to create meaningful arrangements and patterns.
‘Associations’ involve connections in the mind between different components and to methods which infer
meaning. ‘Technification’ is concerned with the physical expression of meaning. This theory should be
considered as the foremost response to the research problem. The theory that is presented here is the result of
identifying, isolating, describing, and interpreting interior design’s methods of cultural production.
The thesis contributes to the theoretical consideration of the role of meaning in interior design, how the
discipline creates that meaning, and how this production of meaning influences cultural production in general. In
terms of the discipline’s larger cultural role I concluded that the professional practice of interior design is the
best located occupation to denote occupation, inhabitation, and identity in the public built environment; in
addition the discipline communicates theoretical discourses through its cultural effluent.
The practical contributions of the thesis manifests in facilitating the production of meaning in new interior
artefacts. The thesis makes provision for the inclusion of imaginal aspects in the discipline’s production by
strategically expanding the interior design process. The practical contributions can be summarised as a call for
the inclusion of knowledge-based, empirical research practice in the interior design process. The thesis presents
a design strategy to augment, but not replace, well-developed design intuition. This strategy is a novel
contribution to interior design’s production processes.

Keywords: Cultural Production; Design Strategy; Image; Meaning
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EKSERP

’n Beeldelike Interpretasie van Binne-ontwerp se Kultuurproduksiemetodes: Op Pad na ’n Strategie vir die
Konstruksie van Betekenis

deur

Raymund Königk

Studieleier: Prof. KA Bakker
Departement: Argitektuur
Graad: Philosophiae Doctor

Die hoofprobleem was om binne-ontwerp se kultuurproduksiemetodes te bepaal. Hierdie tesis se oorspronklike
kennis bydraes kan opsommend in die beeldelike binne-hipotese vasgevat word: “Binne-ontwerp produseer
kultuur deur middel van sintese, nabyheid, assosiasies, tydelikheid, en tegnifisering”.
Die studie was ‘n aanvanklike ondersoek na binne-ontwerp se rol in die kultuurproduksieveld. Die oogmerke
was om versteekte binne-ontwerpmetodes bloot te lê en het na vore getree met die veronderstelling dat binne-
ontwerpers wat bekwaam is in die skepping van betekenis met kulturele en ekonomiese kapitaal daarvoor
beloon word.
Die studie beskou kultuurproduksie as ‘n iteritiewe praktyk wat saamgestel is uit die individuele aksies van
skepping en vertolking en die groepsmanifestasie van betekenis. Binne-artefakte word binne hierdie domein as
materiële voorwerpe in ‘n semiotiese konteks beskou. Hierdie voorwerpe is funksioneel en hul primêre
kommunikasiedoel is om daardie funksie uit te druk. Deur die skepping van kultuur as analogie vir die skepping
van betekenis te beskou word ek toegelaat om die binne-artefak logies te ondersoek en in staat gestel om te
spekuleer oor die rol van binne-ontwerp binne die groter kultuurdiskoers.
Die navorsing is geleë in ‘n interpretivistiese paradigma. Dit neem ‘n nie-positivistiese, sosiaal-konstruktiewe
standpunt. Ek glo dat betekenis deur die navorsingsproses voortgebring word. Die navorsing het bestaan uit ‘n
literatuurstudie, die versameling van gepaste voorbeelde en die aflegging van kritiese analise. Die primêre
navorsingsmetodes was konstruktiewe gegronde teorie en fenomenografie. Kwalitatiewe, interpretivistiese
hulmiddele is ontwikkel en gebruik in die inhoudsanalise deur vertolking. Die analise het teorie konstrueer deur
‘n proses van kodering en analitiese integrasie. Die analise is gebaseer op ‘n nie-waarskynlike, vooroordelende
steekproef van voorstellings van binne-artefakte wat saamgestel is om die substantiewe gebied met ‘n mate van
verteenwoordigheid en algemeenheid te verteenwoordig. Die korpus bevat fotografiese dokumentasie en meta-
data van 72 binne-artefakte.
Die tesis het ‘n teorie vir die konstruksie van betekenis in binne-ontwerp soos dit in die substantiewe gebied
manifesteer het voorgelê. Dit is in ‘n narratiewe formaat voorgelê waar die vyf beeldelike metodes beskryf is deur
illustrasie en die bespreking van hul algemene eienskappe, die aksies wat dit onderneem en die uitwerking wat
dit het. ‘Sintese’ beskryf die uitsoek van betekenisdraende komponente en om dit in ‘n samehorige geheel te
gebruik. ‘Nabyheid’ beskryf die plasing van voorwerpe in ruimte om betekenisvolle rangskikkings en patrone te
maak. ‘Tydelikheid’ omvat gebruike en konvensies wat van vorige generasies geërf word en wat geskep en
herskep word deur herhaling. ‘Assosiasies’ betrek gedagtesverbindinge tussen komponente en ander metodes
wat betekenis skep. ‘Tegnifisering’ behels die fisiese uitdrukking van betekenis. Hierdie teorie moet beskou word
as die eerste respons op die navorsingsprobleem. Die teorie wat hier voorgelê word is die resultaat van die
identifikasie, isolasie, beskrywing en vertolking van binne-ontwerp se kultuurproduksiemetodes.
Die tesis dra by tot die teoretiese oorweging van die rol van betekenis in binne-ontwerp, hoe die dissipline
daardie betekenis skep, en hoe hierdie produksie van betekenis die algemene kultuurproduksie beïnvloed. Ten
opsigte van die dissipline se groter kulturele rol het ek tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat binne-ontwerp die bes
geplaasde beroep is om besetting, bewoning, en identiteit in die openbare bou-omgewing te denoteer; verder
kommunikeer die dissipline teoretiese diskoerse deur sy kulturele uitvloeisel.
Die praktiese bydrae van die tesis word gemanifesteer in die fasilitering van betekenisskepping in nuwe
binne-artefakte. Die tesis maak voorsiening vir die insluiting van beeldende aspekte in die dissipline se
produksie deur die strategiese uitbouing van die binne-ontwerpproses. Die praktiese bydraes kan saamgevat
word as ‘n oproep tot die insluiting van kennis-gebaseerde, empiriese navorsingspraktyk in die binne-
ontwerpproses. Die tesis stel ‘n ontwerpstrategie voor om goed ontwikkelde ontwerpintuisie te ondersteun.
Hierdie strategie is ‘n nuwe bydra tot binne-ontwerp se produksieprosesse.

Sleutelterme: Beeld; Betekenis; Kultuurproduksie; Ontwerpstrategie
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT iii

‘EKSERP’ iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF FIGURES v

LIST OF TABLES xix

CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

1.1 INTRODUCTION 2

1.2 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT AND PREMISE 3
1.2.1 The Main Problem 3
1.2.2 The Main Premise 3

1.3 THE MATERIAL AND ITS INTERPRETATION 4

1.4 RATIONALE IN SUPPORT OF THE STUDY 5
1.4.1 The Importance of the Study 14
1.4.1.1 Theoretical importance 14
1.4.1.2 Practical importance 15

1.5 DELIMITATIONS 16

1.6 THE DEFINITION OF TERMS 17
1.6.1 Image 17
1.6.2 Interior 17
1.6.3 Interior Design 17

1.7 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 18

1.8 PRAGMATIC AND MATERIAL CONCERNS 19
1.8.1 Equipment and Resources 19
1.8.2 The Researcher’s Qualifications 19

1.9 CONCLUSION 20

CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 INTRODUCTION 22
2.1.1 The Selection of Literature 23

2.2 CULTURAL PRODUCTION 25
2.2.1 Background 25
2.2.2 Structuralism 31
2.2.3 Poststructuralism 33
2.2.4 Domain Gatekeepers 35
2.2.5 Section Summary 39

v
2.3 SEMIOTIC INTERPRETATION 41
2.3.1 Background 41
2.3.2 Semiotic Devices 43
2.3.2.1 Semiotic assemblies 44
Artefacts 44
Objects 45
Technemes 45
2.3.2.2 Semiotic functions 46
Duality 47
Transfunctionalisation 47
Denotation and Connotation 48
Semiosis 50
2.3.3 Section Summary 51

2.4 THE ICONIC SEMIOTIC STRUCTURE 53
2.4.1 Background 53
2.4.2 The Photograph 55
2.4.2.1 The photograph as evidence 57
2.4.2.2 The photograph as conventional artefact 58
2.4.3.3 The photograph as memetic device 59
2.4.3 Section Summary 60

2.5 CONCLUSION 62

CHAPTER 3
METHODS

3.1 INTRODUCTION 65

3.2 RESEARCH APPROACH 66
3.2.1 Content Analysis Through Interpretation 67
3.2.2 Literature Review and Synthesis 67
3.2.3 Research Programme 68

3.3 RESEARCH METHODS 70
3.3.1 Constructivist Grounded Theory 70
3.3.2 Phenomenography 72
3.3.3 Augmentation of Methods 73

3.4 ANALYTIC INSTRUMENT 74
3.4.1 Analytic Protocol for the Content Analysis of Artefacts 75
3.4.1.1 Selection of the artefact 78
3.4.1.2 Memo at capture 78
3.4.1.3 Visual association 78
3.4.1.4 Denotation 79
Methods 79
Discourses 79
3.4.1.5 Connotation 80
3.4.1.6 Syntagmatic diagram 80
3.4.1.7 Memo of semiosis 80
3.4.2 Coding 81
3.4.2.1 The selection of literature 82
3.4.2.2 In vivo codes for methods 83

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