Responsive Interiors: Human-Centered Approaches to Interior Architecture and Design

Dear Colleagues,

Interiors play a vital role in shaping our experiences within the built environment. The interior spaces where we spend most of our time directly influence our comfort, cognition, productivity, and emotional and physical well-being. Across residential, workplace, healthcare, public, and civic design contexts, interior design decisions significantly impact the quality of life for diverse users. Research in environmental psychology, human factors, and neuroscience increasingly emphasizes the need for interior environments that are responsive to sensory perception, social interaction, accessibility, and cultural identity, as well as to broader cognitive, emotional, psychological, physiological, and environmental needs. At the same time, global challenges—including aging populations, climate change, and post-pandemic demands—require interior design strategies that are both human-centered and future-oriented.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for discourse on human-centered interior design, with a focus on how interior environments can be designed, evaluated, and theorized with a people-first approach.

We welcome original research articles and review papers that explore (but are not limited to) the following thematic areas:

• Inclusive interiors for populations with diverse needs, including but not limited to older adults, neurodiverse users, people with disabilities, marginalized communities, and vulnerable populations.
• Neuroarchitecture and cognitive-emotional impacts of interior spaces.
• Sensory design, and biophilic design strategies.
• Therapeutic and healthcare interior environments.
• Adaptive, responsive, and smart interior technologies.
• Workplace well-being and productivity-focused interior design.
• Educational environments for student needs and preferences.
• Cultural identity, psychological dimensions, and social justice in interior space.
• Evidence-based interior design and architecture and post-occupancy evaluation.
• Participatory and co-design approaches in interior practice.
• Pedagogical innovations in human-centric design education.

Through this Special Issue, our goal is to compile a body of rigorous research that demonstrates how evidence-based interior architecture and design can enhance quality of life and well-being for all. 

Dr. Elif Tural
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Architecture is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• human-centered design
• responsive interiors
• interior architecture
• inclusive design
• well-being
• evidence-based design
• neuroarchitecture
• biophilic design