Walls

It is important for interior designers to learn and be knowledgeable about exterior and interior walls because they are the foundation of the design concept. Walls portray a structure and aesthetic element to the design of a building. Additionally, having knowledge of wall materials such as acoustic insulation or thermal conductivity will dictate the comfort and efficiency a space may have. Moreover, walls determine the overall layout of a space and how rooms are divided. Being educated on walls helps with knowing how a wall can be placed and what size of a wall can be used where. Lastly, the exterior and interior walls can provide aesthetic to the building whether it is using paint or wallpaper on the interior or using paint or stucco on the exterior. As for designing the interior walls, it also determines what light fixtures, art, and shelving will be most acceptable in the space based on the wall colors. 

FRAMING SYSTEMS

Framing system comes in three types: stud walls, concrete and masonry bearing walls, and structural frame walls. Breaking each of them down; a stud wall is built from wood or light-gauge steel. A stud wall carries vertical structural loads or non-load-bearing. The stud wall holds windows, doors, exterior siding, and interior finishes together. A concrete and masonry-bearing wall is made from brick, stone, or reinforced cement. The bearing walls help transfer weight from the roof down to the foundation. it is a complete wall that is bonded together to form a single structure on the building. Lastly, the structural frame wall can be built by various materials but the main panels are made from wood or steel. The structural frame is made from a combination of beams, columns, and slabs to resist gravity loads.

EXTERIOR & INTERIOR WALLS

While there are a lot more materials, finishes, and details that happen in the interior of a building, there are also multiple exterior materials and finishes. These consist of wood shingles or boards, concrete, stucco, or siding. Additionally, a building's exterior can be built with metal, wood, brick, and stone. 

The image to the left shows exterior finishes 

Similarly, the interior wall finishes can include wood, brick, and stone. However, interior finishes also can include paint, tile, and wall textiles. The interior walls have more finishes because there is no need to worry about the weather affecting the walls while exterior finishes have to be more durable. 

The most common wall type in the interior is drywall due to its quick and cheap installation. However, plaster is used to create interior walls because of its sustainability, it is more expensive. 

The image on the right shows the difference between drywall and plaster wall

When designing and placing a wall, it is important to have the walls at a low fire rating such as a one-hour to three-hour fire-rated partitions. It's also important to design walls based on acoustical partitions so noise is being controlled from one space to another. While all of this information is important, it is also important to note that an interior designer can not legally change the structure of a building, such as the bearing walls, without an architect; interior designers can still have a say on non-bearing walls and input their opinion on all walls. 

The interior design is still responsible for the wall schedule, wall types, partition types, finish schedule, and the finish plan. With that said, interior designers focus more on doors and windows. The different styles of doors include French, barn, traditional, and contemporary. Doors are typically made of wood, steel, and glass. Different types of windows include casement, sash, bay, bow, sliding, awning, and skylight (picture shown to the left). It is the interior designer's responsibility to choose the best door or window depending on what the space is being used for. For example, if the space is a bathroom, the door with be a solid door with an awning or casement window. These choices are due to the bathroom being a private area.

CASE STUDY USING STEELCASE

Looking at Space Design, the perspective and floor plan of a healthcare center room help clarify the use of walls. There are three walls shown in the images, two solid walls at each end and one open wall in the middle. The two solid walls can be classified as a bearing wall while the one in the middle is a nonbearing wall. I would say that the two end ones are bearing walls due to them being more structurally solid so they are capable of holding up loads in the building. The wall in the middle may be open to allow there to be more space in a room if needed and allow a nurse to travel from room to room more easily. The walls indicate privacy and are used as a divider for rooms. While there are usually windows in most healthcare centers, there also might not be due to privacy as shown in the space design below.