Spatial Design - Te Tohu Paetahi mō te Hoahoa - Bachelor of Design
The Spatial Design major explores human environments – from interior design, set and stage design to furniture and experience design.
Spatial designers are experts at finding their way into new situations by interpreting and analysing them spatially, relationally, and culturally. They visualise in three dimensions, work with materials and create atmosphere.
At AUT, our main areas of spatial design are interior design; stage, set, and production design; furniture, urban placemaking; exhibition, event, and experience design; and imagined futures and critical speculations.
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This is part of the Te Tohu Paetahi mō te Hoahoa - Bachelor of Design.
Start date: 2023
- Download our Art & Design programme guide [PDF, 3.9 MB]
- Download our Architecture & Built Environment programme guide [PDF, 4.0 MB]
Spatial design is the design of human environments from the inside out. This major covers the theory and practical skills to prepare you for a career in this exciting field.
If you're a full-time student, you normally complete 120 points each year (360 points for the entire degree).
Year 1
We focus on intimate spaces, considering how we experience and perceive the things close to us. We introduce you to essential spatial concepts and walk you through a spatial design process. You'll analyse familiar spaces from new perspectives, explore materials, and spend time developing your drawing and digital modelling skills.
You'll visualise in three dimensions, working with materials, light, surfaces and time to create atmosphere.
In the second semester you’ll start your chosen minor courses, which can complement your major or add some diversity to your overall mix of study. Instead of your minor courses you could also study an additional major.
Courses you study this year
- DESN511 Introduction to Design Practice (30 points)
- DIGD507 Mahitahi | Collaborative Practice (15 points)
- DESN512 Making and Media (15 points)
- SPAD511 Spatial Design Practice I (30 points)
You’ll also take two courses from your chosen minor(s) or an additional major.
Year 2
We look at shared spaces; places where we meet and interact with others. You'll analyse real sites and make things in our workshops.
You'll apply your developing creative vocabulary and design process to new, more complex scenarios, and learn about producing instructional documentation.
You also continue with your minor or additional major courses throughout the second year of study.
Courses you study this year
- SPAD611 Spatial Design Practice II (30 points)
- SPAD612 Spatial Design Practice III (30 points)
- Plus 4 courses for your minor or additional major
Year 3
We ask you to consider public spaces and situations like streets, galleries, and public events. You'll take more control over the design process, building a brief in response to your own analysis of a given situation.
You'll explore more advanced uses of digital tools, reflect on your practice, and put together portfolio-ready projects and complete your final minor or additional major courses in the first semester of the third year.
The year culminates in a public exhibition to place your work in the public eye.
Courses you study this year
- SPAD711 Spatial Design Practice IV (30 points)
- DESN711 Integrated Design Practice (60 points)
- Plus 2 courses for your minor or additional major
More details about courses in this programme
Search for a course (Arion)
Email artbox@aut.ac.nz
Enrolment in courses is subject to meeting all requirements and availability of courses.
You can study the following minors when you are enrolled in AUT’s design or visual arts degree:
Animated Drawing
Explore the process and materiality of animated drawing as a means for ideation and creative expression.
The minor has a studio lab component where you'll examine different animated drawing practices, including life drawing, and produce short animated films, installations, motion graphics, comics, graphic novels and picture books.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Cinematic Arts
Discover the possibilities of filmmaking through analogue and digital cinematography, sound recording and audio design, editing and post-production, storytelling and industry workflow, to make a short narrative, experimental or documentary film.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Contemporary Pacific
Develop your creative practice drawing on contemporary and traditional Pacific concepts, contexts and material culture. Pacific concepts and stories are explored in relation to pattern, movement, and spatial systems.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Creative Entrepreneurship
Build your creative business confidence and capability by combining your creative strengths with business skills and understandings to transform your ideas and concepts for the future.
Courses are delivered over one semester and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the courses below, including a Level 7 course or both compulsory core courses ARDN502 and ARDN702, in addition to 30 points from DESN600, DESN601, MARS501, ENTR501 of which at least one course or 15 points must be at level 6.
Level 5 courses
- ARDN502 Introduction to Business for Art and Design
- ENTR501 Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- MARS501 Marketing Insights
- MKTG501 Marketing insights*
*Subject to CUAP approval
Level 6 courses
Level 7 course
Design for Health
Tomorrow's health and wellbeing will be driven by those who can apply creative and practical problem-solving skills to complex problems. This minor offers a fresh perspective through collaborative and cooperative tools, skills and mindsets. You'll design for positive social impact and lead transformative change in health and wellbeing.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Design for Social and Environmental Justice
Discover how design can make a difference. Explore strategies for social innovation and environmental impact and how these can contribute to towards a more resilient, sustainable and just future.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Design Thinking
Design thinking is a mindset and set of creative methods that can be used to interrogate, understand and solve real-life business, social and environmental problems. You'll develop an understanding of the needs of the people you're designing for, experiment and explore creative ideas, and create design solutions.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
This minor is aimed at students who are interested in developing design thinking expertise to support their major discipline area.
Minor must include
60 points from courses listed below including DESN501 with at least 15 points at level 7
Digital Fabrication
Explore how digital fabrication can facilitate art and design creative practices, through the utilisation
and application of a range of current and emergent technologies.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Enrolment in this minor is subject to approval from the Art & Design Minors, Head of Department.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Experimental Surface Design
Get involved in the experimental development of surface practice across a range of disciplines and potential applications. This minor emphasises the importance of learning through making and the relationship between the maker, the materials, the process of making and the work.
Students develop conceptual and technical surface design knowledge through applied materials practice.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you'll study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Enrolment in this minor is subject to approval from the Art & Design Minors, Head of Department.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Extended Reality
Explore extended reality technologies - XR, VR, AR and MR - as tools for design and ideation for creating immersive user experiences across a range of design and creative practices.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
In Print: Publishing Practices
Experiment with traditional and contemporary publishing practices using a range of media, conventions and technologies. Explore and design with text and image to develop personal, professional and community voices through the published artefact.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Motion Capture
Explore motion capture (mocap) technology that records human movement as 3D data for use in a range of design and creative disciplines.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Enrolment in this minor is subject to approval from the Art & Design Minors, Head of Department.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Photographic Practice
Discover visual conventions and develop technical competencies to include DSLR camera fundamentals, exposure and lighting control, composition principles and image making strategies for project outcomes.
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You'll need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Enrolment in this minor is subject to approval from the Art & Design Minors, Head of Department.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Temporary Practices/Temporary Publics
As artists and designers, we are interested in practising by making – doing projects that have currency and real-world capacity. We work through ideas of site, collaboration and publication in order to create events. Temporary Practices is an experimental, creative field of making. This minor supports the development of work across a range of disciplines and potential applications by using AUT facilities (3D Lab, WetLab, Bindery, Risograph printer).
Courses are delivered over one semester for each course and are worth 15 points each. You will need to complete 60 points for the entire minor. In each year, you will study and complete core compulsory courses alongside studio and specialist courses in the minor that you have selected.
Enrolment in this minor is subject to approval from the Art & Design Minors, Head of Department.
Available as a minor only.
Minor must include
60 points from the following courses:
Additional majors and minors for bachelor’s degrees
Add an additional major or a minor to your bachelor’s degree and study another area that interests you. You can choose from a wide range of additional majors or minors.
- Interior design
- Design for stage and film
- Urban placemaking
- Event and experience design
- Furniture, surface and object design
Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.
Other majors in the Bachelor of Design
- Hands-on, studio-based learning
- Includes authentic spatial design projects
- Work with full-sized prototypes, installations, moving images and emergent technologies
- Fascinated with the spaces people live, work and play in
- Someone with a love of exploring and experimenting
- A thinker, maker or planner
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.