Fellow and Lecturer of Interior Architecture

The School of Interior Architecture invites applications for the 2026 Interior Architecture Fellowship. This full-time (1.0 FTE), nine-month position may be awarded for a period of two years. It aims to support individuals early in their teaching careers in interior architecture, and applicants will propose a research or creative activity project to be completed as part of the fellowship. The appointment will be at the rank of Lecturer in the School of Interior Architecture at the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design in Knoxville. The position begins on August 1, 2026, and the salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications. We seek an energetic, collaborative candidate with an innovative research and teaching agenda in interior architecture. An interest in and ability to teach design studios are critical, and experience with digital technologies is also highly desired. Current areas of interest in the school include:

• Integrative design technologies: AI, extended reality tools (AR, VR, , and/or interactive human-robot-computational design
• Optimization and resiliency in experimental interiors construction: responsive building assemblies, materials, and furnishings, and/or sustainability and embodied energy.
• Digital design: graphic representation and digital communication of immersive or speculative interiors, as well as investigations into novel digital fabrication and additive manufacturing techniques.
• Other research and teaching experiences that promote the inquiry of pedagogical approaches, creative exploration, and research for interior architecture and related disciplines.
• Candidates with areas of interest not listed above are encouraged to apply. We seek applicants who not only contribute to established knowledge and methods but also push beyond conventional boundaries, enriching the contributions to the discipline of interiors.

About the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is the flagship campus of The University of Tennessee. The university holds the Carnegie Foundation Research 1 designation, granted to doctoral universities with very high research activity. Serving the state and nation as a land-grant university and as Volunteers is integral to the university’s mission. UT enrolls approximately 40,000 undergrad students at its Knoxville campus. The university culture is guided by adherence to core values that define the Volunteer spirit, including seeking knowledge, leading with innovation and integrity, local and global engagement, and responsible stewardship of resources.

About the School of Interior Architecture

The school offers a Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture within a highly competitive professional program, attracting over 700 first-year applicants across the United States in 2024. There are approximately 55 students in each of the four cohort years. The school is distinguished by national and international awards earned by both students and faculty. It is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and is situated in the College of Architecture and Design alongside the School of Architecture, School of Landscape Architecture, and School of Design. The position offers rich opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration. CoAD Spaces & Resources available to faculty for their research and teaching include three campus and downtown buildings:

• The Art + Architecture Building (with Digital Futures Lab and Woodshop)
• The 20,000 sf FabLab
• The Southern Railway Depot, downtown Knoxville to support new Design degree programs

About the Duties and Responsibilities

The fellowship is a full-time, non-tenure track appointment. Fellows will engage in teaching and design research, creative scholarship, or a critical project that expands the field of Interior Architecture. The fellowship also requires a presentation and an exhibit of design research supported by a research fund. It recognizes outstanding design educators who connect design activity and studio instruction within the discipline of interior architecture. A typical teaching assignment includes instructing (1) six-credit-hour design studio and (1) a three-credit-hour lecture/seminar course across all undergraduate interior architecture levels. In either of the final two semesters, the teaching load will be halved to 33% to facilitate the final development of the project exhibition and presentation.

Required Qualifications for Fellowship

• One degree in interior architecture, interior design, architecture, or related discipline
• One advanced degree
• The ability to instruct undergraduate interior architecture studios
• “Both and” instructional integration and competency of digital and analog skills in the design studio/classroom
• Ability to thrive in a collegial and collaborative working environment

Desired Qualifications

• Degrees in multiple disciplines
• Demonstrated potential for successful peer-reviewed research, competition awards, or design awards
• One studio-based degree
• Professional experience in an architecture office, design firm, and evidence of an established design agenda

Eligibility

Designers and academics within the interior architecture field of study, and from various allied design professions and disciplines, who are interested in operating in an educational capacity and can demonstrate significant engagement with interior architecture, are encouraged to apply. Initial review of applications will begin on December 2, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled.