Lecturer in interior architecture releases new book on sustainable renovations
06 March 2025
Jean Whitehead, Senior Lecturer in Interior Architecture BA(Hons), has released her latest book, Interior Interruptions: Rehabilitating the Old to Design the New.
The book, published last month by Routledge, focuses on taking a sustainable approach towards the renovation of existing buildings by exploring the notion of the palimpsest. By examining how the ‘adaptive reuse’ of a building celebrates unique place-based history, Jean discusses in her book how this ability to tell a story plays a central role in the consideration of the designed interior.
We caught up with Jean to learn more about her latest book, and discover how the ideas within Interior Interruptions mirror some of the teachings of Falmouth’s Interior Architecture BA(Hons) course.
Let’s start with the title of your latest publication. Can you tell us more about what you mean by ‘Interior Interruptions’?
‘Interior interruptions’ is about having a sustainable approach towards renovating a building. It’s about considering how instead of knocking existing buildings down and taking them to landfill, we can instead celebrate and reuse them. I describe this process as an ‘interrupted’ timeline, where an existing building is continually reimagined as its function or community changes. When I think of this type of interior, I think of it not as having a ‘finite’ or ‘terminal’ life, but instead one that can be interrupted and reimagined via a process of rewriting, overwriting and unwriting.
The title reflects this idea, particularly in relation to a heritage building. This palimpsestic process becomes a never-ending interruption, as the life of the building through constant embellishment and improvement, allows the past and the present to coexist.
Where did the inspiration and idea for your book come from?
I’ve always been interested in the idea of storytelling; I believe that design is about shared stories as this is a currency that everyone understands. I started to explore the ‘biography’ of a building, examining its unique place-based character and personality, its past lives and previous incarnations as an architectural story. It was this interest that inspired my book.
You are a senior lecturer in interior design and interior architecture at Falmouth. Can you tell us more about the link between this latest publication and your teachings on the course?
At Falmouth we have two interior courses, Interior Design BA(Hons) and Interior Architecture BA(Hons). My first book focused on interior design, staged space and interior atmosphere. In this book I wanted to explore interior architecture. The book is very closely linked to my teachings on the course, as the course focuses on the sustainability of interiors, and specialises in how existing buildings - especially heritage buildings - tell a narrative. In this way, the book and course relate to each other closely, and I knew that some of the ideas taught on the course could be explored in depth within my new book. It was fun to write!
What do you hope readers take away with them after reading this book?
Given the world that we currently live in, I hope it will be a ‘rallying cry’ – a recognition that the construction industry needs to become more sustainable. As we are educating the creatives of the future, it’s important to think ethically about what we do as designers. I hope this book encourages people to think about what they are removing from a building, what they retain or celebrate, and how there is value in imperfection. It’s important to value what we have, to tell a story through an interior, to value a building as a cultural asset and to continue its life.
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