After having successfully established the Interior Design elective course this school year, Home Economics teacher Theresa McDermott will implement an advanced Interior Design semester course.

This second-level Interior Design class is on the Course Catalog for the 2009-2010 academic year, after receiving approval from both the Site Council and Education Council, according to McDermott. The class is still awaiting final approval from the Board of Education, McDermott said.

The new second-level class will encourage students to study and explore green and sustainable design, as well as aspects of international design, according to McDermott. Students will also “learn how to utilize the principles of international and regional design, Feng Shui, and color theory to express their own sense of style,” according to the Course Catalog for 2009-2010.

In addition, the course will teach students about designing residential and nonresidential designs, including kitchen and bathroom spaces.

“I am excited [for the new class],” McDermott said. “This program offers a fantastic entry into the design world for students. I hope that students can get further involved in the community and see their designs come to life in the classroom and campus.”

Students who took this year’s Interior Design class believe that the introductory course could benefit from integrating topics from the advanced class, such as green and international design.

“I feel that this year’s Interior Design also could have covered more of this type of material [green and sustainable design and drafting],” senior Pamela Wong said.

The current Interior Design class is a foundational course in which students learn about the principles and elements of design, develop floor plans and elevations, and participate in individual and group projects. Currently, there have been two class periods of Interior Design per semester. McDermott acquired funds for textbooks, rulers, measuring tapes, drafting tables, and tools from the Site Council. In addition, Canada College donated materials to help strengthen Paly’s Interior Design program.

The advanced Interior Design can fulfill vocational education credits, which students need 10 units of in order to graduate, according to McDermott.

“There is a lot of student demand for the [second-level] class,” McDermott said.

According to McDermott, the advanced Interior Design course will be available to all grades, 9-12. The only pre-requisite for the advanced Interior Design class is the introductory Interior Design class, McDermott said.