Creative works areas in a Design Studio for the return to use of area after the pandemic situation, Case Study: Interior Design Program, Walailak University

The global higher education design studios in the past have been similar in terms of functionality, both the teaching process and the usage area format, including furniture or supporting equipment. The question is whether the physical appearance of the studio still meets the behavior and needs of users after returning on-site after the COVID-19 pandemic? How should the space arrangements for creative work or design projects be adequate according to the classroom problems? This research was conducted in the context of learning design at the higher education level in Thailand, and therefore the user behavior and requirements of interior design students and instructors were surveyed. The result showed that there were 2 essential patterns of behavior, namely "Creative work-related behaviors" and "non-creative work-related behaviors", which were related behaviors. The study found that before pandemic and post-pandemic spatial needs were not different, as teaching methods and user behaviors remained the same, but there was a clearer need to create suitable environments. When designing creative workspaces within studios, consideration must be given to the layout of the space that supports the behaviors and needs of users, both students and teachers, which may vary across different educational settings or curricula.