Interior design strategies for rural spaces

This work examines the housing issue in the “Empty Spain” and proposes a solution based on sustainability and the maintenance of architectural identity, aimed at facilitating rural renovation projects. Rural environments represent an opportunity for young people, who face difficulties in achieving a good quality of life, to settle with the help of contemporary tools. Focused on Spain and its homogeneous characteristics, the study also considers the social changes following the Covid-19 pandemic. The work is based on important national studies, such as Sergio del Molino’s, and international ones, such as Claudia de Luca, Simona Tondelli, and Hanna Elisabeth’s, which analyse the effects of the pandemic on rural areas and rural revitalisation projects based on culture. The methodology includes a documentary study of thematic areas relevant to young people aged 18 to 35: new technologies to combat depopulation, a comparison of the effects on mental health between urban and rural environments, strategies for reclaiming urban space as a sustainability measure, and rural housing as an alternative for housing access. These areas are analysed to provide useful information on new ways of understanding spaces. In conclusion, space design is key for the transition from urban to rural living, and this work offers interior design recommendations to adapt homes to contemporary needs.