In the second half of the 20th century, the global architectural community encountered new challenges. A demand arose for specialists who, drawing upon established architectural design traditions, could organize urban environments and interior spaces through object fillings and interior components. Responding to this demand, the Department of Design was established at the GTU Faculty of Architecture in 1992 under the leadership of Professor Konstantine Amirejibi, who successfully chaired it until 2004. Professor Aleko Korkotashvili subsequently served as acting department head. In 2008, the Division of Interior Design was incorporated into the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning. In 2013, to support student theoretical and practical work through traditional and innovative research in architectural design, the Department of Interior and Design was established, headed by Professor Tinatin Chigogidze. In 2015, a new direction—"Fashion Design"—was established within the department.
The successful operation of the department was ensured by highly qualified and experienced academic and invited faculty.
In 2022, the Department of Interior and Design merged with the Department of Architectural Planning and Urban Planning to form the Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Environmental Design, with Professor Tinatin Chigogidze appointed as department head.
The Division of Interior Design is led by experienced faculty members: Tinatin Chigogidze (Head of Division), Natia Kochladze, Ketevan Salukvadze, Valeri Mchedlishvili, Shota Gelashvili, and Eka Papuashvili. They are actively engaged in both research and practical practice. Faculty members regularly participate in local and international scientific conferences and forums, international exchange programs including ERASMUS+ and Erasmus+ KA107 International Credit Mobility, and publish scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. They have authored numerous textbooks, reference books, lecture courses, and methodological guidelines.
The faculty's scientific and practical expertise is directly integrated into teaching, positively impacting outcomes across all three educational levels. This is evidenced by the high quality of student projects, Bachelor's theses, Master's research, and doctoral dissertations executed under faculty supervision.
Students of the Division of Interior Design demonstrate exceptional competition activity, bringing distinction to the faculty on numerous occasions: the competition "Drawing Studio Interior Design Project" (March 6, 2014); the "Residential Interior Competition" (March 24, 2017); First Place awards for Best Master's Thesis in 2018 and 2019 organized by the Union of Architects of Georgia; the interior concept and execution project for the new generation store "Corso Italia" (February 16, 2026); alongside regular exhibitions of student coursework.
The interior design curriculum addresses residential, public, and industrial building typologies. Within the program, students master theoretical and practical foundations of interior design, interior styles, and innovative finishing materials in architectural design.
Together with faculty, students systematically study contemporary trends in interior design through site visits to active architectural firms, field excursions to relevant project sites, and meetings with prospective employers.