Join us for this Fridays@1 talk as William Mangold talks about how interiors shape the way we live, feel, and understand the world. In this talk, he introduces key ideas from The Interiors Theory Primer, offering practical frameworks for thinking about materiality, atmosphere, identity, and well-being in designed environments. Through examples from art, architecture, and everyday life, the lecture shows how interiors actively influence social experience and why they matter culturally, ethically, and creatively.
About the Speaker
William Mangold is an interior design scholar, educator, and designer whose work explores how interior environments shape human experience. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism at Drexel University and the author of The Interiors Theory Primer (Routledge, 2025), a book that introduces key concepts for understanding interiors as social, cultural, and material systems.
Trained in fine arts and architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design, William began his career working on architectural renovation and restoration projects in New York City while teaching at Pratt Institute. He studied Environmental Psychology at The Graduate Center, CUNY, where he co-edited The People, Place, and Space Reader. His research and teaching connect theory, design, and lived experience, with a focus on social responsibility. Through his Philadelphia-based design studio, he integrates hands-on practice with critical inquiry.
What is Friday@1?
On most Fridays at 1 p.m. during the academic term, PSU School of Architecture students and faculty gather to hear from professional designers and architects, academics, visiting artists, innovators, and students in the program. Friday@1 is a perfect way to wrap up each week of intense creativity in the studio and get inspired for the productive weekend ahead.
Free and open to the public. All are welcome.