Updates from the ECIA General Meeting

The ECIA (European Committee of Interior Architects) was founded in 1992 by members of the IFI (International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers) in order to establish an open internal market in the countries of the European Union. The ECIA is one of a few built environment organisations that the BIID is proud to have a strategic partnership with. The BIID was accepted as a member in 2023, joining 18 other membership organisations across Europe, though this has since grown to 22 member countries.

The ECIA’s mission is to represent and promote the interiors profession and to achieve wider public and government recognition at national and cross-national levels.  After the ECIA was awarded EU funding for a three-year project called ‘Building on Connections for a Stronger Profession’ (BCSP), they have undertaken 6 key projects: 

• Spider models research
• Growing the network
• Exchanging knowledge
• ECIA Interior Awards
• Promoting the ECIA charter
• Representing the network.
• The ECIA Atlas Archive is a place of knowledge/ idea sharing and can be accessed by anyone.

We sent BIID President Liz Bell, BIID President-Elect Anna Burles, and ECIA representative May Fawzy to attend the general meeting in Vienna in September. The general meeting was a great opportunity to network with peers from across the continent and to share ideas and ways of working.

New ECIA President

The meeting saw a change of hands for some of the board members with Martin Thörnblom stepping down as President after 6 years. Thomas Seifert takes his place. Also stepping down was Loes Bliek, Dominic Haag-Walthert, Jeremy Williams and Sophie Green. René Pier and Andoni Diaz were elected as new members. Davina Preca, Kristina Jonasson, May Fawzy and Milan Illes remain in post.

Topics and Presentations

Guests were also able to attend presentations on EIDD (European Institute for Design and Disability)-DfA (Design for All) Europe. Liz, May, and Anna, were also able to attend roundtable discussions where topics included Future Users of Interior Architecture, “New Thinking” in the World of Interior Architecture, and Move Forward. These were informative and collaborative sessions that considered actions the industry could take in response to changing times and the role ECIA can have in supporting this. 

Other activities included a site visit to Villa Beer, tour of The Hoxton Vienna, and a visit to Formdepot- a collective of designers and craftspeople, collaborating in an incredible showroom space which demonstrates their designs and products together.

BIID representatives were able to form strong connections with representatives from other membership organisations and have committed to again sending the President and President Elect to the general meeting to be held in Warsaw in 2026.