Untitled Quiz

Study Notes

Colors in Architecture I

Color and light significantly alter the use and perception of a space. These elements can be manipulated to evoke specific emotions or effects.
Color can define form and convey a sense of scale, rather than simply serving as a backdrop.
Color can be used to create illusions or highlight dramatic architectural features.
Color theories emerged around the 1400s and were further developed in the 1600s by Isaac Newton.
Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) demonstrated that color is a natural part of sunlight. Sunlight passing through a prism disperses, revealing its component wavelengths (colors).
Newton's experimentation led to the concept of the spectrum and how recombination of spectral colors recreates white light.
The science of color is sometimes called chromatics and includes: perception of color by the human eye and brain, color theory in art, origins of color in materials and physics of electromagnetic radiation (light).
An object appears a certain color because only light waves of that color are reflected back to the eye; other wavelengths are absorbed.
Light and color perception are influenced by many factors, including generators/transmitters (light sources), modifiers/retransmitters (secondary light sources), receivers (eyes), and decoders/interpreters (brain).
Color is described using three basic properties: hue (name of color), value (lightness/darkness), and chroma/saturation (purity/intensity).
Tints (white added), shades (black added), and tones (gray added) manipulate a hue.
A color wheel is a visual aid for understanding color theory and creating color schemes.
A standard color wheel has 12 colors: 3 primary (red, yellow, blue), 3 secondary (orange, green, violet), and 6 tertiary (red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet).
Color schemes can be contrasted or related (analogous).
Other types of color schemes include: monochromatic, neutral, warm, cool, complementary, triad (primary or secondary).

Physiological Effects of Color

Mystics believe humans emanate a colored glow (aura) affecting health and spirituality.
Chromotherapy, using colors to heal, dates back thousands of years (ancient Egypt, China, and India).
Chromotherapy is used in environmental design to affect health and behavior.

Color Symbolism

Color associations derive from both biological responses and cultural contexts.
Specific colors carry symbolic meanings across cultures. (Examples of color symbolism were given for specific colors, e.g., Red, Orange, Purple, White, etc. )

Important roles color can play in architectural design

Setting emotional tone/ambiance of a space.
Focusing or diverting attention.
Modulating space to feel larger/smaller.
Breaking up/defining the space.
Unifying space/knitting it together.

Interactive Relationships of Color

Color selection must consider all surrounding colors and materials in a space.
Adjacent colors strongly interact; careful consideration is crucial.
Warm colors appear larger and more forward, while cool colors appear smaller and recede.