Color is an integral element of our world, not just in the natural environment but also in the man-made

architectural environment. Color always played a role in the human evolutionary process. The

environment and its colors are perceived, and the brain processes and judges what it perceives on an

objective and subjective basis. 

The architect must consider the color effect of every element of a building’s construction, from the

earthy colors of primary construction materials like wood, stone, brick, and marble, to the expansive

variety of colors available for paint, doors, windows, siding, and trim.

Color and Perception

Color vision is always dependant on the three suppositions that there is light, that the person’s eye has
the ability to see color, and that the person’s brain has the ability to process the color stimulus from
the eye.

Isaac Newton’s visible spectrum

Newton was able to prove that light contains the full spectrum of the rainbow. He identified the basic
colors as the “Visible 7”: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (ROYGBIV). Each hue
corresponds to a certain range of wavelength of radiant energy, with red having the longest
wavelength, and violet having the shortest of the range of electromagnetic waves that we can see.
Light enters the human eye through the cornea, the outer covering of the eye, the muscles of the iris
control how much light is entering the eye through the pupil. The light is then focused on the back
surface of the eye: the retina. The retina is made of the photoreceptor cells called rods and cones.
Rods allow us to see forms in dim light, but are limited to black and white, while cones work better in
brighter lighting and allow us to perceive hues.

Color Psychology

The impression of a color and the message it conveys is of utmost importance in creating the

psychological mood or ambiance that supports the function of a space.

Personal Relations
Our personal relations to color vary greatly. It is a field that the designer
has hardly any control over. Generally speaking younger people prefer more
saturated and primary colors Where older people prefer less saturated and
subdued colors. The same logic exists for extroverts and introverts.
Fig, Likely color preferences
 The younger a person is, the more likely one is to prefer more saturated colors, but as one gets older
one will begin to prefer lighter and less saturated colors.

RED
Effect: exciting, stimulating
Association:
Positive: passionate, fervid, active, strong, warm
Negative: intense, aggressive, raging, fierce, bloody
Character: Red is the most dominant and dynamic color. The eye actually has to adjust
focus, since the natural focal point of red lies behind the retina. Consequently red appears
closer than it is.
Ceiling: intruding, disturbing, heavy
Walls: aggressive, advancing
Floor: conscious, alert
Fig. Makuhari Bay New Town by Steven Holl | Paul Warchol
ORANGE
Effect: exciting, stimulating, cheering
Association:
Positive: jovial, lively, energetic, extroverted
Negative: intrusive, blustering
Character: Orange is less masculine than red. It has very few negative associations. However, it may
appear cheap or without vigor if low in saturation.
Ceiling: stimulating, attention-seeking
Walls: warm, luminous
Floor: activating, motion-oriented

Casa Blanca by Martín Dulanto | Juan Solano Ojasi

YELLOW
Effect: cheering
Association:
Positive: sunny, cheerful, radiant, vital
Negative: egocentric, glaring
Character: When pure, yellow is the happiest of all colors. In radiates warmth, cheerfulness, and
inspiration and signifies enlightenment, and communication.
Ceiling: light (towards lemon), luminous, stimulating
Walls: warm (towards orange), exciting to irritating (highly saturated)
Floor: elevating, diverting
Apartment Blocks in Nanterre by X-TU | Luc Boegly
GREEN
Effect: retiring, relaxing
Association:
Positive: tranquil, refreshing, quiet, natural
Negative: common, tiresome, guilty
Character: Contrary to red, when looking at green the eye focuses exactly on the retina, which makes
green the most restful color to the eye. Green can symbolize nature but also mold and sickness.
Ceiling: protective, reflection on the skin can be unattractive
Walls: cool, secure, calm, reliable, passive, irritating if glaring (electric green)
Floor: natural (if not too saturated), soft, relaxing, cold (if towards blue)
Sarphatistraat Offices by Steven Holl | Paul Warchol
BLUE
Effect: retiring, relaxing
Association:
Positive: calm, sober, secure, comfortable, noble
Negative: frightening, depressing, melancholy, cold
Character: Blue appears to be transparent, wet, cool, and relaxing. Opposite to red, blue will
decrease a person’s blood pressure and pulse rate.
Ceiling: celestial, cool, receding (if light), heavy and oppressive (if dark)
Walls: cool and distant (if light), encouraging and space deepening (if dark)
Floor: inspiring feeling of effortless movement (if light), substantial (if dark)
La Muralla Roja by Ricardo Bofill
PURPLE
Effect: subduing
Association:
Positive: dignified, exclusive
Negative: lonely, mournful, pompous, conceited
Character: Purple is a mixture of red and blue (the two colors that are psychologically most
opposed). Purple can appear delicate and rich, or unsettling and degenerate.
Ceiling: disconcerting, subduing
Walls: heavy, overpowering
Floor: fleeting, magical
Chungha Building by MVRDV | Kyungsub Shin
PINK
Effect: lively (bubble-gum pink), calming (light pink)
Association:
Positive: lively, calming, intimate
Negative: too sweet, weak
Character: Pink must be handled carefully. It is generally considered feminine, but depends much on
the nuance used (bubble-gum pink, or old rose)
Ceiling: delicate, comforting
Walls: aggression-inhibiting, intimate, too sweet if not grayed down
Floor: too delicate, not used very often
Normann Copenhagen Showroom at Østerbrogade 70
BROWN
Effect: subduing
Association:
Positive: warm, secure, stable
Negative: oppressive, heavy
Character: There is a great difference between wood and brown paint. In certain institutions brown
should be avoided since it evokes fecal associations. Wood and stone on the other hand appear very
comfortable, and warm.
Ceiling: oppressive and heavy (if dark)
Walls: secure and assuring if wood, much less so if paint
Floor: steady, stable
Private House Kensington by David Chipperfield Architects
WHITE
Effect: disconcerning
Association:
Positive: clean, crisp, bright
Negative: empty, sterile
Character: There are a lot of psychological and physiological justifications for not using white as a
dominant color.
Ceiling: empty, no design objections-helps diffuse light sources and reduce shadows
Walls: neutral to empty, sterile, without energy
Floor: touch-inhibiting (not to be walked upon)
Casa del Acantilado by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos
GRAY
Effect: neutral to calming
Association:
Positive: neutral
Negative: boring
Character: Gray fails to have much psychotherapeutic application. Thus, the current fashion of using
it with various accent walls defies all logic.
Ceiling: shadowy
Walls: neutral to boring
Floor: neutral
Fab-Union Space On The West Bund by Archi-Union Architects | Shengliang Su
BLACK
Effect: ominous
Association:
Positive: deep, abstract
Negative: dungeonlike, night, grief, death
Character: Black is associated with oppressive power, darkness, and the unknown. In architecture it
is often used to make something appear as receding, such as the HVAC in a ceiling.
Ceiling: hollow to oppressive
Walls: ominous, dungeonlike
Floor: odd, abstract
Ridge Road Residence by Studio Four
Of course the effect of these colors also depends on their position and context, since colors are almost
never seen in isolation. Our perception of and reaction to a hue will change if it is on the interior or
exterior of a building, whether it is located on a ceiling, a wall, or the floor, and what the current light
condition is.
Without doubt, the assumption that color is no more than decoration and color specifications can be
satisfied or solved by personal interpretations or the following of color trends and design idioms in
current fashion is absolutely false and counterproductive. Humane design places the human being in
the center of its concern and purpose. Therefore, it should show interest in human welfare and dignity.

Color Theory
The Color Wheel
A color circle, based on red, yellow and blue, is traditional in the field of art. Sir Isaac Newton
developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Since then scientists and artists have studied
and designed numerous variations of this concept.
Primary colors – are the 3 pigment colors that can not be mixed or formed by any combination of
other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues.

red, yellow, blue

Secondary Colors – These are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors.

green, orange and purple

Tertiary Colors – These are the colors formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color. That’s
why the hue is a two word name, such as blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange.
 yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green

color wheel labeled with types of colors in their

proper locations
Warm & Cool Colors
 Warm colors — such as red, yellow, and orange; evoke warmth because they remind us of
things like the sun or fire.
 Cool colors — such as blue, green, and purple (violet); evoke a cool feeling because they
remind us of things like water or grass.

Warm colors advance and cool colors recede, affecting the perception of depth. This theory is based
upon that fact that the eye adjusts when focusing on colors of different wavelengths. Red light waves
have a longer wavelength than blue ones. An image containing both cool and warm colors would
demonstrate contrast of temperature or warm/cool contrast creating more complex relationships
between the color (warm colors can read cooler against a higher intensity warm colors and cool colors
sometimes can advance against predominately warm palette).
COLOR PSYCHOLOGY: CHILD BEHAVIOR AND LEARNING THROUGH COLORS
Color is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is an energy having wavelength and
frequency. Color affects the mood in adults and more so in children. Color psychology and its
impact on a child’s learning abilities and behavior is a much researched subject.

Color and physical reactions in children

Children also react to colors on a physical level. The explanation behind this is that the light enters the
Hypothalamus which controls the nerve centers, as well as the heart rate and respiration. The
wavelength and energy of each color varies and affects children differently. Even newborns react to
light, a fact highlighted by infant jaundice being treated with blue light.
Color brings about a vascular reflex action by increasing perspiration, the eye blinking rate and also
stimulating a noticeable muscular reaction. Blue color, as shown by above experiment, reduces the
blood pressure. Reactions to orange, red and yellow are same and reaction to violet color is same as
that to blue. The reactions to temperature of the color are another matter; warm colors can calm one
child but they may excite others. Likewise cool colors might stimulate one and relax another.
One shade of pink can be calming, another can be stimulating. Blue violet may be a mystical and
spiritual color, but to some groups of college students, Blue violet induced feelings of fatigue and
sadness. These students also found a shade called “cool green” as angering and confusing.
Color psychology: child and the different colors
Let us now study how different colors can impact learning and memory in kids.
 Blue-Blue enhances creativity and stimulates a cool and relaxing environment. It should not
be used in excess as it can also depress or invoke feelings of sorrow.
 Red– Red is the color of passion and strong feelings of threat, love, or excess stimulus. In
school rooms it can be used in combination with other colors as it can help in detail oriented
or repetitive tasks.
 Yellow– This is indeed the color of happiness and sunshine for children. Yellow stimulates
intelligence and is ideal for use in kids’ rooms, study rooms and play areas. It should not be
overdone as it can make children feel stressed.
 Green-The color of abundance can relax and contribute to better health in kids.
 Pink-This is a calming color. It can lower heart rate.
 Purple-This color ideal for kids as it is attention grabbing.
 Orange– Many educational institutes use this color as it enhances critical thinking and
memory. Test rooms in this color are known to enhance performance in exams.
Guidelines for educational institutes
Here are some guidelines from Frank H. Mahnke from his book Color, Environment and Human
Response for choosing colors based on age of kids especially for Academic environments
 Pre-school and elementary school-Warm and bright color schemes are ideal.
 Upper grade and secondary-Cool colors are recommended to enhance concentration
  Hallways– Wide range of colors can be sued to impart distinctive personality.
 Libraries-These do well with cool green or pale/light green for enhancing quietness and
concentration.
In conclusion
Children, like adults, are very aware of color. Color psychologists have linked color with brain
development, decreased absenteeism, enhanced productivity and even transition from childhood to
adulthood. Naturally, one needs to take a more academic and research oriented approach in the aspect
of color psychology in children rather than simply providing colorful environments through
decoration, school signs and paint availability.
The Importance of Color
Color is one of the first ways your preschooler makes distinctions among things she sees; color words
are some of the first words she uses to describe these things. You have probably heard the pride in
your child's voice as she names the colors of the balloons at the store checkout, or her delight when
she realizes that a banana and pear are different shades of yellow. Helping you fold the laundry, she
may naturally start sorting the socks into piles of different colors while exclaiming, "Look what I
did!" These are all perfect examples of how children (and adults!) use color as a means for defining
and organizing the world.
But there is much more to your child's understanding of color than "knowing his colors." While it is
important for him to know the names of the colors, it is just as important for him to know what to do
with them. You can help by inviting him to notice many shades, hues, and tints. Make up names for
these colors together, such as lemon yellow or apple red. You will be helping him use color as a
means for creative thinking and language. Invite him to use descriptive language as he tells you how
one green is different from another. One 4 year old I observed proudly said, "That green is dark like a
Christmas tree and this one is light like celery!" 
Introduce your child to the world of shades and hues by giving her some paint swatches to explore.
She can sort them into different color piles, match similar colors, and create a sequence or "color
train" of hues from light to dark. Bring out the glue stick and she can cut and paste the colors to make
monochromatic collages of yellows, reds, blues, etc. Find more games and activities about color.
The Power of Shape 
We all use shape as a way of identifying and organizing visual information. Very early, your child
begins to make a connection between familiar objects and their shapes. Changes in these can be
surprising. For example, at first he may not want to eat round waffles or square cookies. But once he
experiences this new shape information (and finds out it is still delicious!), he can easily integrate the
new shape into his pantheon of shape knowledge.
When your child explores different shapes, she is using one of the most basic educational processes:
the observation of same and different. This concept provides her with a basic process that she will be
able to use in observing, comparing and discussing all she sees and encounters.
Play shape-sorting games with simple household items. Put a collection of objects on the floor and
invite your child to sort them into different piles — for round, square, flat, or rectangular items. Then
ask him to go on a treasure hunt around the house to find one more thing that can go in each pile. You
will be asking him to apply what he has learned in sorting the shapes to the greater world around him. 
Take a shape walk around the neighborhood. You might want to focus on one shape at a time. This
will help your child match the shape to objects in the environment, and to notice same and different.
Give her a cardboard circle to carry as you go on your "circle walk." You can also take a shape walk
looking for all shapes. Carry a clipboard and a piece of paper with the basic shapes drawn on it. Every
time your child finds one of the shapes, she can draw a tally mark. Which shape did she find the most
of? Find more shape and size activities.
Shapes are also symbols. Not surprisingly, the early recognition of shapes relates to your child's
ability to read symbols otherwise know as letters. Capital letters are made mostly of circles (or parts
of circles) and lines. The first step in understanding letters is the ability to know the difference
between a circle and a square or rectangle. Provide your child with lots of paper and crayons to
experiment with drawing lines and shapes. Don't worry if they are not perfect at first. It is most
important for him to get the "feel" of the shapes in his hand before it is perfectly represented on paper.
This shape drawing will naturally lead to writing letters. Take the letters of his name and help him see
the shapes inherent in them.
Of course, where would the world of art be with out color and shape? Explore your favorite picture
books together with an eye for color and shape. Great authors to explore include Leo Lionni and Eric
Carle. Help your child see the way the artist has used colors and shapes to create. Bring out the paper
and paints (or markers) and encourage her to create her own art in the style of her favorite illustrator!