Color Psychology and Spatial Perception in Architecture and Interior Design

Colors affect us more than we realize! They influence our well-being, our motivation, and even our health. But how can we use colors and light strategically to create healthy, inspiring spaces?

On January 29 in Bonn, we’ll delve together into color psychology and spatial perception. Through interactive presentations and hands-on workshops, we’ll explore methods for thoughtful color design in architecture and interior design.

Highlights:
✅ Scientifically grounded color psychology in interior design
✅ Workshops on the effects of color, light, and perception
✅ Development of a health-promoting color concept

I’m looking forward to an inspiring exchange!

👉 For more information and to register, contact the RAL Academy directly

I’m pleased that our seminar is already fully booked again so early on; you can sign up for the waiting list.

Der Beitrag Health-Promoting Color Schemes erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

The Institute for Color Psychology is pleased to announce the next step in our significant pilot project to redesign a forensic psychiatric facility. The goal of the project is to improve the well-being, health, and work motivation of staff, as well as to enhance therapeutic success, through an optimized design of the spatial environment.

We have already gathered initial ideas during a successful kick-off workshop attended by a large number of employees, and we are now in the process of developing a preliminary draft for a comprehensive color concept. This concept will later be implemented in collaboration with the facility, and possibly with the participation of patients as well. Our goal is to positively influence the social climate of the facility by improving the quality of the patients’ stay, thereby significantly increasing their chances of recovery.

Our work comes at a time when the nursing and care sector in Germany is under considerable pressure. In forensic facilities across Germany, a sick leave rate of 30% is not uncommon, and numerous positions in the fields of medicine, nursing, and security cannot be filled due to staff shortages. This situation, which has been further exacerbated by the pandemic, has recently drawn considerable criticism from the public and the press. The strain not only leads to high rates of work disability but also to significant bottlenecks in patient care, placing a heavy burden on the entire system.

The pilot project is intended to serve as a model not only for this specific organization but also for other comparable institutions. Through the accompanying scientific research, we hope to gain insights that can be applied to other organizations and that can lead to lasting improvements in employee health and satisfaction.

This project will make a significant contribution to improving health care and the work environment for one of the most heavily burdened occupational groups in Germany, thereby providing a decisive benefit to society.

Der Beitrag Pilot Project to Improve the Work Environment in Forensic Psychiatry erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Opening of the Central Emergency Department at Heliosklinikum Wuppertal-Barmen

It is with great joy and pride that Helios-Klinikum Wuppertal-Barmen is pleased to announce the opening of its new Central Emergency Department, which not only features state-of-the-art medical technology but also introduces an innovative color and lighting concept that has been proven to have positive effects on the well-being and health of patients and staff. This innovative, needs-based color scheme will serve as a model for all central emergency departments within the Helios Group, one of Germany’s largest healthcare companies.

Soothing Atmospheres

Working in an emergency room is inherently challenging. Staff are under enormous pressure around the clock to make quick and accurate decisions to save people’s lives and protect their health. This demanding, high-responsibility, and often stressful environment affects not only the staff but also the patients and their loved ones, who frequently suffer from pain, anxiety, and uncertainty. In such an environment, a calming atmosphere is not only desirable but essential to support the recovery process and promote the well-being of everyone involved.

Positive Interactions Between Light and Surface Colors

To meet this need, the new Central Emergency Department was designed with a forward-thinking color scheme that uses soft, natural shades from the sandy, clay-like, and earthy color spectrum, complemented by invigorating color accents such as sage green and dove blue. These colors help create a calm and healing environment that reduces stress and fosters a positive atmosphere. The furnishings, floors, and doors feature a light, inviting wood finish that radiates warmth and comfort. For the conductive flooring in the monitoring room and the resuscitation rooms—made from particularly sustainable rubber—a new shade in a light clay tone was developed in collaboration between industry and the Institute for Color Psychology; this shade has a particularly natural and inviting appearance. The needs-based lighting design ensures a natural and pleasant environment through light sources with a high color rendering index (CRI 90). People and their surroundings are bathed in natural light, which is particularly effective in the examination rooms with daylight-white lighting and in the waiting and treatment rooms with warm-white lighting, both of which have a calming and relaxing effect.

A needs-based color scheme is not only aesthetically pleasing but also economically attractive

The positive effect of carefully selected lighting and surface colors on patients, staff, and family members has been scientifically proven. It not only promotes general well-being but also supports the healing process by creating an atmosphere that reduces stress and anxiety. Furthermore, it contributes to staff job satisfaction and well-being, which in turn enables higher-quality patient care.

Innovative Corporate Culture

With the corporate colors of the new Central Emergency Department at Helios-Klinikum Wuppertal-Barmen, the hospital is setting a pioneering standard in healthcare. It demonstrates how innovative approaches to design and technology can create an environment that meets not only the physical needs but also the emotional and psychological needs of patients, their families, and staff.

Link to the Helios University Hospital Wuppertal website

Der Beitrag Healing Architecture erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Call for help from the intensive care team for premature babies

“Next summer, we will be moving into a new building. Caring for premature babies and their parents involves so much more than “just” intensive care. Unfortunately, we have no lobby whatsoever when it comes to the color scheme. White walls, LED spotlights,…. a dreary experience. Everything will be there in terms of equipment, but what makes up our special care is totally lost. Patients and their parents often stay on our ward for months. Our nursing staff’s hair stands on end……. It’s impossible to create a feel-good atmosphere. Can you give us a helping hand? Can you help us to create a good working atmosphere and give the premature babies a good start in this world?“

Abstract

This study examines the influence of color design on the well-being and satisfaction of patients, relatives and staff using the practical example of the neonatology department in the Clinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine at the Klinikum Bremen Mitte. In continuation of our previous studies[i], this was the first time that a new building was available for a study. The color redesign of the neonatology ward in the new clinic building became necessary because the largely monochrome color scheme of the ward (white walls and ceilings and yellow floors throughout) met with vehement disapproval from the medical, therapeutic and nursing staff, which was expressed both verbally and in writing.[ii] The color redesign was carried out in a participatory process according to an evidence-based methodology.

The results of the representative survey of medical, nursing and therapeutic staff before and after the color redesign, as well as the interviews and observations, show significant changes in the experience and behavior of the people affected. The assessment of well-being, quality of stay, emotional mood, orientation and motivation improved on average by 207% from 4.3 (negative) to 2.1 (positive).

[i] Buether, Axel and Wöbker, Gabriele (03/2020). Study “Color and Health” “Assessment of the psychological and medical effects of the environmental factors color and light on patients and staff in the field of intensive care medicine” DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.28780.10884

Buether, Axel and Wöbker, Gabriele (03/2020). Helios University Hospital St. B2-2 “Assessment of the psychological and health effects of the environmental factors color and light on patients and staff in intensive care medicine” DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31296.69127

[ii] The rejection of the existing color scheme of the new clinic building was clearly expressed by the staff’s call for help (see attachment), the interview with the medical director (see attachment). The reasons for rejecting the existing atmosphere were stated in the questionnaire and validated by the results of the survey (see table of results).

Results of the study:[i]

1. The color scheme is a significant factor for well-being. (Overall result of the survey before the color change from 4.2 rather negative to 2.1 rather positive afterwards)
2. White walls do not have a neutral effect, but significantly counteract the well-being of patients, relatives and staff.(The overall result of the survey before the color change of 4.2 is significantly worse than the neutral result of 3)
3. The distribution of answers proves that the effects of color in a room can be objectively assessed, planned and used in the structural context of the usage situation for the benefit of the user groups concerned. Deviations in the distribution of the answers prove that the effects of color in the room remain subjective within a range that is tolerable, as it does not significantly impair the success of the design (see graphic).
4. The color scheme of the architecture has a positive effect on the medical and nursing activities of the staff if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based. (from 3.8 rather negative to 2.3 rather positive)
5. The color scheme of the architecture promotes the well-being of patients if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based. (from 3.8 rather negative to 2.3 rather positive)[ii]
6. The color scheme of the architecture promotes the well-being, trust and confidence of parents if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based. (from 4.4 rather negative to 1.5 very positive)[iii]
7. The color design of the architecture promotes the well-being and quality of stay of the staff if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based. (from 4.4 rather negative to 2.1 rather positive).
8. The color scheme of the architecture encourages staff to feel that their employer values their work if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based. (from 4.2 rather negative to 2.4 rather positive)
9. The color scheme of the architecture promotes staff identification with the workplace if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based. (from 4.2 rather negative to 2.3 rather positive)
10. The color scheme of the architecture has a positive effect on the emotional mood and motivation of staff if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based. (from 4.2 rather negative to 2.1 rather positive)
11. The color scheme of the architecture has a positive effect on orientation in the ward if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based. (from 4.6 negative to 2.0 rather positive)
12. The color scheme of the architecture has a positive effect on the effectiveness of regeneration during breaks if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based. (from 4.6 negative to 2.5 rather positive)
13. The color scheme of the architecture has a positive effect on the attractiveness of the workplace for staff if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based. (from 4.5 rather negative to 1.8 rather positive)[iv]

[i] A color scheme does not always have a positive effect on users. It can be counterproductive and dysfunctional if it is not geared to the needs of users and is not evidence-based. A study on this issue is currently being carried out. In 2021, Axel Buether was commissioned to redesign the Interdisciplinary Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, whose color concept had previously been conceived and implemented by an artist. A purely artistic color design can have positive effects for the user groups concerned, but at the same time also carries the risk of failure, which is a legitimate result in art, but is unacceptable in architecture, where the well-being of the users is of central importance in most cases.

[ii] The reasons why the nursing staff arrived at this assessment are explained in the transcribed interview A. The interview explicitly mentions that premature babies react to a pleasant atmosphere, which is determined by the perceptual quality of light and surface colors. The observations we have documented visually also show that colored cloths are used by nursing staff on incubators to regulate the incidence of light and the color quality of the light in the immediate vicinity of the child even more finely. Our previous studies listed under 1 and 2 show that adult patients also benefit from a color scheme if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based.

[iii] We saw the greatest improvement in this question, although we did not ask the parents directly. The reasons why the nursing staff came to this conclusion are explained in the transcribed interview B. It is stated here that parents often spend weeks to months in the ward with their premature babies and are under extreme stress. Here, the effect of a confidence-building feel-good atmosphere and the intuitive form of orientation using the color coding system from any location in the ward to your own child is particularly noticeable.

[iv] Here we were able to achieve the second greatest improvement, just behind the well-being of the parents. The assessment in the questionnaire is consistent with statements made in the interviews with staff.

Please indicate when citing: Prof. Dr. Axel Buether, Dr. Hans Thorsten Körner. Influence of color design on the functionality of new hospital buildings, in particular the well-being of patients, relatives and staff in the field of neonatology. 18.10.2022 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22488.16645

Conclusions and outlook

On the connection between well-being and health:

The WHO constitution defines health as follows: “… a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”[i] Our study shows that the white wall design of the newly built ward counteracts the intended purpose, as it significantly impairs the well-being and, according to the WHO definition, also the health of patients, relatives and staff. A clinic whose atmosphere significantly impairs the well-being of the people in it is dysfunctional.[ii] The interplay of light and surface colors contributes significantly to the atmospheric effect of built spaces, whereby the interactions of all sensually perceptible environmental factors such as the smell of cleaning agents and the evaporation of building materials, the acoustics of the surfaces and the noise level of the rooms, the quality of the food and, above all, the degree of human attention and friendliness must be taken into account.

In summary, it can be said that not using a needs-oriented and evidence-based color scheme causes a number of problems for the people affected and for the hospital as a whole, which cannot be justified either ethically or economically. The costs for a needs-oriented and at the same time evidence-based color design are hardly calculable compared to the construction costs, and are negligible compared to the total costs of planning. This project was essentially made up of 2 factors: a) the development of the color concept and b) the repainting of the wall surfaces, which in this case only had to be done a second time because a needs-oriented and evidence-based color concept was dispensed with the first time.

In interviews and conversations, it was repeatedly mentioned that the built space itself has functional deficiencies, such as a lack of views from the interior corridors and the adjoining support points to the surrounding greenery or the sky. Studies show that such relationships have positive effects on people’s health.[iii] It follows from this that a needs-oriented and evidence-based color concept should accompany the design as far as possible, whereby important parameters must be worked out in advance, such as health-promoting views of the colorfulness of the surrounding nature, the sky, green space or water or the creation of an outdoor space design that enables the planning of such views. Color is an essential component of evidence-based healthcare construction, which also has many other important aspects, as demonstrated by recent publications from the field of architectural psychology.[iv]

[i] Preamble of the WHO Constitution of the WHO 1948 (quoted from WHO 2020, p. 1)

[ii] Abel, A. (2020) Architecture and health. Needs-oriented architecture using the example of a Maslow metamodel. Weimar, Germany: Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism Bauhaus University Weimar

[iii] Ulrich RS, Simons RF, Losito BD, Fiorito E, Miles MA, Zelson M. (1991) Stress Recovery During Exposure to Natural and Urban Environments. J Environ Psychol 1991; 11: 201 – 230

[iv] G. Koppen and T.C. Vollmer (2022) Architektur als zweiter Körper, Gebr. Mann publishing house

Der Beitrag How do the colors of architecture affect the well-being, health and work motivation of users? erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Surface in Motion 2022 – Announcement of the organizer

Our third “Surface in Motion – Technology and Design Conference” will take place on 27. and September 28, 2022 in Wiesbaden again. Top speakers will be on hand to present the latest topics and trends relating to decorative wood-based surfaces – from the very latest technical possibilities and exciting future trends to innovative material compositions and the effect that surfaces have in a room. Join us and choose from two parallel lecture programs on the second day of the event – according to your preference “Technology” or “Design”. With this event format, the trade magazines möbelfertigung and arcade are addressing the wood-based materials industry, its suppliers, furniture manufacturers, interior architects and designers. This year’s top speakers in the design strand include designer Hanne Willmann, interior designer Susanne Brandherm from Brandherm+Krumrey, interior designer Boris Bandyopadhyay and color expert Prof. Dr. Axel Buether – plus speakers from Interprint, Schattdecor, Continental, Windmöller, Westag, Pfleiderer, Kneho-Lacke, Nolte Küchen, Colorgate and many more! The venue is the Neues Kurhaus in Wiesbaden.

All further information and the possibility to register can be found on the website of the organizer arcade events

Der Beitrag Color research in healthcare construction erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Keynote speech at the annual conference of the medical association “AGeP, Akademie für Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention e. V.”.

Color is an environmental factor that can make us tired, listless and ill or keep us awake, active and healthy. Before we start designing with light and material colors, we must therefore first make an effort to understand the individual needs of the people concerned as well as the context of their living and working situation.

Venue:
Steigenberger Hotel Der Sonnenhof in Bad Wörishofen

Please contact the organizer for information on how to participate “ AGeP, Academy for Health Promotion and Prevention e. V. “

Der Beitrag Visionary Lecture “Color and Health” erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

• 12.05.2022 Gladbeck Zweckel machine hall
• 16.06.202 Leipzig Kunstkraftwerk
• 14.07.2022 Munich Brickworks 101

Registration on the website of the organizer TRILUX

Der Beitrag Color Light Health erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

What can buildings contribute to the healing process and where do we stand on this issue?

You are cordially invited to the Healing Architecture Symposium, where Danish and German experts will meet to present and discuss their ideas and experiences on existing and future hospital projects.

We look forward to an exchange on different approaches, new findings, challenges and possible solutions.

Together with the Danish Embassy, EY brings stakeholders who deal with hospital buildings from different perspectives into a joint exchange.

We will also be presenting the EY hospital study, which focuses on the question “What makes hospitals into healthcare buildings?”.

Last but not least, the Danish Embassy will be presenting its initiatives for exchange between Denmark and Germany in the healthcare sector.

Healing Architecture Agenda 31.05.2022

From 11:15 a.m.: Registration and light buffet

12:00 p.m.: Welcome:

• Susanne Hyldelund, Ambassador of the Kingdom of DenmarkStefan Majer
• City Councillor, Head of the Mobility and Health Department, Frankfurt/MainFrank Hermann
• Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Denmark in Hesse

12:15 p.m.: EY study – “What makes hospitals healthcare buildings?” Katrin Thies, Ernst & Young Real Estate GmbH

Part 1: What role does Healing Architecture play today?

Moderation: Fabian Schuster, Ernst & Young Real Estate GmbH

12:30 p.m.: “10 Years of Healing Architecture in Germany” –
Prof. Christine Nickl-Weller, Nickl & Partner Architekten AG

12:45 p.m.: “User Inclusion in Designing and Planning, Copenhagen Centre for Cancer & Health” – Dr. Jette Vibe-Petersen, Denmark

13:00: “Planning of New North Zealand Hospital” – Mette Stokholm, Denmark

13:25: Moderated panel discussion

Stefan Egelhof, ADK Modulraum GmbHProf. Dr. med. Steffen Gramminger, Hessische Krankenhausgesellschaft e.V.Prof. Christine Nickl-Weller, Nickl & Partner Architekten AGMette Stokholm, New North Zealand Hospital, Denmark, Dr. Jette Vibe-Petersen, Denmark

14:10 hrs: Networking and coffee

Part 2: Outlook – How is Healing Architecture developing?

Moderation: Stefanie Matthys, ENAH European Network Architecture for Health

15:00: “Color, light and health” – Prof. Dr. Axel Buether, University of Wuppertal

15:15: “From Mean to Green” – Julian Weyer, C.F. Møller Architects, Denmark

15:35: Moderated panel discussion

• Prof. Dr. Axel Buether, University of Wuppertal
• Dr. med. Thomas Vraetz, University Medical Center Freiburg, New Pediatric Clinic
• Julian Weyer, C.F. Møller Architects, Denmark
• Petra Wörner, Architect BDA, wörner traxler richter planungsgesellschaft mbh

16:20: Wrap-up – Katrin Thies, Ernst & Young Real Estate GmbH
The Danish-German hospital alliance – Olaf Meyer, Kgl. Danish Embassy

Networking and after-work beer until 5:30 pm

Registration on the website of the organizer Ernst & Young

Der Beitrag Healing Architecture in Denmark and Germany erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

We spend 90% of our lives indoors!

Take a look at contemporary building design doctrines! Where the focus is primarily on questions of typologization, standardization and standardization, there is no room for people’s individual need for health, personal well-being and an environment worth living in. Atmospheric phenomena such as colors and light are important environmental influences that have a strong impact on people’s well-being and health.

Design and architectural psychology

Environmental factors such as colors and light have an effect on our experience and behavior, because that is precisely their biological and cultural function. The positive and negative effects of light and color on the people affected, as well as on the acceptance and appreciation of the facility, have been scientifically proven and should therefore be taken into account in the planning process from the outset.

There is no recipe for good color and lighting design

Construction tasks such as new buildings, conversions and renovations are never the same, as the location, the people and the use make specific demands on every plan. In any case, we must always look for a new balance in order to reconcile people’s individual needs with their living space, as well as with the resources available to us.

Best practice examples

To show you how this can be achieved with different tasks, we have selected 7 best practice examples and asked the design authors to present their work and design methodology to us. Afterwards, we will talk to the speakers about their work and try to answer any questions you may have during and after the presentation in the chat.

The event is organized by the Deutsches Farbenzentrum e.V. – Central Institute for Colour in Science and Design at the University of Wuppertal in cooperation with the Bauhaus University Weimar. Moderation of the event: Prof. Dr. Axel Buether, Dr. Alexandra Abel (architectural psychologist) and students of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.

The free livestream and the video documentation of all presentations can be found under this link on the YOUTUBE channel of our non-profit educational platform color.education.

Item 1 Architects of Happiness. Thomas Bögl, LIAG Architects, The Hague, NL
Wednesday, November 3, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Link to the talk on our YouTube channel at colour.education

Position 2 Light. Material. Color. Concept. Space. Architecture. Jason Danziger thinkbuild architecture Berlin, Germany
Wednesday, November 10, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Link to the lecture on our You-Tube channel at color.education

Item 3 : Touching Architecture. Andrea Möhn Architects, Rotterdam , NL
Wednesday, November 17, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Link to the talk on our YouTube channel at colour.education

Session 4: Spatial Quality. Peter Defesche Defesche Van den Putte Architecture and Urbanism, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Wednesday, November 24, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Link to the lecture on our YouTube channel at colour.education

Item 5: Architecture That Cares. Morten Rask Gregersen, NORD Architects A/S, Copenhagen NV, DK
Wednesday, December 1, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Link to the presentation on our YouTube channel at colour.education

Item 6: Places of Healing – A Project Tour. Petra Wörner wörner traxler richter Frankfurt / Dresden / Munich (D) Basel (CH)
Wednesday, December 8, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Link to the talk on our YouTube channel at colour.education

Item 7 The Architecture of Health. Prof. Alex de Rijke dRMM London, UK
Wednesday, December 15, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Link to the lecture on our You-Tube channel at color.education

Der Beitrag Healing Architecture erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Yellow walls, gray linoleum floors and a slightly pungent chemical smell – this is what patients can expect in many hospitals in Germany, not necessarily places to feel comfortable. Studies show that furnishings, colors and light can have a positive effect on patients’ recovery and recuperation. Staff also benefit from a harmonious architectural concept.

In recent decades, most hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia have received new, modern buildings or renovated and refurbished existing ones. For the most part, the main aim was to increase efficiency. The Helios University Hospital in Wuppertal went its own way. As part of the renovation work, several studies on the connection between color and health were carried out together with the Chair of the Faculty of Design and Art at the University of Wuppertal. The focus was particularly on intensive care medicine. The results showed that “soft” environmental factors such as light and color also have a positive effect on the well-being and state of health of intensive care patients. In addition, the trust and satisfaction of relatives as well as the work motivation and identification of staff are strengthened. As a result, Professor Dr.-Ing. Axel Buether, color researcher and chair at the Faculty of Design and Art at the University of Wuppertal, redesigned the rooms of the intensive care clinic between 2017 and 2018 together with his team and head physician Dr. Gabriele Wöbker, specialist in anesthesia, neurology and neurosurgery.

Interplay of light and color

“A change doesn’t have to be expensive. For better lighting conditions, for example, we simply replaced the old neon lights with LED lights,” Buether explains to Rheinisches Ärzteblatt. This has significantly improved the color rendering index. “This shows us how realistically colors appear in certain lighting conditions,” explains the color researcher. Modern LED luminaires have an index of 90 percent and above – the surroundings appear much more natural and the luminaires even save energy. However, it is not only the light source that is decisive, but also the so-called color temperature. This is because it has a direct effect on the hormone balance. The cooler light around midday, also known as daylight white, increases serotonin levels. “It keeps us awake, gives us strength. Of course, patients in the intensive care unit don’t need that as a permanent burden,” says Buether. In the end, the color researchers chose two color temperatures: warmer for the patient rooms and the doctors’, nurses’ and carers’ lounges and cooler light for corridors and other public areas.

In the next step, the researchers turned their attention to the color scheme on the walls, ceilings and doors. “In many clinics, the ceilings and walls are painted in a shade of yellow – let’s call it a soft yellow. However, this is often perceived by patients and staff as faded and yellowed. We opted for a softer shade of sand, which looks white at first glance, but is more tactile and lively,” explains Buether. The walls in the wards were painted in different colors. A color orientation system was used here to make it easier for patients, staff and visitors to find their way around. The architectural concept of the University Hospital in Aachen, which still appears futuristic today, already used such clear color coding at the end of the 1970s. “Agitated relatives lose sight of the signs. A color code is very helpful for orientation, especially as the corridors of different wards and floors in hospitals usually look very similar,” says Buether, explaining the concept.

More well-being, less medication

“The assessments of patients and staff were recorded both quantitatively before and after the renovation using questionnaires and qualitatively via interviews. For us, the results of the study are a clear sign that a relatively small amount of work can have a big impact,” explains Head Physician Wöbker. “These changes are easy to adapt.” So far, there have only been a few studies worldwide that have proven the influence of architectural space on people’s well-being and state of health, adds color researcher Buether: “The research gap applies to the entire field of healthcare buildings.” Especially in intensive care, an inappropriate clinical environment can increase negative feelings such as anxiety, panic, disorientation, loneliness and depression.
As part of their accompanying study, Wöbker and her team investigated whether the lighting and room design also had an effect on medication consumption. Her conclusion: “The consumption of medication was significantly reduced. There were significant changes in acute neuroleptics in particular. In the comparison period, consumption fell by an average of 30 percent,” says the head physician. The results of the patient surveys showed that the new color and lighting concept had significantly changed the atmosphere in the patient rooms – the overall impression was friendlier and warmer. The perception of design factors increased by an average of 32 percent. The greatest increase was seen in the assessment of the color design (63 percent), closely followed by the feeling of privacy, which improved by 55 percent.

Another focus of the study accompanying the renovation was to examine the effects of color and light on the well-being and satisfaction of the medical and nursing staff. The researchers looked not only at intensive care medicine, but also at the entire building. The changed color scheme was most popular with the staff. Satisfaction levels here rose by almost 76 percent, followed by the noticeable 54 percent improvement in artificial lighting quality. General employee satisfaction also increased by twelve percent. According to Buether, it is particularly striking that the color scheme was able to reduce the sickness rate among nursing staff by around 35 percent. In addition, employees identified much more strongly with their workplace – an increase of almost 30 percent was achieved here. “If we express staff satisfaction in school grades, the initial grade of four has changed to a two. This change is an enormous success. The improved working atmosphere also means that employees feel more valued,” says Buether.

Link to the website of the North Rhine Medical Association

Der Beitrag More light and color erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.