Workshop

Color is not merely a visual phenomenon. It has weight, temperature, and texture—it is tactile, even though we can only see it. Its effect arises from the interplay of material, surface, and light.

This seminar combines evidence-based color psychology with the practice of architecture and interior design—in collaboration with the JAB Anstoetz Group, one of the world’s leading textile companies.

With over 1,000 real material samples, a space for experience opens up that goes far beyond color charts and digital representations: Color can be experienced as a living phenomenon that manifests itself differently in each material and reveals its psychological qualities.

1. May 21, 2026 JAB ANSTOETZ Group | Munich Showroom
2. September 22, 2026 JAB ANSTOETZ Group | Hamburg Showroom
3. September 24, 2026 JAB ANSTOETZ Group | Berlin Showroom

Register with the organizer via this link: JAB Anstoetz Group

What to Expect

Presentation (90 minutes)
Current Insights into Color Psychology—From Perception to Impact:

• The Influence of Color on Well-Being, Motivation, and Cognitive Processes
• The Importance of Material, Light, and Context
• scientific principles from the fields of perceptual psychology, environmental psychology, and neuroaesthetics

Workshop (90 minutes) “
: Thinking About and Experiencing Color in Materials”:

• Experimental work with a wide range of textile surfaces
• Analysis of the Interactions Between Color, Texture, and Light
• Development of targeted material-color combinations for different intended effects (e.g., calming, energizing, focusing)

For whom

Architects, interior designers, planners, and anyone who not only wants to design spaces but also wants to precisely understand their impact on people and develop that impact in a targeted way.

Your added value

• A scientifically grounded understanding of the effect of color in a room
• Enhanced design precision in the use of materials and surfaces
• Concrete ideas for spaces that promote well-being, orientation, and performance

A seminar at the intersection of research, sensor technology, and design

Der Beitrag The Tactile Quality of Color: How We Touch Spaces with Our Eyes erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

This year, the “Interior Construction and Design” symposium organized by Tischler NRW offers a program that is—in the truest sense of the word—colorful: The event, which kicks off on September 12, 2024, at the RuhrCongress Bochum, will be opened by Prof. Axel Buether, who, at the Institute for Color Psychology at the University of Wuppertal, studies the fundamental questions surrounding the perception and impact of color in spaces.

In his presentation, Axel Buether explains how colors influence human well-being both on a conscious level and, above all, on a subconscious level. For this reason, it is essential for everyone involved in interior design to consider the perception and impact of colors in a space.

The “Design and Interior Construction” conference begins on September 12, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. at the RuhrCongress Bochum (and ends around 5:00 p.m.).

Link to registration and further information on the website of the organizer, TISCHLER NRW

Der Beitrag Perception and Effect of Color in a Space 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.

Contents:

1. from the phenomenon to the systemic order of colors

2. the most important color registers and color collections in architecture

3. the topicality of Le Corbusier’s color collection “Polychromie Architecturale”

4. the most important color systems in architecture

5. the interaction of light and body colors in architecture

6. criteria for the selection and quality assurance of colors

1. from the phenomenon to the systemic order of colors

Color is a natural phenomenon, created by the refraction, reflection and absorption of light and a genetic factor in the emergence and diversification of life on earth. The entire environment is a color system that ensures the survival of countless species. The production of pigments in the plant world not only serves photosynthesis and thus the growth of organisms, but also provides orientation for insects, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, which are specifically attracted to ensure dispersal and fertilization. Our perception of the beauty of natural colors is therefore based on an intuitive understanding of a system of symbols whose color codes are used by more than 20 million species to communicate. Man constantly transforms and expands this natural order of colors through the color design of his cultural space, whose colorfulness always reflects current social requirements for orientation, deterrence, attraction, camouflage, identity, behavior control and socio-cultural communication.

The pre-modern order of the colors of our villages and cities, buildings, infrastructures, parks, fields and commercial forests creates an intuitive form of orientation in the cultural space, as it clearly delineates functions and possible uses and designates them in a generally understandable way. Until the age of globalization, the colour design of the cultural area was based on natural resources of materials and dyes, resulting in the development of regionally diversified colour cultures. Precious building materials and dyes were often imported for particularly important buildings, which is why they often stand out as landmarks from the canon of regional architectural color. The same system was also used to clearly differentiate between the colors of public and private spaces. Important places and buildings are immediately recognizable, even to strangers, by their striking colors and shapes, thus assuming the function of an intuitive orientation and guidance system. We orient ourselves almost exclusively on the colorfulness of façade surfaces, which appear to us as a spatial composition of bodies against their background. The social order of pre-modern societies is therefore reflected not only in the repertoire of forms and the materiality of public space, but also in the architectural coloration. Color enables differentiation, categorization and identification. The aesthetics of historical architectural coloration follow this function. Due to this outstanding importance for the legibility of historic cityscapes, the color scheme is protected as an authentic component of our architectural heritage and is carefully reconstructed wherever possible.

The practice of systematic descriptions of color tones based on standardized colour samples and standard agreements therefore only developed with the industrialization of modern societies. The discovery of synthetic dyes accelerated the emergence of the chemical industry, which today produces more than 9 million dyes a year. tons of colorant produced. Global chemical companies such as Bayer, Merck, Hoechst and BASF began their development with patents on synthetically produced dyes that revolutionized the appearance of our living spaces and consumer goods worldwide. The quality of the new dyes had to meet international industry standards, which forced the development of scientifically based color systems. On behalf of the Deutscher Werkbund, Nobel Prize winner Wilhelm Ostwald was already researching a color system for practical use in architecture, crafts and industry in 1914. The “Ostwald double cone” named after him is still the basis of many color systems today.

2. the most important color registers and color collections in architecture

The industrialization of all areas of our lives demands globally binding colour standards to ensure consistent surface qualities for the planning and production of architecture and everyday objects. For this reason, the development of standardized colour collections began at the start of the 20th century, such as the RAL colour catalog created by the Reichsausschuss für Lieferbedingungen (RAL) in 1927. In today’s practice, color registers and color collections that are freely available or can be purchased for a nominal fee facilitate communication between manufacturers and customers. They consist of standardized reference color samples that enable legally binding agreements between customers and manufacturers. The manufacturer can produce the samples in the form of material samples, which gives the customer a realistic impression of the color effect, as influencing factors such as surface structure, color depth or gloss level can be included in the evaluation. Other manufacturers provide color registers or color collections of printed or coated papers whose color shades are designated according to an industry standard.

The most important color collection for the field of architecture is still the “RAL Classic”, which was introduced in 1927 and today contains 213 standardized colors that can be reproduced in large parts of the industry. When selecting new shades, the emphasis is on timelessness, which is why current shades such as trend colors can be found more easily in the “RAL Effect” color catalog, which contains 490 solid and 70 metallic shades. Anyone looking for plastic samples will find

“RAL Plastics”, a color collection that makes 100 of the most frequently requested colors available. In addition, the RAL Academy, in cooperation with the German Color Center and the House of Color Zurich, has been offering regular training courses for color design in architecture and trade since 2015.

The world’s most important color collection for the print sector is the “Pantone Color Matching System”, whose 1755 spot colors significantly expand the CMYK print color space. Due to increasing demand from architects, craftsmen and private customers, specialist paint retailers are now also increasingly stocking mixing units that can be used to produce Pantone shades to customer specifications. The most important Pantone color collections are standard in all Adobe programs, while print shops worldwide have access to original Pantone printing colors. This ensures security and diversity in the selection and realization of print products that can be used in many countries around the world with the same color reliability. A variety of color collections can be purchased in the form of color fans, books or ring binder pages that contain pastel, metallic and neon colors in addition to coated and uncoated papers. Most products are updated annually, which should be taken into account when making cost-intensive purchases. The product range of the Pantone color collections is no longer only aimed at graphic designers, but increasingly also at product designers and, with severe restrictions, also at interior designers. The use of Pantone color collections for cotton, nylon and plastics helps in the selection of textile colors for interior design. However, the products are only suitable for determining wall paints and product colors to a limited extent, as the color codes usually have to be converted into more common standards such as RAL or NCS. The sale of all products is supported by the publication of trend information and an international consulting and training network. Alternatively, the “HKS color fans” and color books that are widely used in Europe can be used, which, like the Pantone color collections, are standard in all Adobe programs, but are relatively inexpensive to purchase.

3. the topicality of Le Corbusier’s color collection “Polychromie Architecturale”

Le Corbusier recognized the power of color for modern architecture when he stated: “Colour in architecture is as powerful a means as the ground plan and the section. Or rather: polychromy, a component of the ground plan and the section itself.” Artur Rüegg’s newly compiled and highly successful “Polychromie Architecturale” not only documents an impressive collection of “Le Corbusier colors”, but also the theory and system for their application in architecture.

Le Corbusier’s theoretical approach is based on the form of abstract painting he practiced himself, in which he no longer used colors in a naturalistic way, but as a field of experimentation for human perception. It was clear to him that color itself expresses a message that is perceived and causes reactions, such as the purist revolutionary lime white in the middle of bourgeois quarters or the modernization of traditional interior concepts through free compositions of colour fields. For him, colors are a tool for the tectonic shaping of space, which is thus formed for the perceiving viewer, structured according to harmonious principles and brought into the work through the materialization of the three-dimensional composition.

In his color collection, he compiles a repertoire of white tones and colored grays, sandy and ochre-colored natural tones as well as strong chromatic colors. The color collections, which he describes as harmonious color keyboards, are each assigned to a theme such as “space, sky, velvet, wall, sand, landscape or colorful spots”. Each color keyboard is made up of three large color fields that form the background or environment for two melodic overtone series, each consisting of 14 small color fields. Users can develop their own color compositions from the repertoire of basic tones and overtones without creating formal errors or discords. It was important to Le Corbusier that the overall composition, which can be chosen with the help of templates or freely, remains harmonious and thematically clear in every arrangement. He realized the application of his system in the Villa La Roche.

The systemically applicable tool was conceived by him for the practice of architects, who generally have no basic training in painting and, due to the complexity of their profession, usually only insufficiently deal with the aesthetic, tectonic and semantic effects of colors in space. The shades of Le Corbusier’s keyboards are now produced and marketed by the Uster (Switzerland) based paint manufacturer kt.Color using largely original pigment formulas, even though the name “Le Corbusier Farben” may no longer be used for copyright reasons.

Image Color collection Polychromie Architecturale by Le Corbusier, photo Axel Buether

4. the most important color systems in architecture

The systematic ordering of colors is based on the three fundamental properties of color perception: hue, brightness and saturation. All color systems are structured in the form of three-dimensional coordinate systems whose axes function according to the polarity or opposition principle. Spheres, cubes, cones or rhombohedrons are used depending on the intended purpose. On the brightness scale, light and dark or black and white are contrasted. On the saturation scale, there is a gray tone and a colored tone opposite each other. The hue scale is very often arranged in the form of a color wheel in which the physiologically determined primary colors yellow and blue as well as red and green complement each other. Complementarity means that two color tones contrast to the maximum and produce an achromatic shade of grey when mixed. Any number of mixed color tones can be determined on the scales, which are tested by test subjects according to the principle of equal distance and adapted to the sensory spectrum of our visual perception system. In the center of the color wheel is usually a medium achromatic gray that darkens to black, while it lightens to white on the other side. The two most important color systems for architecture, urban planning, design, trade, building authorities and monument preservation are the “RAL Design System (RAL Design)” and the “Natural Colour System (NCS)”. Color readers are available for both systems, which can be used to decode the color designations on real surfaces. In practice, however, a color fan proves to be the more reliable tool, as surface characteristics and signs of aging lead to deviations in the digitization of the color tone found.

The “Natural Color System (NCS)” is based on the “Ostwald double cone” system, which describes a triangular body of rotation. The double cone is made up of triangles of the same color tone, the sides of which are defined by a specified hue as well as black and white. The triangles of the same color tone are made up of individual tones of different color saturation and brightness. each NCS color tone occupies a precisely defined position in the color system and can be clearly located. Color tones can be determined visually or numerically by the user. The designation NCS 1050 – R50B refers to a violet that is in the middle between red and blue (R50B) with a black content of 10% (10) and a color saturation of 50% (50). Numerical gradations can be made in all directions of the NCS color space with a factor of 10. (Image NCS color space) The NCS color space contains 1950 shades, which are available as a color fan, sample card or color atlas.

The “RAL Design System” consists of 1625 colorimetrically equally spaced shades, which are arranged according to the CIELab color space. This perceptual color space is the industry standard today and is easy to read for color measurement devices. It enables the continuous calculation of color tones that can be converted into other color spaces such as RGB, CMYK or HSB. Each hue has a unique identifier from which the basic hue (color circle 0-360°), the CIELAB brightness (scale 0-100 between black and white) and the saturation or chroma can be read. RAL 190 30 90 is a dark blue-green with a low lightness of 30 and a high saturation of 90. RAL Design is available as a color fan, sample card or color atlas.

For reasons of practicability, all color systems refrain from recording many qualitative properties of color such as luminosity, intensity, transparency, purity, gloss, dullness, texture or color depth, which limits their informative value for architectural practice. Surface effects, signs of ageing, proportions, neighborhood influences, irregularities or physical factors such as reflection, transmission and absorption of light cannot be recorded with this method. This reveals the application possibilities and limitations that color systems have for architectural practice.

Image RAL Design System, photo Axel Buether

5. the interaction of light and body colors in architecture

The mathematical definition and measurement of the technically usable color space led in 1931 to the definition of the “CIE standard valence system” (CIE International Commission on Illumination), which is still valid today in a modified form. Colorimetricians measure the perceptible color space by generalizing the sensations of color stimuli and defining them using colorimetric numbers. They speak of color valences, which characterize the average effect of a defined light source on a reference group. Today, color valences are measured with reference to the “CIE standard color chart”, which shows the different sensitivity of our visual perception system to spectral wavelength ranges. The blue-violet areas at the lower edge of the perceptible light spectrum (from 380 nanometers) are just as narrow as the red-orange areas at the upper edge (700 nm). The middle green range, on the other hand, comprises 90% of all perceptible color tones, if the green-yellow and blue-green ranges are added. The technically defined color spaces such as the “CMYK print color space” or the “RGB light color space” are inscribed in this mathematically defined color space, which determines the limits of our color perception.

The “CIE standard color chart” creates the basis for “color management”, which ensures the “true color” flow of information between input and output devices such as scanners, cameras, monitors and printers. Since all other technically usable color spaces are based on this, definitions and conversions between light and body colors are now possible without any problems. This globally valid, generally binding technical standard creates the prerequisite for checking the color representation of projectors, monitors, displays, lights and illuminants as well as the color accuracy of printed products, textiles and other consumer goods. There are no formulas for converting RGB and CMYK values to color collections such as RAL, HKS or Pantone, but there are tables that are freely available online.

The mathematically defined CIE color space is of great importance for architecture, as it serves as the basis for determining the “light color” and thus the “atmosphere” of rooms. We use the “color temperature” and the “color rendering index” to measure the atmospheric qualities of light sources. We always use the spectrum of sunlight as a reference, which gives all surfaces their usual body color. The color constancy of our visual system is responsible for the fact that we only perceive the diverse changes in all light and surface colors during the day if we observe them specifically. Without this power of our perceptual system, we would never be able to clearly determine body colors. Over the course of the day and seasons, sunlight often changes between the warm white range, which extends up to 3,300 Kelvin, and the cool white range, which runs from 5,000 – 16,000 Kelvin. Cool white daylight between 5,000 and 6,000 Kelvin characterizes the morning hours. It activates the human organism, creates a good working atmosphere and increases our alertness and motivation. The daylight white of fluorescent lamps and LED light sources offer approximations. Warm white light, on the other hand, characterizes the evening hours. The low color temperatures create atmospheres of calm and relaxation. We perceive color temperatures of approx. 1,500 K, which are reached by candlelight and open fire, as reddish warm and very cozy. The light from incandescent lamps and halogen lamps is somewhat higher in the warm white range at around 2,700 K and therefore has a slightly yellowish and pleasantly natural effect, especially because it also achieves good values in the “color rendering index”.

The color rendering index indicates the extent to which a light source changes the surface colors of its surroundings. Energy-efficient light sources often only emit parts of the visible light spectrum, which is why missing color components such as red cannot be reproduced. In the test procedure, the changes in 14 test colors are measured against the spectrum of sunlight. LED light sources achieve an average color rendering index of approx. 80%, while fluorescent lamps only achieve approx. 50% and thus cause strong changes in the body colors of people, rooms and objects. Many color ranges are no longer perceived or are completely distorted. The energy-inefficient incandescent lamp, on the other hand, achieves up to 100% and thus the closest approximation to the color spectrum of sunlight that can be achieved by conventional technical means. This is why color matching in the industry is carried out under standard light in special light booths. Where possible, samples of the colors of facades and interiors should be taken under daylight conditions at midday or under realistic artificial lighting conditions. Lighting parameters such as illuminance, color temperature and the color rendering index should be defined in order to rule out subsequent deviations in the sampled color tones.

Image: Color temperature (black-body curve), standard lighting, RGB and CMYK color spaces in the CIE standard color chart

7. criteria for the selection and quality assurance of colors

The aesthetic effect of architectural color is determined by the interaction of material color and the influence of light in the built space. The aesthetic effect of the color changes with the angle of the sun to the component, with the season, the time of day and the weather. Paintings and color prints on unstructured paper or representations on computer monitors are only meaningful if planners and designers know all the influencing factors and can assess their spatial effects. Ultimately, only sample surfaces that are inspected under real conditions at the place of use are binding in terms of color. But even here there is still a high planning risk, as for reasons of economy and practicality only a few variants can be sampled, which are determined on the basis of color systems and color collections. Controlling the aesthetic effects of color in space is only possible to a limited extent, even on large sample surfaces, as color tones influence each other (simultaneous contrast) and change with their extent and position in the visual field. The entire material aesthetic also changes with the viewer’s position in the room, which can never be captured in computer simulations. If all influencing factors of built spaces are taken into account, the informative value of color samples is considerably reduced.

Although our perception of color allows us to distinguish between many millions of shades, in architectural practice the palette is reduced to the building materials and paints available on the market. Since every building material has a color, color decisions in the planning process and on the building site are unavoidable. For the aesthetic assessment and selection of the color of building materials, most manufacturers provide color samples that can be pre-selected during a consultation, in the catalog or on the website. As a rule, the color collection is determined by the manufacturer before the production process, which is based on demand and current trends. To get an overview, planners and contractors should therefore take a look at the color collections of several manufacturers before deciding on a building material or product. Aesthetic orientation is provided by reference projects, the colorfulness of which should be assessed not only on the basis of illustrations but also, if possible, on the actual object. Building inspections can also be used to check color tones and color compositions of building materials and products that have been manufactured according to customer requirements (customizing) and are not available as samples. Reference objects are the most reliable basis for assessing the diverse effects of architectural color.

Image Sampling of color tones for the Marrahaus Heilbronn on a scale of 1:1 to check the contrast effects, light and shadow effects and visual perspectives, photo Axel Buether

If the promises of manufacturers and distributors are to be believed, all available color shades should be available for paints such as lacquers, emulsion paints, silicate and lime paints. However, the free choice of paint colors is impossible for technical and economic reasons. Paints consist not only of pigments, but also to a large extent of fillers, binders and solvents. The quality of the components determines the range of colors that can be produced, their effect and durability. The quality of ingredients has its market price, which is why the cost of commercially available paints varies greatly. If you request the color shade according to a common color system when ordering or in the tender text as usual, you will usually receive an inexpensive paint with a very low color depth, brilliance and durability for reasons of economy. Manufacturers have adapted to the demand for low-cost products and therefore usually only offer their higher quality paints on request.

Attention: The selection of the color tone according to color systems such as RAL or NCS makes binding statements about the hue, saturation and brightness of the paper sample! It is not possible to determine how the color tone actually affects the surface of the material in the room. The gloss level of the color tone is part of determining the perceptual quality of a coating, as powdery, matt or high-gloss surfaces reflect ambient light extremely differently. In addition, statements must be made about transparency, as thin glazes allow the material color of the surface to show through, while multi-layer glazes achieve a greater depth of color. Sunlight changes most paints to a great extent in a few months and years, which is why the light resistance of paints must be taken into account. To ensure the quality of surface paints, it is important to select and prepare a suitable substrate and to use processing techniques appropriate to the material. When tendering for painting and decorating work, therefore, only specialist companies should be used that have sufficiently qualified personnel and can provide competent advice to planners and building owners. Slightly higher costs for the quality of the paint and the workmanship pay for themselves after a short time, as the appearance is of a much higher quality and lasts much longer. With some paints, such as mineral paints, ageing processes that only occur after a very long time can also have a very attractive effect. Mineral pigments consist of mixtures of complementary-colored crystals that are barely visible to the naked eye. Nevertheless, a unique depth of color and brilliance can be perceived, as the countless crystal bodies are penetrated by light and allow the surface structure to glow from within after multiple reflections. The centuries-old lightfast quality of high-quality mineral pigments cannot be achieved with commercially available synthetic dyes.

If you want to achieve bright, long-lasting white tones, deep, shimmering blacks or mysteriously colored grays that won’t look dirty, yellowed or faded even after years of use, there’s no getting around high-quality paints. For this reason, high-quality paints should always be used for architectural paintwork, as small additional investments in paints pay for themselves in various ways over the service life of buildings. High-quality paints not only look better, they are also more resistant to light and age better. Mineral paints can last for hundreds of years and develop a natural-looking patina if they are applied professionally to suitable plaster substrates!

6. criteria for the successful use of color in construction:

1. development of a color concept taking into account the aesthetic, semantic and technical functions of colors in the context of the application situation at the place of use

2. binding determination of all color tones used on the basis of a color system or a color collection under real lighting conditions at the place of use

3. definition of further quality criteria such as light resistance, ageing resistance, gloss level, mattness, transparency, opacity, surface structure and texturing, effects (metallic effect, glimmer effect, mother-of-pearl effect, diamond effect, neon effect, etc.)

4. binding determination of all materials or coating agents, the composition and preparation of the substrate as well as the processing techniques used, taking into account applicable standards

5. sampling

• Creation of large sample areas of approx. 1 square meter at the correct angle to the light source
• Testing in daylight at lunchtime
• Use of the planned artificial light sources
• Observe the size contrast: the effect of each color surface changes with its size in the field of view
• Composition: The effect of all color surfaces changes with the proportion of all parts to the whole Facial impression
• Simultaneous contrast: The effect of a color surface is changed by color tones in the immediate vicinity and further surroundings (physiological effect of contrast enhancement)
• Successive contrast: The effect of a color surface changes due to changes caused by changes in light or movements of the viewer (physiological effect of complementary afterimages)

6. quality monitoring during the manufacturing process and quality control during acceptance as well as archiving of information on the color and product (product data sheets, photo documentation, etc.)

Link to issue DETAIL 12/2016 – Color, material, surface

Der Beitrag Application of color systems in architecture – benefits and limitations erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Content and objectives

The process of perception involves active exploration, selection, grasping the essentials, simplifying, abstracting, analyzing and synthesizing, supplementing, correcting, comparing, solving tasks, combining, differentiating, putting into context.

All perceptions and ideas of our existence in the environment are structured spatially and temporally. This corresponds to the nature of our sensory experiences, which the brain organizes in a memory model of the external world. It is through the mistakes, errors and failures we recognize that we learn, as the brain involuntarily corrects and expands our spatial concepts. The cultural space provides us with the instructions for its use. We perceive where we have to orient ourselves, how we use things or what we can interact with.

During the seminar, we will use practical examples from art, design and interior design to explore the human senses and their functions for the aesthetics of perception. The explanation of how the senses of sight, touch, hearing, smell/taste, balance and movement work takes place with regard to the consequences for all areas of design.

The seminar teaches the basics of perceptual psychology for designers with reference to practical examples of image, film and spatial design.

Topics:

1. Proportion aesthetics – Perception of balance
2. Material aesthetics – Tactile perception
3. Form aesthetics – Haptic perception
4. Movement aesthetics – kinaesthetic perception
5. Smell and taste aesthetics – Olfactory/gustatory perception
6. Color aesthetics – Visual perception
7. Music – auditory perception
8. Synaesthesia – multisensory perception
9. Atmospheres – emotionality of perception

Der Beitrag Aesthetics of perception erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Color strategies in architecture

Architect and philosopher Axel Buether in conversation with Modulor magazine

When do users perceive rooms as pleasant or oppressive?
Buether: We humans are shaped by the fact that the top is always light and the bottom is always darker. This comes from nature, where there is always the sun, the light above. Where the light comes from is crucial for orientation in the room. It is important that we create a clear orientation in the room and work with daylight. This can be additionally supported with colors or the use of artificial light. Normally, lamps are always mounted at the top to support the sensation of orientation. Otherwise, the rooms take on a cave-like character and we tire much more quickly in them.

What are some general tips for using color and light in architecture?
Basically, the brighter the colors in a room, the more activating it is. Darker colors tend to soothe and calm us down. Today, we also know that when the light level in a room goes down, users’ attention levels also drop. This is why there are regulations on minimum lighting levels in public spaces such as schools and educational establishments. You know the situation: the projector is on at the front of a classroom while the pupils doze off in the darkened room. However, it is also important to have an external reference and a certain basic brightness in educational spaces.

What can be achieved with room lighting?
Brightness generates attention, which can be observed beautifully in the theater, for example. The actor who is in the spotlight usually gets the most attention.

What can colors do in a room?
When choosing the color scheme for rooms, it is important to consider the respective use. For example, you go through the important rooms of a building and determine the color scheme according to the type of use of the rooms. This creates orientation and a pleasant stay for the user.
It’s actually less about the absolute color tone and more about its saturation. For example, if I have a room that is painted completely red, then everything else turns red, including people’s skin. Everything in this room is therefore recolored and decolored. This in turn makes orientation more difficult and often gives the wrong signals. It becomes dangerous when I strongly color a room whose use I don’t know exactly.

Would white rooms then be the best solution?
It is a misconception that white is ideal for rooms. Although every use is possible in such a room, this also has disadvantages. Today, hospitals and clinics tend to be designed in colors that make visitors feel comfortable. You don’t have to convince them of the hygiene and cleanliness of the institution with white rooms. White is not neutral but looks hygienic, clean and cool. In children’s wards, for example, it has been shown that children feel very uncomfortable in clinically clean white rooms, which hinders the recovery process. Especially in a weakened state, people need a feeling of home and security that is conveyed by familiar colors in combination with a sensitive surface and lighting design.

What about private or work spaces?
When designing living and working spaces, the question always arises as to how much color people need. Not everyone likes the same colors in the same intensity. You can see this clearly in the clothing. Everyone is a little different. There are cultural differences in the perception of colors. Everyone has their own color home from which they come. As a rule, these are the local colors that surround you for a longer period of time.

In architecture, too, people are increasingly talking about the defining colors of a place.
Exactly, in Zurich, for example, there is currently a study by the House of Color on the colorfulness of the city. They look at which colors occur how often in a place and, for example, do they stand for a certain era of this place. Together with the colors of the sky and the surroundings, this results in a so-called color tone. I once had this examined in Germany and found that even within Germany there are different colors. If you go further north towards Sweden or Finland, for example, you will notice that the local colors are very different from ours.

What does this mean for the color scheme in a city?
Identity, i.e. where I come from, has a lot to do with the colors of the environment in which I grew up.  Recognizability always creates identity. I would like the color identity of a place to be respected, perhaps even developed further. It should not be negated and it should not be treated carelessly. If it does not correspond to the purpose of the design, colors that come from completely different cultural backgrounds should be avoided. Diversity can lead to arbitrariness and disorientation if it is not designed with people in mind. Every place, every region has an individuality that distinguishes it and should be preserved and carefully developed as cultural heritage.

What about the color of building materials?
In the past, it was mainly the transportation of building materials that was expensive, not the materials themselves. That’s why people actually always used raw materials for building that were easy to get hold of or available locally. Over the centuries, a local color scheme has developed in the cultural sector from the available building materials and colors. In India, for example, there are many more dyes in nature. So it is not surprising that there is also a much greater colorfulness here. So for a person from India, very colorful houses can seem much more familiar than for a Northern European.

But special houses could already be different colors?
Even in the past, a lot of money was spent on outstanding buildings such as churches and palaces. This also means that other color pigments could be purchased, which then make the buildings look different. These houses then also indicated in the hierarchy of the city that they were something special. If you suddenly use these colors everywhere, things get mixed up. This is comparable to the height development of a city skyline. Outstanding buildings such as the town hall or the seat of government have always been allowed to stand out. If everyone suddenly does this, the result is a wild mess. One thing must be noted: The fact that almost all colors are available everywhere today means that the hierarchy of buildings based on color no longer works in a city.

Do architects learn too little about color during their training?
In the past, the study of color was very important in training. With the advent of modernism and white buildings, however, its importance in education declined. My thesis is that the use of color as a design medium ceased the moment it was identified as an ornament and “thrown overboard” with other things.

When did this break occur?
In modern times, no distinction was made between color and form; they were linked. No form decision was made without considering what color and exposure the object should have.   That got lost at some point. I know this mainly from German architecture schools. The design is made first and then you think about what color would be suitable. It would also be my plea to think about what color scheme and lighting the rooms should have early on in the design stage.

What should architects use as a guide for the color scheme of their buildings?
I always recommend using the local colors as a guide. Just as one examines the evolved formal language of an environment, one should know the evolved colorfulness of a building site. Then you can consider moving forward carefully with the color scheme or reflecting on the existing colors. In any case, a designer should be very aware of the effects of colors in space, which can convey orientation and identity as well as breaks and disruptions in the cityscape.  

Which architect used color in an exemplary way?
In early modernism, Taut built industrially and economically and created individuality and orientation through the use of color. He tried to combine the principle of modern, standardized construction with people’s demand for individuality and orientation. So all this already existed in early modernism and was lost to some extent in post-war modernism. In my opinion, however, there has recently been a return to the potential of color as a design tool. Herzog & de Meuron saw this coming years ago when they printed facades or worked with colored concrete, for example . Modern materials are actually colorless. For example, I have to You can decide on a color for a brick, concrete or glass.

How should colors be used in construction today?
I always compare it to cooking. The trained chef knows what he needs for a dish. And just as the chef is a professional at the stove, the architect is a professional in the room. By virtue of his profession, he should therefore be keen to benefit from the cultural wealth of the region in which he builds. If you do not have the expertise in this area, you should definitely make up for it.

What questions should the architect always ask about color?
There are a few basic things that an architect should consider for every building: What is already there? How do I fit in? How do I set myself apart? I’m not even talking about beautiful and ugly here, I’m just defining purely functional criteria. Especially in public buildings, color can make a significant contribution to better orientation in the building. The architect should also ask himself which surface feels good to the touch? How must surfaces be designed – in terms of color and texture – so that users get a good feeling?

What can an architect actually do with color?
It can emphasize the material and surface texture of ceilings, walls and floors. With a careful gradation of colors you can influence the character of a room or accentuate important things.

Link Modulor magazine

Der Beitrag Not everyone needs the same colors erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Color in the past, present and future

DETAIL Practice “Colour” provides the expertise that every architect working with colour needs, covering colour theory and the laws of colour harmony through the basics of colour perception and colour’s effects, and up to strategies for developing consistent colour concepts in the design process. Colours in the city and country, historical observations on the culture of colour, facts on colour’s main spatial effects, its materiality, on the influence of light and colour on design, and on colour schemes and systems round out the book’s theoretical section. Examples of color use in interiors and on exteriors in various international projects highlight successful instances of color design and provide inspiration for readers own work.

* Design Fundamentals
* Conceptual Color Design
* Designing Spatial Atmospheres
* Visual Communication

Author: Axel Buether
NEW August 2014
120 pages with numerous drawings and photos
Format 21 x 29.7 cm
ISBN 978-3-95553-208-6

DETAIL Online Shop

Der Beitrag Color. Design Principles Planning Strategies Visual communication erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

With this year’s international conference “In the Medium of Color”, we would like to draw a wide arc from the beginnings to the present of the “Deutsches Farbenzentrum e.V.”. The founder Kurt Görsdorf was prompted by the realization that everything described by the word color can only be understood as an interdisciplinary phenomenon. The German Color Center has thus been committed to promoting interdisciplinary work in all areas of color knowledge and activity for half a century.

“Colors represent an inexhaustible source of fascination for us, a fascination that ranges from sensory and aesthetic experience to reflection on the process of cognition and the nature of the human mind.”
J.W. Goethe 1791

Lecture program:

Saturday from 9:00 a.m. Registration and handing out of conference documents

9:30 Welcome and Introduction
Prof. Dr. Axel Buether & Dr. AnneMarie Neser
Conference Organizers and DFZ Board of Directors

Color in art and science

10:00 a.m. Prof. Klaus Palm & Prof. Klaus Richter
Honorary Chairpersons of the DFZ: Color in Art, Design, Technology, and Science—50 Years of the DFZ and 48 Years of the “Color and Color Vision” Exhibition.

Abstract: As a representative of the wholeness of our being, color is a unique example of the equal coexistence of the fundamentals: natural sciences, humanities, art and design. In 1962, this insight was cast in an interdisciplinary, binding legal form with the founding of the German Color Center as the “Central Institute for Color in Science and Design”. In addition to interdisciplinary information and personal contacts, the importance of color and the interplay between all disciplines has been successfully practiced for half a century at the annual color congresses and the numerous in-depth events, the Phänomena seminars. A big thank you goes to everyone who has contributed to keeping the phenomenon of color alive as an integral part of our culture  over these 50 years.

Color between aesthetics and aisthesis

Prof. Dr. Christoph Wagner
Art History at the University of Regensburg, spokesman for the thematic network Seeing and Understanding at the University of Regensburg, President of the Society for Interdisciplinary Visual Studies, research interests: Painting and art theory of the modern era and modernism; Italian art and visual culture of the 20th century 15. and 16th century; historiography and art theory of classical modernism; painting after 1945; political iconography; history of perception; methodology of art history; relationship between art and the natural sciences.

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Abstract: The fact that the history of color is capable of reflecting “as if naturally, the history of the human mind in miniature” is one of the precious marginal notes that Goethe left behind in his reflections on color. In the wake of the significant upheavals brought about by neuroscience, we recognize today more than ever that the “subjective” quality of colors—long criticized—is nothing other than a reflection, in a special way, of the subjective qualities of the human mind, indeed, that perhaps no other field is better suited to introducing us to the subjective structures of human perception and interpretation of the lived world than the contemplation of color.

Color in music

Neil Harbisson
Sonochromatic Cyborg, Barcelona Spain: British-Catalan cyborg artist, musician and performer best known for his self-extended ability to hear colors. In 2004 he became the first person in the world to be fitted with an eyeborg and to be officially recognized as a cyborg by a government. Color and the use of technology as an extension of the performer’s body and senses are the central themes in Harbisson’s work.

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Abstract: Neil Harbisson will talk about his grey scale visual condition (achromatopsia) and how his life has changed since he attached an electronic eye to his head in order to hear colors. He will talk about the close relationship between color and sound, about his new visual condition (sonochromatopsia) and about his latest artistic works.

Color in film

Prof. Dr. Susanne Marschall
Media scientist (focus: audiovisual media, film and television), University of Tübingen Research field: Color in cinema: We perceive color in the cinema with all our senses. It triggers emotions and meets expectations. The author goes in search of the foundations of a color theory of cinematic art. Findings from perceptual psychology, music psychology and synaesthesia research on the interplay of color and sound, physics, color chemistry, optics, cultural studies, linguistics, anthroplogy and art history are incorporated into the study.

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Abstract: The lecture “Color in Cinema” picks out the technically and aesthetically productive and innovative first phase of the development history of color cinema up to the high-quality Technicolor films of the 1950s from the variety of possible aspects of this broad subject area. Based on an examination of the perceptual psychological characteristics of human color perception and the gradual development of color dramaturgical rules and expressive rule-breaking in cinema, the lecture opens up new perspectives on the history of color film. Exemplary films accompany this threefold, i.e. perceptual-psychological, historical and aesthetic interpretation of the cinematic experience in color, which for the most part did not move within the narrow confines of representational realism, but – quite comparable to painting – drew on the full range of creative possibilities with light and color.

Color in the natural sciences

Prof. Dr. Armin Reller
Prof. Dr. Armin Reller, born in Winterthur in 1952, studied chemistry at the University of Zurich. There, he served as coordinator of the Environmental Studies program from 1988 to 1992. In 1992, he assumed the Chair of Inorganic and Applied Chemistry at the University of Hamburg; in 1999, he assumed the Chair of Solid-State Chemistry at the University of Augsburg; and since 2009, he has held the Chair of Resource Strategy at the University of Augsburg. Prof. Reller is the spokesperson for the board of the Science Center for the Environment.

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Color in urban space

Michel CLER, Architect (DESA), Color Consultant
, France CLER, Painter, School of Fine Arts in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, Color Consultant
Verena M. Schindler, Art and Architecture Historian, Study Group on Environmental Color Design (ECD) of the International Color Association (AIC)
Research: Chromatictownscapes – Atmospheres of Chromaticscapes: In long-term processes, “color” (colored appearance) and material function as components that inform (memory, management), help plan spaces, and enable individuals and groups to identify themselves in different contexts as well as their activities.

Color in bodily communication

Prof. Dr. Hermann Schmitz
Philosopher, University of Kiel (emer.): The New Phenomenology owes its conceptual and thematic foundation to the philosophical efforts of Hermann Schmitz. With patient care, he has made the unbiased experience of life accessible to accountable speech on a broad front and thus – based on what we feel in our own bodies – opened up large areas of reality to methodical reflection: Body, feelings, atmospheres, situations.

Link Wikipedia

Complete bibliography

Abstract: Based on the contrast between the historicity (timelessness) of sound and the timelessness of color, the different receptivity of sound and color for bodily communication in the media of motion suggestion and synesthetic characters is discussed. The synaesthetic characters of the colors are touched on with reference to Goethe. The absence of the suggestion of movement in the colors is attributed to their tendency towards surfaces foreign to the body; in connection with this, the difference between spaces with and without surfaces (close to the body) is touched upon. In contrast to the surface colors, the pre-dimensional colors (misleadingly called “surface colors”) are close to the body.

Color as a medium – Karl Miescher Prize Winner 2012 – Design

Raw Color – Daniera ter Haar & Christoph Brach
Graphic design & photography, Eindhoven (Netherlands): Raw Color’s work reflects a sophisticated approach to materials and color by blending the fields of graphic design and photography. This is realized through research and experimentation, which shape their visual language. Daniera ter Haar & Christoph Brach work on self-initiated and commissioned projects in their Eindhoven-based studio.

Abstract: Driven by curiosity Raw Color is questioning the meaning of the subject they are working on. Within these aspects the materialization of colour plays a key role, and can be seen as the core of the studio. It is a medium that allows them to travel across the disciplines. By experimenting and trusting on their intuition Raw Color has created a design language that is verbally direct, energetic and recognizable. During their talk they will take you on a trip to experience color in different media and projects.

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Color in the material – Karl Miescher Prize winner 2012 – Knowledge

Stefan Muntwyler
Painter and color researcher “I’ve become insatiable in my color kitchen. I haven’t painted pictures in the classical sense for a long time. I paint colors. Painting has become a culinary delight.”

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Abstract: COLOR YELLOW: SAFRAN, URIN and ARSEN Author of the standard work COLOR PIGMENTS COLOR MATERIALS COLOR HISTORIES, will tell exciting stories about the color yellow as a painter with large-scale color panels created especially for this event. Not just a presentation, but a small spectacle full of surprises and secrets that are revealed. Muntwyler traces an arc from the historical yellow pigments to the present day.

Evening event

+++ Celebration of 50 years of DFZ with activities by members, guests and students

– Photographic Highlights from 50 Years of the DFZ – Prof. Klaus Palm
– Statements from Members and Guests as Eyewitnesses to the History of the DFZ – Prof. Hans K. Schlegel, Gerd Schilling, Josep Linschinger, Hajo Düchting, Lothar Gericke, Charlotte Kollmorgen, Gisela Braune, Eckhard Bendin, Martin Benad, Dr. Eva Lübbe, Prof. Dr. M. Schaum, Klaus v. Saalfeld, Prof. Axel Venn, Susanne Wied, and others.

+++ “Ask me about Color!”,

Action by students of the HAWK Hildesheim (headed by Prof. Timo Rieke)

Poster lecture “Retouching fluorescent colors”

+++ Color-space-sound light installation

Gisela-Meyer Hahn and Sonny Thet

+++ On Friday, October 5, between 7 and 8 p.m. (2 guided tours of 30 minutes each), you can visit the TU exhibition “Color, Color Vision and Applications” at. Meeting point: Department of Lighting Technology, TU Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Einsteinufer 19, entrance Pfoertner Gebaeude E-N (in the middle between the electrical engineering institutes, old building (E) and new building (E-N)), room E-N 055

Address Conference and anniversary celebration:

Kreuzberg Substation
Ohlauer Straße 43 D-10999 Berlin

Information and fax registration form

(Return by fax 030 61076293 or mail to vorstand@deutsches-farbenzentrum.de)

+++ For information or to register by phone, call 030 61076398 (Mr. Krauss)

Main sponsor RAL gemeinnützige GmbH

The company supports participation in the conference for students and trainees

More information and registration >> Externer Link Deutsches Farbenzentrum e.V.

Der Beitrag Conference “In the medium of color” erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.