A new study shows that evidence-based color design improves well-being, orientation, concentration, school enjoyment and teacher motivation – without additional costs, but with measurable effects on learning and therapy processes.

Why learning environments are underestimated

What does it take for education to succeed? International educational research largely agrees on one point: the most important factor for learning success is the quality of the teacher. However, this raises a crucial follow-up question: under what conditions can teachers, therapists and pupils develop their potential at all?

Learning never takes place independently of the environment. Spaces influence whether people feel safe, whether they can find their bearings, whether they can calm down, develop confidence or are permanently under stress. Despite this, schools and therapy facilities are still often planned primarily on a functional or economic basis – while the psychological effect of the environment is hardly ever systematically taken into account.

This is precisely where the new study on the MOSAIK school in Grevesmühlen comes in. It examines color not as decoration or a question of style, but as a controllable environmental factor with a direct effect on perception, behavior and motivation.

The MOSAIK school as a real-life experiment

The MOSAIK school in Grevesmühlen is a special school with a focus on mental development. As part of a comprehensive new build, an evidence-based color and lighting concept was developed there, which was scientifically supported by the Institute for Evidence-based Color Psychology at the University of Wuppertal.

The aim was to create spaces that facilitate orientation, promote emotional security, reduce sensory overload and actively support learning and therapy processes. Color was not selected according to decorative preferences, but according to functional criteria: Orientation, concentration, calming, activation and social interaction.

The project was designed to be participatory right from the start. The needs of pupils, parents, teachers, therapists and those involved in planning were analyzed in workshops. Color and material concepts were then developed, which were sampled on site under real lighting and room conditions and adapted several times.

This phase in particular is crucial: colors never work in isolation, but always in combination with light, materiality, room size and usage situation. Often, even a minimal nuance decides whether a room is perceived as calming, stressful or orienting.

The key finding: motivation can be influenced spatially

The results of the study show an exceptionally high level of agreement between all groups surveyed – pupils, teachers, therapists and parents. It is particularly noteworthy that the positive effects affect almost all factors that are crucial for successful educational processes.

88% of pupils report a greater sense of well-being and greater enjoyment of school. Just as many rate learning, concentration and emotional regulation positively. 94% find their way around the building better thanks to the color-coded orientation system.

Parents also notice significant changes. 89% report that their children speak positively about the new rooms. Confidence in the educational quality of the school is just as high. Many parents describe the environment as appreciative, professional and emotionally stabilizing.

Perhaps the most important finding, however, concerns the teachers and therapists themselves. 89% experience the color scheme as a direct support for their educational and therapeutic work. The majority report a greater sense of well-being, a better atmosphere, greater calm and increased motivation in their day-to-day work.

The study thus points to a previously largely underestimated connection: if the quality of the teacher is the most important factor for educational success, then the conditions under which teachers work also become crucial. The MOSAIK study shows for the first time under real conditions that evidence-based color design not only has an effect on students, but can also positively influence motivation, professional identification and social dynamics within an educational institution.

Why the results are scientifically relevant

International interest in the effect of built environments on learning, health and behavior has been growing for years. Studies in environmental and perceptual psychology show that factors such as light, color, orientation, acoustics and stimulus levels have a significant influence on concentration, stress regulation and social interaction.

The MOSAIK study adds a crucial aspect to this field of research: it examines the effect of evidence-based color design not in the laboratory, but in the real everyday life of a sensitive educational-therapeutic environment.

It is precisely this practical relevance that makes the results so relevant. The study shows that design not only creates aesthetic quality, but can also have concrete effects on behavior, motivation and institutional trust.

What the study means for the future of educational spaces

The results of the MOSAIK school make it clear that schools are more than just functional buildings. They are emotional and social environments. Those who plan educational spaces always design the conditions for learning, relationships and participation.

Evidence-based color design is therefore not a decorative add-on, but a previously underestimated tool for supporting educational and therapeutic processes.

The study is an example of the potential that lies in a design that is consistently geared towards human perception and psychological needs. This knowledge will play an increasingly important role in educational and healthcare buildings in the future.

Because good education doesn’t just start in the classroom. It begins with the environment in which people learn, work and meet.

The complete study “Color as a controllable environmental factor in learning and therapy rooms” is published at: DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18963.03367
Download the study free of charge at Research Gate
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Der Beitrag The underestimated power of the learning environment erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

The project began with a call for help from the intensive care team:

“… I currently work in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Klinikum Links der Weser. Next summer we will move to a new building. The care of premature babies and their parents involves so much more than “just” intensive care. Unfortunately, we have no lobby whatsoever as far as the color scheme is concerned. White walls, LED spots, … a dreary experience. In terms of equipment, everything will be there, but what makes up our special care is totally lost. Patients and their parents often stay on our ward for months. As nursing staff, our hair stands on end…… This is no way to create an atmosphere of well-being. Can you give us a hand? Can you help us to create a good working atmosphere and enable the fruits to arrive well in this world?…” (19.11.2020)

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 department of neonatology in the Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in Central Hospital Bremen. In continuation of our previous studies, a new building was available for a study here for the first time. The color redesign of the neonatology ward in the new clinic building became necessary because the largely monochrome color design of the ward (white walls and ceilings, yellow floors throughout) met with vehement rejection from the medical, therapeutic and nursing staff, which was expressed both verbally and in writing. The color redesign was carried out in a participatory process according to an evidence-based methodology.

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).

Results of the study:

1. the color scheme is a significant factor for the 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 (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 the answers proves that the effects of color and space can be objectively assessed, planned and used in the structural context of the utilization situation for the benefit of the user groups concerned. Deviations in the distribution of answers prove that the effects of color in space remain subjective within a range that is tolerable, as it does not significantly affect the success of the design (See chart).
4. the color design of the architecture has positive effects 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 design 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)
6. architectural color design promotes parent well-being, trust, and confidence when it is needs-based and evidence-based (from 4.4 tending to negative to 1.5 tending to positive)
7. architectural color design promotes staff well-being and quality of stay when it is needs-based and evidence-based (from 4.4 tending to negative to 2.1 tending to positive)
8. the color design of the architecture promotes the staff’s feeling that the employer values their activity, if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based (from 4.2 rather negative to 2.4 rather positive)
9. the color design of the architecture promotes the identification of the staff with the place of work, if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based (from 4.2 rather negative to 2.3 rather positive)
10. the color design of the architecture has a positive effect on the emotional mood and motivation of the staff if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based (from 4.2 rather negative to 2.1 rather positive)
11. the color design of the architecture has a positive effect on orientation in the ward if it is needs-oriented and evidence-based (from 4.6 negative and 2.0 rather positive)
12. the color design 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 rather negative to 2.5 rather positive)
13. the color design 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)

Cite: Buether, Axel. “Research Paper Color Health Hospital Bremen Neonatology.” Influence of color design on the functionality of new hospital buildings, in particular the well-being of patients, relatives and staff (2022): n. pag. Web. 18.10.2022 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22488.16645

Der Beitrag What influence do the colors of architecture have on our well-being, health and motivation? erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Color design is a participatory process. The added value of the overall interior design increases the better the color concept is matched to the specific requirements, emotional needs and practical activities of the users. In design, we use the term “customizing” for this, because the added value of personalized, individualized or tailor-made solutions is incomparably higher than with serial standards.

We have to find out who our target group is, how they think and feel, what they want and what they want to do in the rooms. Partiziaption does not mean that the users choose their favorite colors, but that they define how the room atmosphere should affect the people living, working and communicating in it. We adapt our social behavior intuitively and involuntarily to the prevailing environmental factors such as light and color.

Pure white woodchip wallpaper is now the standard in interior design, which, according to painters’ associations, already accounts for up to 95% of the activity of painting companies in the field of painting work. But take a look at this example to see what happens to the entire room atmosphere when sunlight falls on the soft turquoise of a roughly trowelled wall surface. What was previously cheap suddenly becomes extremely valuable, the standard becomes something special that every user and every guest immediately notices, appreciates and subsequently no longer wants to do without.

The two basic shades of orange and green are arranged in opposite parts of the building, so they are only in visual contact via the entrance area. They ensure good orientation and give the property an unmistakable identity.

This property is a start-up company in which a creative team is working together to find new ways to transform agriculture in a sustainable, health-oriented and environmentally conscious way. The color concept should create the right atmosphere for this – aesthetic, inviting and natural – but also inspiring, modern and innovative.

Color compositions usually follow harmonious principles, combining individual tones to create a pleasantly harmonious whole. The decision to use bleached oak parquet established the initial color scheme, which harmonizes with the warm white tone of the pitched roofs as well as the blue-green and orange-yellow color palettes of the gable walls and dormers.

Colorants: Keim mineral paints, RAL Design System color system, Trilux lighting system

Color and lighting concept: Axel Buether & Heike Krauss

Der Beitrag Added value of color in architecture and interior design erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Initial situation Planning knowledge:

There is currently a lack of scientifically proven criteria for the effectiveness of color and lighting design in school buildings in the specialist literature. The requirements and needs of the most important user groups such as pupils, teachers and parents with regard to the atmospheric design of school buildings are largely unknown. Systematized empirical knowledge and concrete planning aids on the subject are not available.

Furthermore, this topic is not given sufficient attention in research and teaching at architecture schools across Europe, which is why architects and design professionals today must rely on manufacturers’ color collections and their own individual preferences both during and after completing their studies.[1] However, the application of color systems offers no guidance on the effects of light and color on specific user groups and usage situations within a space.[2] The widespread neglect of the systematic use of light and color to create atmospheric spaces in modernism has resulted in the fact that design principles on this topic are hardly taught today. Empirical knowledge from the “pre-modern” and “classical modern” periods is no longer part of the repertoire of design fundamentals.

The symbolic color of modernity and the generally accepted standard for interior design is still white, even though colorfulness is on the rise again today. In the area of color and lighting design, aesthetically sophisticated practical examples can be found that are regularly published in trade journals. However, discussions with the authors show that color and lighting concepts are strongly based on subjective parameters such as intuition and a sense of beauty, whereas participatory methods and scientific foundations are lacking (Buether 2014). [3]

Research results on architectural practice with light and color in school construction based on participatory procedures and scientifically proven findings and evaluations of the perception and behavior of relevant user groups could not be found in advance research. The research project therefore serves as a model. The aim of the research project is to produce basic knowledge that will subsequently be made available to the general public in the form of scientific publications, specialist presentations, etc. Subsequently, guidelines and recommendations for color and lighting design in school buildings will be drawn up, which are based on the current state of research and practice and can be used in the opinion-forming, planning and decision-making process.

[1 ] Axel Buether is a recognized expert on this topic. He is the organizer of numerous symposia and congresses, author of numerous specialist publications, speaker at numerous specialist conferences, is doing his doctorate on the subject of “Semiotics of the visual space – neurobiological foundations of spatial-visual perception, design and communication”, Professor of “Didactics of Visual Communication” at the University of Wuppertal and Chairman of the Board of the German Colour Centre – Institute for Colour and Light in Science and Design.

[2] Buether, Axel. Application of color systems in architecture – benefits and limitations. Article in DETAIL 12/2016 – Color, material, surface

[3] Buether, Axel. Color. Design principles, planning strategies, visual communication. DETAIL Practice 2014

Objective Research project “Donarstrasse elementary school”:

1) Assessment of the psychological effects of color and lighting design in school buildings:

• a) students’ motivation, academic performance, and well-being
  b) teachers’ motivation, teaching performance, and well-being
  c) parents’ satisfaction and acceptance

2) Development of a participatory process methodology for the implementation of successful color and lighting designs for school buildings

1. a) Collection of research data using quantitative and qualitative methods
   (documentation, questionnaires, and interviews).
   b) Analysis of the research data and establishment of representative criteria for planning color and lighting designs in school buildings.
   c) Systematization of the criteria and development of guidelines for color and lighting designs in school construction, which are intended to become an integral part of participatory planning processes.

The colors of fear

Selection model project: Donarstrasse elementary school:

The “Donarstrasse Primary School” property meets the main criteria for the research project:

1. The size and layout of the rooms are within the structural standards for elementary school. The property is in great need of renovation.
2. The condition before the renovation can be documented and related to the statements of the three status groups, which is a prerequisite for the subsequent evaluation of the effects.
3. The condition after the renovation will show what effects can be achieved under almost identical structural conditions for the three status groups through targeted interventions in the areas of light and color. Criteria for the prototypical development of a participatory process methodology for the implementation of successful color and lighting designs for school buildings are derived from the verified research results.
4. The three status groups – pupils, teachers and parents – as well as the school management are willing to actively participate in the research project and have already demonstrated their commitment in a kick-off workshop.

Der Beitrag Participatory strategies for color and lighting design in school buildings erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.

Words evoke predominantly vivid images in the memory of blind people, but these always seem unreal to them when they hinder their orientation in everyday life. On the other hand, words also offer no equivalent for the experience of people born blind who, after successful eye surgery, experience their world for the first time in color and full of light. Their amazement makes it clear that we often communicate through words without actually understanding each other.

This applies not only to the communication of blind and visually impaired people, but especially to that of experts and laypeople, such as children and adults or pupils and teachers. If we are aware of the structure of our own vivid world of imagination and perception and accept the subjectivity and limitations of all knowledge associated with this, new possibilities for understanding open up to us. As soon as we look at the world and no longer expect anything new in it or stop constantly questioning what we already know, we lack the necessary openness to update and develop our imagination. If we have no questions, we stop learning. Looking at the environment in this way is like a dialog in which we already know all the answers.

Publication “The formation of spatial-visual competence”

Der Beitrag Perception as self-education erschien zuerst auf Farbpsychologie.