Colour in architecture - applying colour psychology to the school environment

COLOUR IN ARCHITECTURE ANALYSING HOW APPLYING COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY TO THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT CAN STIMULATE STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION AND PERFORMANCE:

THE CASE OF HMFH ARCHITECT UP879529

Illustration List

CHAPTER 3

Abstract

Literature Review

CHAPTER 1 1.1

-Colour: A Definition

1.1.1 - Hue 7 1.1.2 - Brightness/Value 8 1.1.3 - Saturation 8

1.2 -Colour Science and Vision 9 1.3

-The eye and colour sensation

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CONTENTS

Introduction

3.1 -Colour in education

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3.2 - HMFH Architects

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3.2.2 -HMFH Projects 23,24 3.3 – Thompson Elementary School Case Study 27 3.4 – Case Study Tufts University Bush Hall Case Study

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CHAPTER 2 2 .1 -Goethes theory/colours tables 13

CHAPTER 4

2.2 -Children’s emotional

Associations with colours

Architecture in Education.

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2.3 -Psychophysiological

Effects: Gerard’s experiment 14

2.4 -2.4 Biological reaction to A colour stimulus 15

4.1 – Colourful Thought

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Bibliography 39

ILLUSTRATION LIST

BA Architecture School of Architecture University of Portsmouth 2019 -2020 Word Count: 5430

Using contrasting/complementary colour, I’ve demonstrated what I’ve learnt and strategised what colours to use within this dissertation. Colour, even if it’s a fraction, changes our perception of how one reads, feels, taste, and so on. Using the right colours within these chapters should hopefully cause you to feel or understand what emotion of feeling the colour exhibits.

Figure

Name

Pg No

Source

Figure 1

Colour Spectrum

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Hornung, D. (2005). Colour a workshop for artisits and designers. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Figure 2

Value

8

Nick kolend (n.d). Value [Image] Retrieved from https:// www.nickkolenda.com/color-psychology/#colormeanings-table

Figure 3

Brightness/Value

8

Hornung, D. (2005). Colour a workshop for artisits and designers. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Figure 4

Reflection

10

Hornung, D. (2005). Colour a workshop for artisits and designers. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Figure 5

Isaac Newton Color Spectrum

10

Hornung, D. (2005). Colour a workshop for artisits and designers. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Figure 7

HMFHs projects Dover High Schoo

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https://www.hmfh.com/projects/dover-high-schoolcareer-technical-center/

Figure 8

Capuano Early Childhood Center

25

https://www.hmfh.com/projects/dover-high-schoolcareer-technical-center/

Figure 9

Coolidge Corner School

25

[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ coolidge-corner-school/

Figure 10

Carlisle K-8 School

25

[Image] Retrieved https://www.hmfh.com/projects/carlislek-8-school/

Figure 11

Westborough Elementary School

25

[Image] Retrieved https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ westborough-elementary-schools/

Figure 12

Carver Elementary School

25

[Image] Retrieved https://www.hmfh.com/projects/carverelementary-school-ready/

ILLUSTRATION LIST

ILLUSTRATION LIST

Figure 13

German International School Boston early Eduction Center

24

[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ german-international-school-boston/

Figure 25

Woodland School Corridor on floor one

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ woodland-elementary-school/

Figure 14

Alma del Mar Charter School

24

[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ alma-del-mar-charter-school/

Figure 26

Tufts University Bush students dorms

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ tufts-university-bush-hall/

Figure 15

Concord Elementary school

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ concord-elementary-schools/

Figure 27

Tufts University Bush Hall

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ tufts-university-bush-hall/

Figure 16

Bridge Boston Charter School

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ bridge-boston-charter-school/

Figure 28

Tufts University Bush Hall Study Lounge

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ tufts-university-bush-hall/

Figure 17

Thompson Elementary School

24

[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ thompson/

Figure 29

Tufts University Bush Hall kitchen

34

[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ tufts-university-bush-hall/

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ tufts-university-bush-hall/

Tufts University Bush Hall

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Figure 30 Tufts University Bush Hall Common area Figure 31

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ tufts-university-bush-hall/

Van Meter Hall UMass Amherst

24

[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ van-meter-hall/

Figure 20 Thompson Elementary School Entrance

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ thompson/

Figure 21

Thompson Elementary School Rear

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ thompson/

Figure 22 Thompson Elementary School Rear

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ thompson/

Figure 23 Thompson Elementary School Rear Figure 24 Thompson Elementary School Recpetion

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ thompson/

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[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ thompson/

Figure 18

Figure 19

[Image] Retrieved from https://www.hmfh.com/projects/ tufts-university-bush-hall/

Tufts University Bush Hall Common area

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ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION/ LITERATURE REVIEW

To what extent does the combination of colour psychology and architecture affect the human mind?

When it comes to psychology, there is no such thing as a one-model-fits-all rule. Human minds are complicated, convoluted and intricate, unique in the way they experience different senses, different memories, different happenings. From a very young age, we start perceiving the uniqueness of the individual, an invaluable concept in our society, often undervalued. We start noticing how everyone has their own style, their own values, their own beauty and their own corners to smooth. The psychology of colour is the ultimate celebration of this uniqueness, understanding that something as simple as colour can trigger contrasting emotions.

Can we stimulate the individual’s brain activity if we associate the right hue to a particular space, in order to inspire people to work, study, socially interact?

How can architects, designers and psychologists collaborate to create new spaces applying the psychology of colours, and drastically change the way people understand the built environment?

Human psychology is an extremely complicated matter and acknowledging the existence of a connection between architecture and the way we feel in a specific environment is not easy. Everyone experiences the built space in a unique way due to the uniqueness of human nature itself and generalising how a specific colour can make you more energised or depressed or awake is quite audacious.

Nevertheless, proving that that connection exists and exploring how we can use it to improve the functionality of the built world, with a particular note on educational facilities, is the aim of this dissertation.

The study will initially explore the nature of colour, from its chemical composition to how colour vision works. It will give the reader a scientific explanation of the what?, why? and how? of colour that will then be necessary when analysing the psychological effects of it.

The psychology of colour will then persuade the reader to understand how colour is much more than a layer of paint on surfaces. The thesis will gather together several academics and their theories, from Goethe to Boyatzis and Varghese and how they studied children’s emotional association with colours to R.M. Gerard and his experiment.

The main argument of this dissertation will, however, be represented by HMFH Architects and their projects. In particular, two case studies will be presented: Thompson Elementary School Case Study and Tufts University Bush Hall Case Study. Following an accurate comparison, the case studies will reveal several ways in which colour psychology can be applied to the schooling environment and its effects on children and how fundamental understanding colour psychology is when designing any type of facility.

In this dissertation, we will discover that colours have power. They trigger our minds into feeling emotions and react to situations as a consequence of this. They can control our behaviours without us even realising it, acting on our subconscious, and this is the reason why it is essential that this power is acknowledged in architecture. When we look around, we don’t necessarily understand the logic behind the association of the two and this is because, most of the time, there is no logic. Designers allocate colours based on branding or fashion trends, without thinking at the psychological effects of it. For example, Vodafone stores are always accompanied by large quantities of bright red, recalling their brand image. However, this colour can potentially cause people to feel angry or frustrated, as we will see later on.

Now, did you know that up to 1 in 20 children refuse to go to school everyday? Or that 40% of high school students are chronically disengaged from school? (Crotty, 2013) Failing to attend school from as an early age as 6 can develop great limitations for the child, socially, emotionally and educationally. Several disorders often arouse, from social anxiety to major depression to adjustment disorder. Going to school is so much more than studying the Romans or solving quadratic equations; children learn how to work in teams, develop communication skills and build relationships, which is what our society is based on. Behind the lack of motivation and commitment to education there is often a depressing environment, amongst other factors, that doesn’t stimulate children or teachers. Peeled grey walls or inadequate facilities make learning more difficult and hence less exciting.

Combining architecture with the psychology of colour seems like an obvious step.

Understanding the need of an urgent collaboration between architects, designers and psychologists could result in improved educational facilities, the creation of the right atmosphere to learn and a potential huge change in children’s future.

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CHAPTER Nature of Colour

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The first chapter will discuss the nature of colour and how we can see it, covering its history and highlighting the main concepts of science of colour.

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1.1 COLOUR: A DEFINITION

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BRIGHTNESS/VALUE

Have you ever thought about colour, I mean deeply thought about it? The way it surrounds us from the moment we wake up to when we lay, exhausted, in our beds and we finally fall asleep. The way we subcounsciously witness it, in its different shades and tones and how we can feel more disturbed or relaxed depending on the colours around us. You probably haven’t, as these slight changes generally happen in your subconscious, and maybe now you’re actually thinking about it.

Brightness/value corresponds to the lightness or darkness of a colour. It allows us to differentiate darker colours from a lighter one, and it’s used to create focal points or emphasise contrasts. “The higher or lighter the value of a surface colour is, the more light it reflects and the brighter it appears” (Miller, 1997, p.4). Each colour also has different shades, which Raskin (1986) interprets them as “adding black to a colour decreases its brightness and produces a shade”.

LOW VALUE

HIGH VALUE

But the question is, what is colour? Scientifically, colour is identified as “a specific visual sensation produced by visible radiation, or colour stimulus that occurs when light from a natural or artificial source is interrupted by an object or a dust particle” (Meervein, Rodeck, & Mahnke, 2007, p. 18).

Colour has three main components: hue, brightness and saturation. They can be individually measured and are recognized as dimensions of colour (Mahnke F. H., Color and light in man-made environments, 1999, p. 26).

‘A tint is a hue lightened by intermixing it with white’ ‘A shade is a hue darkened by intermising it with its complements or black’

HUE Hue is the chromatic characteristic by which one colour is distinguished from another, such as yellow from red or blue from green. Due to the achromatic nature of grey and black, they are considered colours without hue.

SCARLET

LEMON YELLOW

GOLDEN YELLOW Fig.1 Displays some colour names to certain zones on the colour spectrum.

SKY BLUE

ALIZARIN CRIMSON

Fig. 2 Shows the value of a colour how dark or bright the colout blue is.

SATURATION Saturation, also known as chroma, is the intensity and strength of the hue. It refers to the amount of pigment in each hue, with a colour considered its purest version of itself when fully saturated. Saturation allows us to define strong and weak colours.

It is hard for those that don’t have a colour background/ inexperienced colourist to tell apart value from saturation.

For this to be done, luminosity and purity in colour needs to be understood. Luminosity is how bright a colour is, this is also associated with value. If a colour is bright the amount of light which is reflected back to the eye is high.

ULTRAMARINE BLUE Fig. 3 above image displayed primary hues which are matched with their values.

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1.2 – COLOUR SCIENCE AND VISION To explain the complex correlation between colour and the human mind, we first need to explore the subject from a more scientific point of view. Colour science is the study of colour, from its physical and chemical properties to how colour vision works. Why are we able to see colours only when it is bright? Why are there different colours? How are they created?

The ability of differing colours depends on three main factors: the presence of light, the capacity to see, and the brain perception mechanism that allows us to transform stimuli into information.

characteristic of objects. Instead, when either natural or artificial light hits an object, its surface reflects some wavelengths and absorbs all the others. We are able to perceive only the colour corresponding to the wavelength that is being reflected. White appears when all wavelengths have been reflected, while black, on the contrary, when they have all been absorbed. Figure (1.4) shows a light hitting a yellow rectangle. Most of the wavelengths are absorbed, except those corresponding to yellow, causing us to see the colour of the object.

Fig. 4 On this yellow rectangle, the wavelengths that are yellow reflected.

At the same time other colours are absorbed which cause us not to perceive them.

According to Mary C, Miller, active member of IDEC*, two “worlds” must collide in order for colour to happen: these comprehend “out there” events, which cause colour through light and reflective surfaces, and “in there” events, which, on the other side, cause colour by using the brain’s ability to receive and elaborate stimuli through the nervous system (Miller, 1997, p. 1 ).

red orange

Up until the 17th century it was believed that colour was created by mixing darkness and light. Isaac Newton dissented from this theory and conducted a series of experiments that led to our modern understanding of colour and light. He concluded that colour is a function of light and, by reflecting a ray of sunlight through a prism, he observed that light contains the full spectrum of the rainbow. He also demonstrated that blue, red and yellow were primary colours from which all other colours are generated. David Hornung will confirm this by stating that “Red, yellow and blue form the primary triad. When the full continuum of colour spectrum is represented as a wheel, the relative provision of red, yellow and blue is described as a perfect equilateral triangle”. “Red, blue and yellow are indivisible. They cannot be made by combining other colours. Conversely, all the other colours can be made by combining two or more colours of the primary triad”. (Hornung, 2005, p. 14).

Specifically, each hue coincides with a certain wavelength, the distance between electromagnetic waves. Colours with longer wavelengths consume less energy as they have a lower frequency. Red is the colour with the longest wavelength, 730nm, while violet is the colour with the shortest one, 380nm (Holtzschue, 2011, p. 19) If colour is a function of light, and light contains all the rainbow hues, how can we, as humans, see objects in different colours? Newton observed that colour is not an intrinsic

*IDEC: Interior Design Educators Council

SUNLIGHT

SLIT

yellow

PRISM

green light blue dark blue violet

dispersion of sunlight into colors of the spectrum

SPECTRUM

Material extracted from Itten The Elements Of Color Page 14 Material Reproduced on Illustrator.

1.3 THE EYE AND COLOUR SENSATION

Fig. 5 Issue Newtons Triangular prism reflecting a

ray of sunlight through a prism.

At the beginning of this chapter, we spoke about three main factors that allow us to differentiate colours: the presence of light, the ability to see and the brain perception mechanism. This section will explore how we are able to perceive colours through the use of the visual and nervous systems, starting from the eye and ending at the brain.

Our recognition of colour starts from light entering the eye through the pupil. The retina, located at the back of the eye, is covered in light-sensitive cells, rods and cones, which are able to absorb the light that has just come through. These receptors are able to convert the light into nerve impulses and transmit them to the optic nerve. The impulse will arrive to the brain that will decode it and allow us to perceive the colour reflected from a specific surface (Mahnke F. H., Color, environment, and human response, 1996, p. 38).

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CHAPTER Colour Psychology

2

The second chapter will discuss the psychological effects colours can have on the human psyche. It will explore several academics’ theories and experiments to analyse people’s reactions.

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COLOUR IN PHYSIOLOGY Due to its nature, colour is a sensory perception and, as such, it has emblematic, synesthetic and emotional responses on the human being. When we see a particular colour, our brain starts recalling every emotional memory we associate to it, this being excitement, sadness, fear, happiness, worry and so on. Our psychological state is subconsciously triggered by these memories and changes the way we feel and, consequently, the way we act. The message we perceive from a colour becomes crucial when creating a psychological mood that reinforces the ultimate purpose of a space.

2.1 GOETHES THEORY/COLOURS TABLES It was around the early 1800 when German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published Theory of Colors, expressing his theory about the psychology of colours. His main argument was that, contrary to what Newton asserted, darkness was an effective contributor of colour. “Color itself is a degree of darkness” he said (Goethe, 1967, p. 38).

Goethe deeply explored colour psychology; in particular, he developed an emotional response to each colour, analysing how different hues impacted moods and emotions.

Following his steps, academics such as Faber Birren, Frank Manke, Rudolf Manke and Carlton Wagner continued his studies.

Following a careful comparison of their work, I was able to construct the table below. This table summarises the moral association each colour may have according to colour theory.

2.2 CHILDREN’S EMOTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS WITH COLOURS An interesting study by Boyatzis and Varghese (1994) looked at how children acknowledged colours and how it emotionally affected them. The experiment entailed 60 children, 30 boys and 30 girls, and a relatively gerardsimple question: “How does this colour make you feel?”

Children were equally divided into groups depending on their age and were asked to choose their favourite colour. After this, they were shown nine colours in a randomised order and for each one they were asked the fatidic question. Every one of the 60 children were able to express their feelings and 69% of them displayed positive colour-related reactions.

They concluded children’s emotions revolved around the brightness of the hue. Bright colours, such as green, pink, red, blue and yellow, caused a positive response from children: they expressed feelings of happiness, joy, strength and excitement. On the other side, dark colours, such as gray, brown and black, generated negative emotions, like anger, boredom or sadness. Finally, the study also observed that the older the children, the more positive their emotional reactions to bright colours would be (Boyatzis, C. J., & Varghese, R., 1993, p. 79-84).

2.3 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS: GERARD’S EXPERIMENT In 1958, R. M. Gerard conducted an exercise whose purpose was to show a psychophysiological correlation between colours and humans.

He exposed 24 male subjects to blue, red and white lights, each at the same intensity for 10 minutes each. His experiment concluded that the brain was less stimulated when blue light was projected; during this time, the 24 subjects expressed a sense of relief, feeling less anxious and hostile. On the contrary, the colour red activated more cerebral activity, raising excitement and tension during its illumination.

Gerard also recorded a higher heart and respiration rate when people were exposed to red light compared to blue and white lights.

Following Gerard’s experiment, we can conclude that colours affect people from both a psychological and a physiological point of view. In particular, when exposed to a particular colour, the human brain reacts to it by affecting our mood and how we physically feel.

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AN OPTICAL QUALITIY

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2.4 BIOLOGICAL REACTION TO A COLOUR STIMULUS So far, we have described how colour affects us from a physiological to a psychological point of view, influencing our everyday lives. “Mensch, Farbe, Raum” means “Human, Color, Space” and it uncovers the close relationship that there exist between humans, the space around them and the colours that surround them. Written by Bettina Rodeck, this book describes a concise breakdown of different ways humans’ sense and experience colour.

It first expresses how colour stimulus can trigger a biological reaction in human beings.

In particular, it outlines that our bodies react to the energy of the waves of colour. It has been proven that a person’s pulse will increase when exposed to colours with higher wavelengths, despite them being blindfolded.

Then, it describes how our reactions are not solely governed by the intellect, but the subconscious plays a part too. People might unintentionally dislike colours that remind them of bad episodes of their life, like red that could recall blood after someone has had a car accident.

Mensch, Farbe, Raum argues that conscious symbolism association is another way humans experience colour. Correlate colours to symbols seems to often be caused by personal experiences and it is therefore harder to examine. However, these combinations could also be a common factor between several cultures, like relating yellow to the Sun or blue to the sky. Nonetheless, while in most Western countries white is considered pure and used in weddings, in India it reflects mourning.

Finally, this book explores how personal relations can affect our way of sensing colours. In particular, it shows how younger people or people with an extroverted personality prefer colours with a higher saturation level. On the other side, introverted or older people might be more likely to lean towards less saturated colours that tend to appear softer to the eye.

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Zoom in so that the image fits your screen, or go to page 55 for a full image.

2. The distance you should look is 12 inches or 30 centimetres from the screen/paper.

3. Look at the black dot in the centre of the red rectangle for 30 seconds. Trey to keep focus on the black dot or the test will fail.

4. After 30 seconds, shift your focus to the black dot in the middle of the white rectangle. Once again, you must focus on the black dot in the middle of the white square or this will not work.

DID YOU SEE RED OR...

The eye has 250,00 colour cones which decode what we see. The cones which were decoding red became exhausted and overused when concentrated on the red shape. Thus, the other cones caused you possibly to see a light blue instead of a white rectangle kicked into action. (If not, try again!)

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EFFECT OF COLOUR WITH REFERENCE TO MORAL ASSOCIATIONS This table reviews the moral association colours could have according to colour theory.

LIGHT YELLOW

YELLOW Yellow emerges on the slimmest mitigation of light, either by semi-transparent mediums or dim reflections from white surfaces. Its characteristic is cheering, positive and bright.

LIGHT RED

RED YELLOW Pure yellow is the happiest hue. Carrying nature, warmth and brightness. In emits warmth, happiness, and encouragement and indicates communication.

RED Red’s light attenuated tint; and thus the amiableness of youth.

GREEN

Red yellow mirrors a more intense flame of fire. By darkening yellow, red yellow is born, making the colours energy multiple and emerges more strong and splendid.

LIGHT BLUE

Red is strong, passionate and intense. Out of all the colours it’s the most dynamic. When looking the eye needs to adject focus, as the natural focal point lies behind the retina.

BLUE RED

Green is refreshing and natural. Opposing to red the eye focuses right on the retina when looking at green. Making green the most peaceful colour to the eye. It can symbolise mold and sickness thought also nature.

YELLOW RED

BLUE The value of blue and calmness are equal.

Eventually when light blue becomes pure white it becomes complete calm.

RED BLUE This unquiet feeling increases as the Blue hue progresses, and it may be safety assumed, that a carpet of perfectly pure deep blue-red would be intolerable.

The agreeable, cheerful sensation which redyellow excites, increases to an intolerably powerful impression in bright yellowred Goethe, 1967, p. 165).

Blue is a powerful hue. It can represent calmness and security down to coldness and defeat. Thus, it appears, then, to have a contradiction of serenity and loss.

WHITE

Blue can grows very gently to red, and thus obtains a bit of dynamisms, though still on the passive side.

The conclusion of all. It isn’t completely silent, however is pregnant with harmony of silence. (Goethe, 1967, p. 116).

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CHAPTER Colour In Education

3

The third chapter will discuss the role of colour in education, analysing how HMFH Architects used it in its projects.

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3.1 – COLOUR IN EDUCATION When it comes to colour and education, frivolousness like trends and personal preferences have no right of say. It all comes down to the psychology of colours and how a good combination of hues can enhance learning and stimulate children’s minds.

Education is where we learn how to read, speak, assimilate information and solve problems. Understanding how to make it more effective through the combination of colours and learning facilities could help children by enhancing their motivation, perform better and ultimately realise the purpose of education.

Over the last 30 years, academics such as Terwogt and Hoeksma (1995) and Zentner (2001) have conducted studies on how colour might have different reactions on people depending on their age. In particular, their experiments showed that colour perception tends to vary over time: for example, red is seen as a happy colour through the first stages of life, but it is then related to sadness and anger once adults.

When going through primary/preschool education, children tend to be naturally extroverted, willing to explore the environments that surround them, touching, smelling and observing everything. They tend to be attracted by highly saturated and bright colours such as red and yellow. F.H.Mahnke suggests colours that could complement their extroversion, “A warm bright colour scheme complements this tendency [being extroverted], thereby reducing tension nervousness and anxiety. Good colours are light salmon, sof and yellow, pale yellow-orange, coral and peach” (Mahnke F. H., Color and light in man-made environments, 1999, p. 83).

Even though the singular colour’s effect can be important, their combination in a learning environment in fundamental. Variety can avoid boredom or overstimulation, while supporting the learning process and reducing eye fatigue. Having the main wall coloured in a mild tone, with the side walls in a pale neutral hue can help students focus while resting their eyes from the high variation of energy they are assimilating (Mahnke F. H., Color and light in man-made environments, 1999, pg 82).

Once in higher education, students are more drawn towards the cooler side of the colour wheel, amongst different shades of blues and greens. At this stage, pupils are required to be more focused on the material being taught rather than being energetic. Blue intensifies concentration and reduced the heart beat, hence diminishing anxiety, while green enhances mature interactions and multi tasking.

Fig. 6 - One of HMFHs projects - Dover High School & Regional Career Technical Centre. Shows how the colour green is used and reflects peace and nature.

Represented on the facade of the school psychology.

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The main thought to have in mind when combining colours with a learning environment is that it is all about creating an atmosphere. Developing a functional palette for an educational application can have so many positive results that it is worth investing in it when designing educational facilities.

3.2 – HMFH ARCHITECTS HMFH Architects was founded in 1969 and they were immediately recognised for their innovative approach to school design. In particular, the company is known worldwide for their studies and application on the use of colours, open spaces and natural lighting, aimed at inspiring people to learn. Their projects range varies from university campuses to primary school to the renovation of urban buildings. These have been featured in publications such as “The Architectural Record” and “The Boston Globe”.

HMFH Architects’ creation of schooling environments goes beyond the idea of a building with a few chairs and desks and loads of books. They devote a large part of their planning to the design of innovative learning environments through the use of lively colours and modern design choice. Their projects develop a sense of dynamism that encourages students’ minds to stay active, pay attention and develop their own ideas. Modern environments are already known to be inspirational and motivational and when applied together with the psychology of colours, it is believed to have a massive impact on students’ performances.

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3.2.2HFMH PROJECTS EARLY EDUCATION 25

Capuano Early Childhood Center

Fig. 7 The first LEED-registered public school in New England

Westborough Elementary Schools

Fig. 10 - Showing the corridors exotic colours.

Here there is a time-line representing the schooling environments HMFH Architects have designed with a clear application of the psychology of colour within these facilities.

Coolidge Corner School

Carlisle K-8 School

Fig. 8 Age 5-6 students working Fig. 9 Colours that encourages in a natural environment, even creativity and uplifting moods more so because of the colour blue

Carver Elementary School

Fig. 11 - Gathering area which teachers use as a space to teach.

German International School Boston Early Education Center

Fig. 12 - Classroom with skylights which increase the brightness of the hue

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Alma del Mar Charter School

Fig. 13 Looking inside a classroom.

Bridge Boston Charter School

Fig. 15 - Showing how cubicles having different coloured rooms.

HIGHER EDUCATION Concord Elementary Schools

Fig. 14 Energetic colours helping these young student keep focus.

Thompson Elementary School

Fig. 16 - Corridor, Social area where kids relax.

Tufts University Bush Hall

Fig. 187 Kitchen common room area.

Van Meter Hall UMass Amherst

Fig. 18 - Green stairway with relaxes older student as they enter their accommodation.

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Fig. 19 Thompson Elementary school by HMFH architects.

Fig. 21 Thompson elementry school rear photo taken by Ed Wonsek.

3.3 – THOMPSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CASE STUDY Thompson Elementary School is a state educational facility situated in Arlington, USA. It currently hosts 380 students within a 57,600 ft2 area with a student:teacher ratio of 15:1 and ranked in the top 30% of schools in the State of Massachusetts. The school combines several distinct educational spaces, with an innovative design that gives it a welcoming appearance.

As any HMFH Architects’ project, colour is applied with a purpose. In order to understand the thinking process behind it, I will analyse the school from an exterior and interior point of view and examine the role the colours applied might play.

“Yellow is the perceived color of sunshine. It is associated with joy, happiness, intellect and energy”, Marcia Moses writes in Understanding Color (Moses, 2007, p. 37). Yellow is the brightest and happiest hue, also associated with optimism and a high level of energy. At this young age, children tend to be naturally extroverted and tend to prefer highly saturated colours, and yellow certainly falls under this category.

While brown is used as a complementary colour to soften the brightness of orange and yellow, these two hues are instead applied with the intent to excite students and generate a sense of positive energy all around the schooling environment.

From the external point of view, the predominant colour is brown due to the bricked facade. This is accompanied by stripes of bright yellow and orange that create both a sense of dynamism and geometric perfectionism.

According to Goethe’s Theory of Colors, orange is known to be a stimulator for the mind, conveying excitement, warmth, determination and encouragement. At this early stage, it is important that children feel supported in order to maintain a high level of enthusiasm that can be crucial in one’s educational and future prospects.

If they feel a lack of encouragement in their school career, they could revisit this negative feeling everytime they attend school, making it easier to lose interest in it.

Because of this, the application of the colour orange could act as a boost of motivation.

Fig. 20 Thompson Elementary rear school Facade.

Fig. 22 Thompson elementry school in Arlington taken by Ed Wonsek.

Fig. 23 Main entrance of Thomson elementry school which shows different colour and how that creates a welcoming sense when students enter to the building.

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Orange is a very eye-catchy colour and it stimulates the brain activity. Combining such strong colour with green can help balance out each other’s effect, creating the perfect atmosphere for learning. Children won’t be over excited but won’t be too relaxed either.

INTERIOR The interior of Thompson Elementary school is where HMHF Architects focused most of their design to make it simply sensational.

Moving onto the second floor, we find yellow and purple, two complementary colours. Yellow is vivid, cheerful and warm, reason why HMFH Architects might have chosen it. Purple is the combination of blue and red and therefore it blends the effects of both hues. Red reflects dynamism and excitement while blue calmness and tranquillity, hence purple recalls wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity (Przybyla, n.d).

Using purple and yellow together, we obtain a mixed effect that caused both excitement and creativity but that also combines maturity, as children on this floor are a few grades older than the ones on the first floor.

The top floor features red and blue. Red is one of the primary colours with the longest wavelength. As Zentner explains in his experiment, children associate it with excitement and happiness. Furthermore, they also learn from superheroes such as Superman or Iron Man that red means strength and power.

On the other side, “Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure and orderly.” (Kendra Cherry 2019). However, excessive blue can cause loneliness and alienation. These hues are complementary colours and, as such, they are in harmony. Their combination reflects on children both a sense of enthusiasm for learning and strength to build confidence in themselves, together with a sense of peace of mind and security, while avoiding negative emotions.

From the moment you enter the school and arrive at the reception, you are welcomed by a playful design, defined by large open spaces and curving forms.

The building is divided into 3 different storey, each characterised by leading colours paired two by two: green and orange on the first floor, yellow and purple on the second floor and red and blue on the top floor. From the logistical point of view, this subdivision can help young students find their way around the school. On the other side, we need to consider the psychological functions of the colours used for the purpose of this thesis.

Starting from the first floor, green is a colour that immediately recalls nature. Goethe considers it a peaceful colour, symbolising growth, harmony and freshness. Furthermore, the colour green makes people perceive a sense of safety and reliability: HMFH Architects might have decided to have it right on the first floor and as a background to the reception as an indication of safety once you enter the school. Its calming effect on the human psyche could also be useful when children are over excited coming back from breaks or PE lessons. Kendra Cherry writes in an online article: “Green is often used in decorating for its calming effects. For example, guests waiting to appear on television programs often wait in a “green room” to relax.’ (Kendra Cherry, 2019).

Fig. 24 first floor using blue and orange to improve the concentration and making students more active.

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Fig. 25 TUFTS university campus using blue to give a calm and relaxing feeling when student enter to their rooms.

3.4 – TUFTS UNIVERSITY BUSH HALL CASE STUDY Among their renovation projects, HMFH Architects committed to Tufts University to upgrade their outdated facilities. In particular, they focused their work on Bush Halls, where their design was used to create new common areas where students could study and socialise.

Bush Hall is an accommodation aimed at first year students, hosting 126 bedrooms over 27,900 ft2. One of the main objectives of HMFH Architects was not solely to refurbish the estate, but also to combine it with vivid and bright colours to build a better atmosphere.

As shown in figure 20, the designers decided to adopt the colour blue along the corridors. The tone they applied is vibrant and intense. Once again, Goethe’s theory associates that colour to calmness and reduced hostility.

“Blue color is everlastingly appointed by the deity to be a source of delight.” ][john ruskin[ Considering Gerard’s experiment, blue also reduces the brain activity, allowing students to reach a sense of relief and relaxation from the stress they could be experiencing at university; hence HMFH Architect’s choice of placing it in proximity to the bedrooms.

Fig. 26 Features the before TUFT halls

Fig. 27 Shows the common area the place that everyone gathers so needs sense of welcoming to the place by using yellow on the interior walls

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Continuing onto the kitchen area, here we notice the use of bright shades of red and white.

Kitchens represent one of the core areas of university halls, where students gather together to cook, making meals from family recipes or preparing snacks for an intense study session. Red is known to be a colour that causes excitement, but it is also a sign of danger. Interestingly, HMFH Architects might have purposely included in their design to make sure students were aware of the possibility of incidents that could happen in this environment, from fires to domestic burns.

The same reasoning is followed by the application of the colour white, which often indicated clarity and accuracy. Karen Haller affirms: “Whilst white conveys clarity, purity and simplicity, … ,the long term psychological effect on the well-being and behaviour of those working in an all-white environment can create the feelings coldness, sterility, isolation, causing strain” (Haller, 2014) . Because of this potential psychological threat, HMFH Architects decided to pair white with red. Furthermore, the furniture is left in a softwood colour, hue referred to as “truest earth tone” that students can perceive as a reminder of their homes and families.

The most considerable renovation HMFH Architects completed at Bush Hall are the accomodation’s common rooms. Considering this building is aimed at first year students, they are likely to be wanting to meet loads of people and these areas are the best places to start conversations.

Fig. 28 Shows TUFTS kitchen area with the strong red.

Figure 28 shows their design before the refurbishment: cream walls, faded blue sofas and reddish brown columns. According to Kendra Cherry brown can “create feelings of loneliness, sadness and isolation” (Kendra Cherry, 2019). Students would probably breathe in an old and tired atmosphere which would not cheer them up when feeling down or encourage them to engage with their peers.

Comparing the before and after pictures, it’s noticeable the difference colours can make when used appropriately. Bright yellow, vivid blue and green with a dash of grey seem to have brought the place back to life. Bright colors enhance social skills, uplifting moods and encouraging people to socialise. In particular, yellow brings joy and light to the room, while green is an ‘optimistic’ colour that could be comforting for students going through stressful periods. One of the greatest issues at universities is the stress level students find themselves facing. The combination of blue and green is often used to create relaxing environments, hence why designers decided to incorporate them in a university hall. Finally, grey is used as a complementary colour in order to let the eye rest, smoothing out the psychological and visual effects these intense hues can have. In fact, as K.Cherry mentions in her article, too much yellow may leave individuals angry and irritated (Kendra Cherry, 2019).

BEFORE Fig. 29 Illustrating the old tired photo of the common room/kitchen

AFTER Fig. 30 An after image showing the common room/kitchen new vibrant colours.

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CHAPTER

4

Conclusion – Colour and Architecture in Education.

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4.1– COLOURFUL THOUGHT Both colour and architecture have a central role in people’s lives; we constantly experience them, both consciously and unconsciously. From this dissertation, we were able to understand that this constant exposure can affect us physiologically and psychologically, changing our moods, our behaviours and therefore our quality of life. Effectively integrate the powers of colour and architectural design could ultimately help improve children’s schooling experience, until realising the ultimate purpose of education.

Colour has often been applied aesthetically in architecture, where its choice depended on the client’s personal preferences or the company’s branding strategy. Its effects on the human minds were often ignored or overshadowed, considered “just theories” and neglected. After Newton’s scientific explanation of colour, Goethe was able to start a deeper discussion on this topic: how different colour can indicate contrasting reactions.

Following Goethe’s study, several academics conducted experiments on the subject. In particular, Boyatzis and Varghese’s experiment showed how children react to different colour inputs and how this affects them. It is important to note that none of these studies were conducted in reference to architecture, in particular the interior space. The researches conducted were mainly based on coloured light exposure and emotions’ association to it.

The ultimate scope of this dissertation was to outline the underlying relationship between colour, emotions and architecture and persuade the reader on how important it is to acknowledge this when planning new educational facilities.

HMFH Architects were able to demonstrate how simply adding colours that would support

the function of the room would completely change the atmosphere. This is particularly clear in the Tufts University Bush Hall case study: the reader would be able to appreciate the difference made in the common areas by a few layers of paint even from just a picture.

Furthermore, if colours are combined with the appropriate design, architecture can achieve outstanding results. In the Thompson Elementary School case study, HMFH Architects blended modern planning, with large open spaces and curving forms, with playful and vivid colours. Both case studies have shown a careful consideration of students’ needs and used colour psychology accordingly.

Concluding, I would consider the example set by HMFH Architects as the one to follow by future architect. It is fundamental that children feeling stimulated to learn and attend school and combining colour and architecture has been proven as an effective way of doing it.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Boyatzis, C. J., & Varghese, R. (1993). Children’s Emotional Associations With Colors.

Cherry, K. (2019). The Color Psychology of Green. Retrieved from https://www. verywellmind.com/color-psychology-green-2795817a

Mahnke, F. H. (1996). Color, environment, and human response. New York: Wiley.

Mahnke, F. H. (1999). Color and light in man-made environments. London: Academy.

Mahnke, M. a. (2007). Color Communication In Architecture Space. Basel: Birkhauser Verlag AG.

Cheskin, L. (1951). Colours and what they do . London: Hunt, Barnard & co. Ltd. Miller, M. C. (1997). Colour for Interior Architecture. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Inc. Ciotti, G. (n.d.). Blog Psychology of colour. Retrieved from Colour Psychology in Marketing and Branding is All About Context: https://www.helpscout.com/blog/psychology-ofcolor/ Crotty, J. M. (2013, March 13). Retrieved from Motivation Matters: 40% Of High School Students Chronically Disengaged From School: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ jamesmarshallcrotty/2013/03/13/motivation-matters-40-of-high-school-studentschronically-disengaged-from-school/#40d838ad6594 Eis, P. (2017). The Perception of Color in Architecture. Retrieved from https://medium. com/studiotmd/the-perception-of-color-in-architecture-cf360676776c Etkisi, R. (n.d). The Use of Color in Schools. Retrieved from http://renketkisi.com/en/ the-use-of-colors-in-school.html Goethe, J. W. (1967). Theory of colours. In Theory of colours. London: F. Cass & Co. Grandis, L. D. (1986). theory and Use of Colour. New York: Hatty N. Abrams, Incorporated.

Holtzschue, L. (2011). Understnading Colour An Introduction For Designers. In L. Holtzschue, Understnading Colour An Introduction For Designers. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hornung, D. (2005). Colour a workshop for artisits and designers. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Moses, M. (2007). Understanding Color. In Marcia Moses, Understanding Color. New York: Sterling Pub. Przybyla, D. (n.d.). Purple Color Psychology and Meaning. Retrieved from color psychology: https://www.colorpsychology.org/purple/ Varley, H. (1980). Colour. In Colour. London: Mitchell Beazley.