THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE

Introduction on Theory of Architecture

What is Theory?

a plausible or scientifically accepted general principle or body of principles offered to explain a phenomenon (Webster)
a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained. (Oxford)

ARCHITECTURE

Latin - archirtectura

Greek word - Arkhitekton (ἀρχιτέκτων)

Arkhi (ἀρχι) = “chief”

Tekton (τέκτων ) - builder, carpenter, mason

Being the architect entails knowing and finding the balance between the following triad of qualities :

FIRMITAS

Strength
alluding to Structural Purpose

VENUSTAS

Beauty
Aesthetics

UTILITAS

Function
Purpose

Taken from Marcus Vitruvius Pollio’s De architectura, the Vitruvian Triad

What is Architectural Design?

ARCHITECTURE

Art and Science of designing and constructing buildings.

ART

It can be regarded as an art form because it incorporates the concept of aesthetics as well as the principles of design that are often found in other art forms.

SCIENCE

It can also be regarded as a science because the architectural design is not solely concerned about aesthetics. Similar to a scientific process, there are defined steps that must be followed, observations that must be conducted, data analysis, and testing of schemes before a conclusion or design proposal can be made.

Theory of Architecture

it is the act of thinking, discussing, and writing about architecture.
The architectural theory tradition encompasses critical commentary on or explanations of architectural works or styles or movements; instructions or guidelines for architectural design; musings on the origins of building types or styles; and advocacy for new approaches to the architectural discipline and practice. (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

In short:

A collection of thoughts, views, ideas
Organized by theme or topic
Evolution of thoughts
There is not a grand theory or unified theory of architecture; it is a combination of various thoughts, speculations, concepts

It is assumed that the existing set of conditions (problem) is less than satisfactory and that a new set of conditions (solution) would be desirable

Architecture is generally conceived, designed, and realized, built in response to an existing set of conditions.
These conditions may be purely functional in nature, or they may also reflect, to varying degrees, the social, political, and economic climate.

The art of creating architecture, then is a problem solving or a design process

Architecture

is the process that we instinctively recognize as the genius of growth and creation
It gives form to the invisible pulses and rhythm of life.
The physical manifestation of the power is a consequence of the desire for the invisible to be made visible

ARCHITECTURE AS AN ART AND SCIENCE

As an art, architecture is more than satisfying the purely functional requirements of a building program.
Fundamentally, the physical manifestations of architecture accommodate human activity.

ARCHITECTURE AS PEOPLE CENTERED

Human-centered architecture puts people at the heart of the design process, striving to create spaces that cater to their needs, enhance their well-being, and promote a sense of connection to their environment.

ARCHITECTURE IS BUILT ENVIRONMENT

We experience this built environment in our homes, schools we are in this bound environment.
However, we have to ground ourselves in what makes the elements of architecture, we work from what makes the smallest parts of it until we understand how spatial transformations occur.

ARCHITECTURE AS EXPRESSION

Architectural expression refers to design or the determination of form which includes every aspect of every quality of a building, including size, shape, materials, texture, color, ornamentation, etc..

ARCHITECTURE AS A PLACE

Our idea of an “Architecture of Place” is about creating design that ennobles people that makes them feel empowered, important, and excited to be in the places they inhabit in their daily lives. Whether we like the buildings as pure formal objects is another matter, and not of primary significance.

ARCHITECTURE AS A SELF REFLECTION “Dreams and visions of designing buildings and structures that would change the world”

Elements of Architectural Design

PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

POINT
LINE
PLANE
VOLUME/PRISM

POINT

The two ends of a line
The intersection of two lines
The meeting of lines at the corner of a plane or volume
The center of a field

THE BEGINNING OF THE ELEMENT

Points provide an origin in the organization of architectural elements.
Origins are starting points, meeting points, benchmark points, and focal points as well.
Fanning from small examples of points, such as pebble wash textures, to big ones such as the Oculus of a dome inside a cathedral.
Points can become a grounding element for types of architecture.

LINE - A point extended becomes a line with

properties of:

Length
Direction
Position

A SERIES OF POINTS TOWARDS A DIRECTION

Lines provide separation, distinction, and contrast.
Depending on the arrangement of the lines, it can be giving a sense of gradation (gradual) or isolation.
A lot of emotions can be conveyed by treating lines with different spatial arrangements.

PLANE - A line extended becomes a plane with properties of:

Length and width
Shape
Surface
Orientation
Position

A SERIES OF LINES SPREAD ACROSS A DIRECTION

Planes are what makes two-dimensional perception of architecture possible.
They shape our mobile interaction with architecture, adding further to understanding our spatial relationship with the environment.
They help us define what is perceived above, beside, and below.
Planes can be smooth, curved, staggered, broken, and can be done in combination with the textures, all done to deliver a distinct perception or emotion.
Color as an element is also expressed in planes, and it affects planar perception.

VOLUME / PRISM - A plane extended becomes a volume with properties of:

Length, width, depth
Form and space
Surface
Orientation
Position

A SERIES OF PLANES COVERING A PATH

Volumes are extended planes, taking on massing and form to adopt other properties, completing the characteristics of length, width, height, depth, area, surface area, along with orientation and position.
Volumes in space may or may not be organized and have patterns, like they naturally occur in the environment.
But in Architecture, volume is created with intent.
Volume can emulate the rest of the architectural elements discussed, as it is the culmination of these, combined. This process, known as spatial transformation, is what makes architecture happen.

VERTEX

These are the points where lines that make up a volume meet or intersect.

EDGE

These are the lines that make up the linear boundary of the volume. These are also where planes meet.

FACE

These planes make up the sides of the volume, also known as the planar boundary.

HOW DO WE DEFINE SPACE?

Using the basic elements of architecture discussed in the previous lecture, we then proceed to how these elements define space. We start with the three types of basic planes, commonly observed in the creation of volumes.

Overhead
Wall
Base

In all these planes, two of the main ways to define them is to recognize their elevated and depressed forms.

Distance (in terms of length, width, height, and depth) play a part in this perception.

Playing with the concept of pushing and pulling planes to create volume and space is necessary to create architecture.

We then recognize the concept of enclosure with the three basic planes, based on their configurations:

Through-and-Through
Parallel
U-Shaped (Incomplete)

In the concepts of enclosures, entrances, and passages, we are introduced to another major factor in defining space with form:

Flow (Circulation)

is observed mainly in the base plane, and described via the following:

Elevated
Continuous
Depressed

Changes in elevation and in the base plane helps create boundaries. These help separate the following:

Typology (Different building purpose or us)
Exterior and Interior
Different zone (spatial function)

Depth and Height, when brought to significant amounts, change the meaning of Architecture. You would consider a structure more important or valuable when elevated, compared to a structure in the lowlands.

In the Wall Plane or Vertical Plane, we observe that these affect our treatment of boundaries as much as the Base Plane.

In Vertical Planes, depth and height mean the difference between exclusion and inclusion. You wouldn't be too inclined to cross a boundary or area with a wall that is almost completely covering you up.

Reception counters have a certain standard height because they would want transactions to come through, while still maintaining a certain level of exclusion.

Zoccalo (lower stepped wall) is for separating zones and spaces from each other, which would usually take a riser or half a stair riser to hurdle.

The Ceiling Plane evokes the same effects on boundaries when applied Length, Width, Depth, and Height.

Normal ceiling heights sized to the human (user) denotes a typical purpose.
Ceiling heights provide a sense of compression and release when applied with width and depth.
High ceiling heights give a sense of exaltation, of release, and a contrast of the space compared to the human scale

The three basic planes are

base,
vertical (wall)
ceiling.

These are crucial in establishing boundaries in architecture, as there is a need to delineate form, function, and aesthetics in Architecture.

The manipulation of these planes can create different ways to experience Architecture. One can feel cramped, spacious, confused, or excluded by the mere adjustment of these planes.

BASIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN ARCHITECTURE

what is the importance of basic design principles?

This is the foundation in creating spaces not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing.
Architects are expected to provide not only beautiful spaces but working and tailored spaces also.
This can also improve the problem solving capabilities of the designer.

THE GOLDEN RULES

SHAPES AND PROPORTIONS

The shape is the two-dimensional outline or form of a space or object

The common architectural shapes:

1. Geometric Shapes

Squares
circles
triangles

2. Organic Shapes

free form
natural
wavy

TRADITIONS

The Golden Rectangle
This property makes it infinitely self-replicating— a key feature in nature, art, and architecture

This tradition was used in several structures:

Parthenon
Notre-Dame Cathedral
UN Secratariat Building
Pantheon

APPLICATION ON STRUCTURE
USED IN CLASSICAL ORDERS

RENAISSANCE THEORIES

It is the return of the greek and roman principles wherein the architecture was seen as an art where it can only solved thru a mathematical and philosophical pursuit

Included here is the famous vitruvian theory

Firmitas
Utilitas
Venustas

The ratio and proportions
Applications

PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE

POINT

Zero dimension and indicates position in spaces

LINE

One dimensional. When a point extended it becomes a line. It has properties of length, direction and position

PLANE

Two dimensional. When a line extended it becomes a plane. It has properties of length, width, shape, surface, orientation and position

VOLUME

Three dimensional. If a plane extended, it becomes a volume with properties of length, width, height/depth, form, space, surface, orientation, position.

FORM

This is the primary characteristics of a volume. It is established by shape and interralationship of planes. A volume can be solid space displaced by mass or void contained by planes

TRANSFORMATION OF FORMS

Dimensional Transformation

this is a type of transformation where in an object or form was changed in one or more dimensions (height, width, length) but preserving its identity

Subtractive Transformation

this is a type of transformation where a portion of the form is being removed or carved out to create a new form or shape as a architectural expression.

Additive Transformation

this is a type of transformation where a portion of the form is being added to create a new form or shape as a architectural expression.

Spatial Tension- relies on the close proximity of the forms or their sharing of a common visual trait, such as shape, color or material
Edge to edge contact - where the form shares a common edge and can pivot about the edge
Face to face contact - requires that the two forms have corresponding surfaces which are parallel to each other.
Interlocking Volumes - where the forms interpenetrate each other’s space but does not need to share any visual traits

Dimensional Transformation

this is a type of transformation where a form is being stretched, compressed or scaled in or out to form other forms while retaining its identity or character

FORMS AND SPACES

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

TOOLS WHEN YOU DESIGN

Form/Mass - The volume of a structure
Line - Creates visual direction
Texture - Surface pattern or physical
materials
Space - Interior or exterior enclosure
Value - the play of light and shadow on a structure
Color - Applied or inherent to the building material

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

UNITY

All parts of the design work together as a whole.

PROPORTION

The size relationship of a part to the whole.

EMPHASIS

The focal point of the design.

BALANCE

Symmetrical or asymmetrical organization of elements

REPETITION

Creates a visual rhythm

CONTRAST

The variation of opposites

PATTERN | REPETITION

When lines and shapes are repeated, they create a pattern.
Patterns can be regular or irregular, however, architects try to repeat elements of design in a regular manner.

RHYTHM

If you look carefully at the patterns on buildings, you can sense a rhythm to their order.
These rhythmic patterns give a dynamic quality to a building, making it seem to be very lively.

SYMMETRY | ASSYMETRY

When there is correspondence in size or shape of parts on either side of a bisected whole we say it is symmetrical.

BALANCE

is the characteristic of equal weights opposing one another

PROPORTION

is the term used to describe the relationship between two things ofdifferent size.

THEME

is a dominant feature of a work of art that is carried throughout the piece

LIGHT, COLOR AND TEXTURE

WHAT IS LIGHT?

LIGHT IS DEFINED AS THE PORTION OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM THAT HUMANS CAN PERCEIVE. THIS VISIBLE RADIATION GENERALLY COMES FROM THE SUN AND IS ACTUALLY QUITE A SMALL PORTION OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM. (ARCHTOOLBOX, 2019)

THESE ARE THE THREE MAIN QUALITIES OF LIGHT IN RELATION TO COLOR.

BRIGHTNESS
SATURATION
HUE

BRIGHTNESS

IS THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT GIVEN OFF BY A LIGHT SOURCE, USUALLY EXPRESSED IN LUMENS OR LUX.
SOME STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT BRIGHTER LIGHT CAN INTENSIFY EMOTIONS, WHILE LOW LIGHT DOESN’T REMOVE EMOTIONS, BUT KEEPS THEM STEADY. THIS CAN LEAD TO PEOPLE HAVING THE ABILITY TO MAKE MORE RATIONAL DECISIONS IN LOW LIGHT AND FIND IT EASIER TO AGREE WITH OTHERS IN NEGOTIATION.

SATURATION

SATURATION IS THE INTENSITY OF A COLOR.
MORE SATURATED HUES CAN HAVE AMPLIFYING EFFECTS ON EMOTIONS, WHILE MUTED COLORS CAN HAVE A CALMING EFFECT ON EMOTIONS.
IN ART, SATURATION IS DEFINED ON A SCALE FROM PURE COLOR (100% [FULLY SATURATED]) TO GREY (0%). IN LIGHTING, A SIMILAR SCALE CAN APPLY.

HUE

HUE IS DEFINED AS A COLOR OR SHADE.
IT’S BEEN PROVEN (THROUGH VARIOUS STUDIES) THAT NATURAL LIGHT CAN MAKE YOU HAPPIER, BUT COLORS CREATED BY ARTIFICIAL LIGHT CAN ALSO EVOKE DIFFERENT EMOTIONS AND HAVE OTHER EFFECTS ON THE BODY

BLUE LIGHT/ WHITE LIGHT

MAKES US ENERGETIC AND CAN INTERRUPT SLEEP PATTERNS IF EXPOSED TO AROUND BEDTIME; BLUE LIGHT SUPPRESSES MELATONIN LEVELS.
BRAIN CELLS TEND TO BE THE MOST SENSITIVE TO BLUE WAVELENGTHS AND THE LEAST SENSITIVE TO RED WAVELENGTHS.
BLUE WAVELENGTHS CAN EVEN HAVE AN IMPACT ON THOSE WHO ARE BLIND WHEN IT COMES TO CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS.

RED LIGHT/ AMBER LIGHT

RED/AMBER LIGHT IS THE LEAST LIKELY HUE OF LIGHT TO IMPACT OUR INTERNAL CLOCKS.
RED LIGHT IN THE EVENING CAN HELP IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH. THIS IS BECAUSE RED LIGHT IN THE EVENING HELPS INCREASE THE SECRETION OF MELATONIN WHICH LEADS TO BETTER SLEEP AT NIGHT. BETTER SLEEP AT NIGHT LEADS TO IMPROVED COGNITION AND OVERALL MENTAL WELL-BEING.

DIRECTION OF LIGHT

THE DIRECTION OF A LIGHT SOURCE CAN TRANSFORM SPACES AND IMPACT THE WAY PEOPLE FEEL IN THESE SPACES.

LIGHTING POSITIONS:

ABOVE EYE LEVEL - FEELING OF RESTRAINT, CREATING A MORE FORMAL ATMOSPHERE.
BELOW EYE LEVEL - FEELING OF INDIVIDUAL IMPORTANCE, CREATING A MORE INFORMAL ATMOSPHERE.

Tense - Intense direct light from above. (Non-Uniform)

Relaxed - Lower overhead lighting with some lighting at room perimeter, warm color tones. (Non-Uniform)

Work/Visual Clarity - Bright light on workplane with less light at the perimeter, wall lighting, cooler color tones. (Uniform)

Spaciousness - Bright light with lighting on walls and possibly ceiling. (Uniform)

Privacy/ Intimacy - Low light level at activity space with a little perimeter lighting and dark areas in rest of space. (Non-Uniform)

COLORS OF LIGHT

WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE SEE AN OBJECT IS REFLECTED LIGHT. WHEN LIGHT HITS AN OBJECT SOME WAVELENGTHS ARE ABSORBED BY THAT OBJECT AND SOME ARE REFLECTED.
LIGHT OF DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS LOOKS LIKE DIFFERENT COLORS TO US. WHEN WE SEE AN OBJECT OF A CERTAIN COLOR THAT MEANSTHAT LIGHT OF THAT COLOR'S WAVELENGTH IS BEING REFLECTED OFF THE OBJECT.

FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU SEE A RED SHIRT, THE SHIRT IS ABSORBING ALL THE COLORS OF LIGHT EXCEPT FOR THE RED COLOR. THE FREQUENCY OF LIGHT THAT WE SEE AS RED IS BEING REFLECTED AND WE SEE THAT SHIRT AS RED.

Do you know ROY? The first letter of each of the main colors of light spells out the name ROY G BIV. This fictitious name has long been used as a way to remember the sequence of colors of light, from longest to shortest wavelengths.

Red (Shortest Wavelength)
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet (Longest Wavelength)

BLACK AND WHITE ARE A BIT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER COLORS.
WHITE IS A COMBINATION OF ALL COLORS, SO WHEN WE SEE WHITE, THE OBJECT IS REFLECTING ALL THE COLORS OF LIGHT THE SAME.
BLACK IS THE OPPOSITE. WHEN WE SEE A BLACK OBJECT THAT MEANS ALMOST ALL THE COLORS OF LIGHT ARE BEING ABSORBED.

COLORS

WONDERING WHERE RAINBOWS COME

FROM?

THEY APPEAR WHEN VISIBLE LIGHT IS BROKEN APART BY WATER DROPLETS THAT BEND SUNLIGHT AND SPLIT IT INTO DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS.

COLOR THEORY

ADDITIVE

the colors you see in your computer screen

red
green
blue

SUBTRACTIVE

usually used in printer inks and cartridge

cyan
magenta
yellow

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO COMBINE COLORS.

FIRST, BY MERGING COLORED LIGHT, AND SECOND, BY MERGING COLORED PIGMENTS. AMONG THE COLOR MODELS, THE ONE ADDITIVE MODEL BUILDS COLORS BY ADDING LIGHT, WHILE THE TWO SUBTRACTIVE MODELS BUILD COLORS BY SUBTRACTING LIGHT.

BUILDING COLOR BY COMBINING LIGHT IS CALLED ADDITIVE BECAUSE YOU’RE ADDING COLORED LIGHTS TOGETHER. AS YOU ADD MORE AND MORE COLORED LIGHTS, THE OVERALL COLOR GETS WHITER AND WHITER. ADD RED AND BLUE, AND WHAT YOU GET IS VIOLET, BUT IT’S A WASHED-OUT LIGHTER VIOLET. ADD GREEN TO THE MIX, AND NOW YOU’VE HIT WHITE BECAUSE YOU’VE NOW COVERED ALL VISIBLE LIGHT WAVES.

ADDITIVE

Red + Green = Yellow
Red + Blue = Magenta
Green + Blue = Cyan
Red + Blue + Green = WHITE

These colors emits/absorbs light

None = Black

SUBTRACTIVE

SUBTRACTIVE COLOR COMBINATIONS WORK THE OPPOSITE WAY, BY REMOVING LIGHT.

SUBTRACTIVE

Yellow + Magenta = Red
Magenta + Cyan = Blue
Yellow + Cyan = Green

Reflect Light

None = White

BUILDING OTHER COLORS FROM PRIMARY COLORS

PRIMARY COLORS

The primary colors on the color wheel are RED, YELLOW, AND BLUE. They cannot be made from mixing each other.

SECONDARY COLORS

The secondary colors are orange, green, and violet. They can be made from mixing two primary colors.

TERTIARY COLORS

The tertiary colors completes the color wheel to 12 basic colors. The 6 tertiary colors are created by mixing one primary color with an equal part adjacent, secondary color.

YELLOW ORANGE
RED ORANGE
RED VIOLET
BLUE VIOLET
BLUE GREEN
YELLOW GREEN

Hue

is the term most people use to describe different colors, such as red, orange, purple and so on.
is synonymous with wavelength most of the time, except for the non-spectral colors like pink and brown.

BRIGHTNESS

One of the key factors in color psychology is the level of brightness in a color. You will also see brightness referred to as ‘value’
It represents the quality of a color from dark to light, or when it comes to pigments, how much black or white exists is in a color.

The three main terms used to describe brightness are

shade
saturation
tint

The colors on the color wheel can also be

described by tints, tones, & shades

depending on if you blend them with

white
grey
black

TINT

As the vivid color moves towards white, we have tint.
It’s the opposite of shade.
A color TINT is a hue blended with WHITE.

TONES

A color TONE is a hue blended with GREY.

SHADES

A color SHADE is a hue blended with BLACK.
The shade describes how dark a color appears, as it moves from its vivid color towards black.
As a color becomes more shaded, it’s synonymous to having the lights slowly dimmed, till you can only see black.

SATURATION

Saturation describes how a color transitions from its most vivid appearance towards a grey appearance.
A highly saturated color is a vivid, pure hue.
As we desaturate the color, it becomes less saturated and starts to appear gray and washed out.
Saturation refers to how a hue appears under particular lighting conditions. Think of saturation in terms of weak vs. strong or pale vs. pure hues.

Why aren't black and white on the color wheel?

BLACK - is the complete absence of of all colors

WHITE - is the presence of all colors simultaneously.

BROWN - is a dark orange or neutral red hue a composite color made by combing red, black and yellow.

COLOR COMBINATIONS

WHILE SOME COLOR COMBINATIONS FEEL EASY ON THE EYES, OTHERS FEEL STRAINED. PERHAPS THE BEST-KNOWN WAY TO STRAIN USERS’ EYES WITH COLOR IS AN EFFECT CALLED CHROMOSTEREOPSIS
THIS IS THE WOBBLY OPTICAL ILLUSION THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY LOOK AT TWO COLORS THAT ARE FAR APART ON THE COLOR SPECTRUM.
RED AND GREEN APPEAR CLOSE TOGETHER ON THE COLOR WHEEL, AND ACCORDING TO COLOR THEORY, THEY SHOULD BE NICE COMPLEMENTARY COLORS. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THEM ON THE COLOR SPECTRUM YOU’LL SEE THAT THEY’RE QUITE FAR APART.

CHROMOSTEREOPSIS

EMERGES WHEN ONE COLOR REACHES THE EYE SLIGHTLY FASTER THAN THE OTHER, DUE TO DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS. THIS CREATES AN OPTICAL ILLUSION WHERE ONE COLOR APPEARS CLOSER THAN THE OTHER.

PSYCHOLOGY OF COLORS

COLOR PSYCHOLOGY

COLOR IS A POWERFUL COMMUNICATION TOOL AND CAN BE USED TO SIGNAL ACTION, INFLUENCE MOOD, AND EVEN INFLUENCE PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS.
CERTAIN COLORS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE, INCREASED METABOLISM, AND EYESTRAIN.
IN 1666, ENGLISH SCIENTIST SIR ISAAC NEWTON DISCOVERED THAT WHEN PURE WHITE LIGHT PASSES THROUGH A PRISM, IT SEPARATES INTO ALL OF THE VISIBLE COLORS. NEWTON ALSO FOUND THAT EACH COLOR IS MADE UP OF A SINGLE WAVELENGTH AND CANNOT BE SEPARATED ANY FURTHER INTO OTHER COLORS.
FURTHER EXPERIMENTS DEMONSTRATED THAT LIGHT COULD BE COMBINED TO FORM OTHER COLORS. FOR EXAMPLE, RED LIGHT MIXED WITH YELLOW LIGHT CREATES AN ORANGE COLOR. SOME COLORS, SUCH AS GREEN AND MAGENTA, CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT WHEN MIXED AND RESULT IN A WHITE LIGHT.

WHILE THE COLOR WHITE IS USED IN MANY WESTERN COUNTRIES TO REPRESENT PURITY AND INNOCENCE, IT IS SEEN AS A SYMBOL OF MOURNING IN MANY EASTERN COUNTRIES.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF COLOR

WHY IS COLOR SUCH A POWERFUL FORCE IN OUR LIVES? WHAT EFFECTS CAN IT HAVE ON OUR BODIES AND MINDS? WHILE PERCEPTIONS OF COLOR ARE SOMEWHAT SUBJECTIVE, THERE ARE SOME COLOR EFFECTS THAT HAVE UNIVERSAL MEANING.
COLORS IN THE RED AREA OF THE COLOR SPECTRUM ARE KNOWN AS WARM COLORS AND INCLUDE RED, ORANGE, AND YELLOW. THESE WARM COLORS EVOKE EMOTIONS RANGING FROM FEELINGS OF WARMTH AND COMFORT TO FEELINGS OF ANGER AND HOSTILITY.
COLORS ON THE BLUE SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM ARE KNOWN AS COOL COLORS AND INCLUDE BLUE, PURPLE, AND GREEN. THESE COLORS ARE OFTEN DESCRIBED AS CALM, BUT CAN ALSO CALL TO MIND FEELINGS OF SADNESS OR INDIFFERENCE.

COLOR THEORY

COLOR

phenomenon of light & visual perception that maybe described in terms of an individual’s perception of hue, saturation & lightness for objects, & hue, saturation, & brightness of light sources.

CHROMATICS - Science of Colors

PRIMARY COLORS

RED
BLUE
YELLOW

THESE COLORS CANNOT BE MIXED FROM ANY OTHER COLORS AND ARE THE STARTING POINT FOR EVERY OTHER COLOR

SECONDARY COLORS

PURPLE
ORANGE
GREEN

THIS IS THE TERM USED FOR COLORS

CREATED BY COMBINATION OF TWO bb

PRIMARY COLORS.

VIOLET = (RED+BLUE);
ORANGE = (YELLOW+RED);
GREEN = (YELLOW+BLUE)

TERTIARY COLORS

MAGENTA
VERMILLION.
VIOLET
TEAL
AMBER
CHARTREUSE

CREATED WITH A MIXTURE OF A PRIMARY

COLOR WITH SECONDARY COLOR

Red + Purple = Red-Purple (magenta)
Red + Orange = Red-Orange (vermillion)
Blue + Purple = Blue-Purple (violet)
Blue + Green = Blue-Green (teal)
Yellow + Orange = Yellow-Orange (amber)
Yellow + Green = Yellow-Green (chartreuse)

MODERN RESEARCH ON COLOR PSYCHOLOGY

MOST PSYCHOLOGISTS VIEW COLOR THERAPY WITH SKEPTICISM AND POINT OUT THAT THE SUPPOSED EFFECTS OF COLOR ARE OFTEN GROSSLY EXAGGERATED. COLORS ALSO HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS IN DIFFERENT CULTURES.
RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED IN MANY CASES THAT THE MOOD- ALTERING EFFECTS OF COLOR MAY ONLY BE TEMPORARY. A BLUE ROOM MAY INITIALLY CAUSE FEELINGS OF CALM, BUT THE EFFECT DISSIPATES AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

WARM-COLORED PLACEBO PILLS WERE REPORTED AS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN COOL-COLORED PLACEBO PILLS IN ONE STUDY.
BLUE-COLORED STREETLIGHTS CAN LEAD TO REDUCED CRIME ACCORDING TO ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE.
RED CAUSES PEOPLE TO REACT WITH GREATER SPEED AND FORCE, SOMETHING THAT MIGHT PROVE USEFUL DURING ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS.
BLACK UNIFORMS ARE MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE PENALTIES. ADDITIONALLY, STUDENTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO ASSOCIATE NEGATIVE QUALITIES WITH A PLAYER WEARING A BLACK UNIFORM ACCORDING TO A STUDY THAT LOOKED AT HISTORICAL DATA OF SPORTS TEAMS AND WHAT THEY WERE DRESSED.

THE PERCEPTION OF COLOR IN ARCHITECTURE

THE ARCHITECT MUST CONSIDER THE COLOR EFFECT OF EVERY ELEMENT OF A BUILDING’S CONSTRUCTION, FROM THE EARTHY COLORS OF PRIMARY CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS LIKE WOOD, STONE, BRICK, AND MARBLE, TO THE EXPANSIVE VARIETY OF COLORS AVAILABLE FOR PAINT, DOORS, WINDOWS, SIDING, AND TRIM.

RED

Effect: exciting, stimulating
Positive: passionate, fervid, active, strong, warm
Negative: intense, aggressive, raging, fierce, bloody
Character: Red is the most dominant and dynamic color. The eye actually has to adjust focus, since the natural focal point of red lies behind the retina. Consequently red appears closer than it is.
Ceiling: intruding, disturbing, heavy
Walls: aggressive, advancing
Floor: conscious, alert

ORANGE

Effect:exciting, stimulating, cheering
Positive: lively, energetic, extroverted
Negative: intrusive, blustering
Character: Orange is less masculine than red. It has very few negative associations. However, it may appear cheap or without vigor if low in saturation.
Ceiling: stimulating, attention-seeking
Walls: warm, luminous
Floor: activating, motion-oriented

YELLOW

Effect: cheering
Positive: sunny, cheerful, radiant, vital
Negative: egocentric, glaring
Character: When pure, yellow is the happiest of all colors. In radiates warmth, cheerfulness, and inspiration and signifies enlightenment, and communication.
Ceiling: light (towards lemon), luminous, stimulating
Walls: warm (towards orange), exciting to irritating (highly saturated)
Floor: elevating, diverting

GREEN

Effect: retiring, relaxing
Positive: tranquil, refreshing, quiet, natural
Negative: common, tiresome, guilty
Character: Contrary to red, when looking at green the eye focuses exactly on the retina, which makes green the most restful color to the eye.
Green can symbolize nature but also mold and sickness.
Ceiling: protective, reflection on the skin can be unattractive
Walls: cool, secure, calm, reliable, passive, irritating if glaring (electric green)
Floor: natural (if not too saturated), soft, relaxing, cold (if towards blue)

BLUE

Effect: retiring, relaxing
Positive: calm, sober, secure, comfortable, noble
Negative: frightening, depressing, melancholy, cold
Character: Blue appears to be transparent, wet, cool, and relaxing. Opposite to red, blue will decrease a person’s blood pressure and pulse rate.
Ceiling: celestial, cool, receding (if light), heavy and oppressive (if dark)
Walls: cool and distant (if light), encouraging and space deepening (if dark)
Floor: inspiring feeling of effortless movement (if light), substantial (if dark)

VIOLET/PURPLE

Effect: subduing
Positive: dignified, exclusive
Negative: lonely, mournful, pompous, conceited
Character:Purple is a mixture of red and blue (the two colors that are psychologically most opposed).
Purple can appear delicate and rich, or unsettling and degenerate.
Ceiling: disconcerting, subduing
Walls: heavy, overpowering
Floor: fleeting, magical

PINK

Effect: lively (bubble-gum pink), calming (light pink)
Positive: lively, calming, intimate
Negative: too sweet, weak
Character: Pink must be handled carefully. It is generally considered feminine, but depends much on the nuance used (bubble-gum pink, or old rose)
Ceiling: delicate, comforting
Walls: aggression-inhibiting, intimate, too sweet if not grayed down
Floor: too delicate, not used very often

BROWN

Effect: subduing
Positive: warm, secure, stable
Negative: oppressive, heavy
Character: There is a great difference between wood and brown paint. In certain institutions brown should be avoided since it evokes fecal associations. Wood and stone on the other hand appear very comfortable, and warm.
Ceiling: oppressive and heavy (if dark)
Walls: secure and assuring if wood, much less so if paint
Floor: steady, stable

WHITE

Effect: disconcerting
Positive: clean, crisp, bright
Negative: empty, sterile
Character: There are a lot of psychological and physiological justifications for not using white as a dominant color.
Ceiling: empty, no design objections-helps diffuse light sources and reduce shadows
Walls: neutral to empty, sterile, without energy
Floor: touch-inhibiting (not to be walked upon)

GRAY

Effect: neutral to calming
Positive: neutral
Negative: boring
Character: Gray fails to have much psychotherapeutic application. Thus, the current fashion of using it with various accent walls defies all logic
Ceiling: shadowy
Walls: neutral to boring
Floor: neutral

BLACK

Effect: ominous
Positive: deep, abstract
Negative: dungeonlike, night, grief, death
Character: Black is associated with oppressive power, darkness, and the unknown. In architecture it is often used to make something appear as receding, such as the HVAC in a ceiling.
Ceiling: hollow to oppressive
Walls: ominous, dungeonlike
Floor: odd, abstract