In the realization of a colour design, or of a colour plan, every designer should have availability of a set of basic tools to allow him to not perform prejudicial operations in the territory, in the landscape, in the city, in the neighbourhood, down to the individual building. The same designer should then know some few rules in the colour choice that will enhance the built environment. Obviously the approach to colour selecting depends on the size of the buildings, the type of aggregation, the streets, alleys, plazas, squares dimensions and so on, but especially by the specificity of the place. With specificity of the place we mean the history, traditions, culture, geographical location, the qualities and weaknesses, the range of possible options and not recommended steps and all those characters that distinguish one place from another. So it should be clear to the designer who faces a chromatic project that primarily he need a dedicated strategy different from case to case, specific to each place. The diversity of the places establishes the richness of traditions and customs that should be preserved and possibly updated. What’s discussed in the paper is the result of research experience at the University Iuav of Venice and in the direction of the Research “Colour and Light in Architecture” Unit and professional work in the colour planning for villages/towns with an historical centre, expansion zones, sprawl, isolated houses or industrial areas. The focus on the improvement of the places through the appropriate use of colour is determined both by the need for upgrading the man‐land, either by putting in place qualifying low‐cost factors, highly valued in today's stagnant economy, like the Italian one. The perception of the surroundings takes place in terms of synaesthesia, involving all the senses of the recipient. The colours possess various features that can zoom in or out the perceived objects, as well as enlarge or shrink them, make them hot or cold, centre or decentralize them. The colours are also responsible for many other phenomena that will be better explained in the full paper. In the perception of the surroundings built forms are perceived differently depending on weather conditions, seasonal ones, direct or indirect radiation, by reflection or by natural or artificial light source and by many other aspects. The shape/colour ratio is also reflected by a series of secondary effects such as: ‐ Distance effect: far, from afar, close, very close; ‐ Spatial Effect: very large, large, medium, small, very small; ‐ Environmental effect: wet, dry; ‐ Light Effect: on, off, sunny, shady; ‐ Weight effect: light, heavy; ‐ Time Effect: short, medium, long; ‐ Thermal effect: cold, hot and lukewarm; ‐ Psychological effect: depressive, relaxing, soothing, stimulating, exciting, exhilarating. These effects depend on the wavelengths and change on the basis of colour saturation. The feeling of space, in terms ponderable and temporal change with the wavelengths increase and varies according to the hue intensity. Other effects depend on the combination of closeness or distance and the overall design or perceived detail. Some basic rules for who intends to proceed with the selection of colours to paint the buildings walls and their parts has to make reference to the general guidelines to consider when treating for example: ‐ Narrow streets ‐ Wide Roads ‐ Squares, plazas, etc. ‐ Sprawl houses ‐ Farmhouses ‐ Buildings in barren, arid, stony field ‐ Continuous façades ‐ Tall buildings ‐ Public buildings ‐ Industrial buildings ‐ others The list just described already constitutes a strategic approach in planning operations where the use of colour as a design element treated with extreme care and attention, trying to leave the least possible space to casual approach, although in some cases this has produced funny situations (e.g. Burano island). The full paper will better describe what synthetically here is mentioned.
Strategies in colour choice for architectural built environment
ZENNARO, PIETRO
2016-01-01
Abstract
In the realization of a colour design, or of a colour plan, every designer should have availability of a set of basic tools to allow him to not perform prejudicial operations in the territory, in the landscape, in the city, in the neighbourhood, down to the individual building. The same designer should then know some few rules in the colour choice that will enhance the built environment. Obviously the approach to colour selecting depends on the size of the buildings, the type of aggregation, the streets, alleys, plazas, squares dimensions and so on, but especially by the specificity of the place. With specificity of the place we mean the history, traditions, culture, geographical location, the qualities and weaknesses, the range of possible options and not recommended steps and all those characters that distinguish one place from another. So it should be clear to the designer who faces a chromatic project that primarily he need a dedicated strategy different from case to case, specific to each place. The diversity of the places establishes the richness of traditions and customs that should be preserved and possibly updated. What’s discussed in the paper is the result of research experience at the University Iuav of Venice and in the direction of the Research “Colour and Light in Architecture” Unit and professional work in the colour planning for villages/towns with an historical centre, expansion zones, sprawl, isolated houses or industrial areas. The focus on the improvement of the places through the appropriate use of colour is determined both by the need for upgrading the man‐land, either by putting in place qualifying low‐cost factors, highly valued in today's stagnant economy, like the Italian one. The perception of the surroundings takes place in terms of synaesthesia, involving all the senses of the recipient. The colours possess various features that can zoom in or out the perceived objects, as well as enlarge or shrink them, make them hot or cold, centre or decentralize them. The colours are also responsible for many other phenomena that will be better explained in the full paper. In the perception of the surroundings built forms are perceived differently depending on weather conditions, seasonal ones, direct or indirect radiation, by reflection or by natural or artificial light source and by many other aspects. The shape/colour ratio is also reflected by a series of secondary effects such as: ‐ Distance effect: far, from afar, close, very close; ‐ Spatial Effect: very large, large, medium, small, very small; ‐ Environmental effect: wet, dry; ‐ Light Effect: on, off, sunny, shady; ‐ Weight effect: light, heavy; ‐ Time Effect: short, medium, long; ‐ Thermal effect: cold, hot and lukewarm; ‐ Psychological effect: depressive, relaxing, soothing, stimulating, exciting, exhilarating. These effects depend on the wavelengths and change on the basis of colour saturation. The feeling of space, in terms ponderable and temporal change with the wavelengths increase and varies according to the hue intensity. Other effects depend on the combination of closeness or distance and the overall design or perceived detail. Some basic rules for who intends to proceed with the selection of colours to paint the buildings walls and their parts has to make reference to the general guidelines to consider when treating for example: ‐ Narrow streets ‐ Wide Roads ‐ Squares, plazas, etc. ‐ Sprawl houses ‐ Farmhouses ‐ Buildings in barren, arid, stony field ‐ Continuous façades ‐ Tall buildings ‐ Public buildings ‐ Industrial buildings ‐ others The list just described already constitutes a strategic approach in planning operations where the use of colour as a design element treated with extreme care and attention, trying to leave the least possible space to casual approach, although in some cases this has produced funny situations (e.g. Burano island). The full paper will better describe what synthetically here is mentioned.
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