Color in architecture

Abstract

Good design can be spoiled by poor color. Weak design can be helped by good color. Color is therefore of prime importance as an integral element of architectural design. Color is vitally related to man in many fields. The study of architecture involves the study of living - a thorough inspection of the behavior of man. Color in architecture, then, can be understood only by studying color in many fields. To begin with, something of the history of color should be known. Then should come a study of color through physics, through physiology, through psychology, through art, and through illuminating engineering. The scientific study of color began with Newton in 1666, but most of our knowledge of color was obtained much more recently. A study of color in various fields will involve, of course, repeated overlapping of those fields. The objectives of this thesis are: 1) to prove the importance of color in architecture, 2) to provide a reference summarizing briefly what is known about color, 3) to test ray own color sense, and 4) to arrive at conclusions on the approach to color in architectural training. This research will prove somewhat futile if I do not have either a good color sense or the capacity to develop a good color sense. One way of testing my color sense is by checking my opinion against public opinion. Such a test is included here in Part III. A further check against professional opinion may prove something. Any conclusions which will necessarily be personal, depending on ray own color sense. However, the "approach" to color is different from arbitrary assumptions about color. A proper approach to color will involve not only the application of what is already known, but also continual experimenting. Such an approach must educate both architectural students and their instructor.