SPACES feb issue 2017

Interior
To understand the effect of colors on
students, a research was conducted
between 2007 and 2008 by the
University of British Columbia. The
performance of 600 participants on
six cognitive tasks that either required
detail-orientation or creativity were
analyzed thoroughly. The tasks
involved spelling, punctuation and
word recall when words or images
were displayed against different
colored backgrounds.
Red for Accuracy
The research indicates that red
increased the accuracy of students
on detail- oriented tasks such as
memory retrieval and proofreading
by 31 percent as compared to blue.
This also generated a theory that red
is associated with danger that may
have pushed the students to pay more
attention to detail. However, when
students were exposed to red before
an IQ test, they scored significantly
lower than students who were
exposed to green. This can be traced
back to the fear of red markings that
bring out the feelings of caution and
anxiety. Students showed caution
while answering the test by choosing
the easier questions to answer.
Blue for Creativity
Blue boosted the performance of
students on creative tasks where toys
had to be created from shapes and
new uses of the displayed items were
to be invented. Similarly, for other
creative tasks such as a brainstorming
session, a blue environment
encouraged the students to produce
twice as many creative outputs as in
a red setting.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT HUES:
It is always difficult to pick one hue
over the other for the collection of
the most appropriate hue for various
spaces within an institution. The
emotional attribute of each hue can
then be taken into consideration to
make sure that chosen color aligns
with the purpose of the space.
Blue: Often associated with the quality
of stimulating the mind, blue is the
most preferred hue for science and
math based classrooms. The calming
trait of blue is believed to enhance
concentration in students by lowering
their heart rate.
Green: The nature’s color of balance,
green also balances the serenity of
blue and the creativity of yellow to
generate an arena for multi-tasking.
The versatility of green can be proven
by its effectiveness from classrooms
centered on history and social studies
to social spaces such as counselling
rooms and libraries.
Yellow: The lively yellow tones that
derive the energy from the sun are
believed to be in touch with our creative
side. Gentle yellows spark the creativity
of students in language classrooms
and other areas of artistic pursuits such
as culinary, fine art and dance.
Orange: Associated with movement,
orange can be used to connote energy
in activity spaces such as athletic
A selection of suitable tones of green, orange/ peach, yellow and blue
for educational environments by Sylvia O’ Brien, an architectural color
specialist working in Toronto.
facilities, drama and media centers.
Moreover, soft orange and peach
tones resonate comfort and generate
a social and loquacious atmosphere
appropriate for a school cafeteria.
To fabricate the desired learning
atmosphere in an educational
environment, a meaningful color
palette can be executed. A functional
color scheme is developed through
the balance of hues handpicked
from both sides of the color wheel.
Choosing a variety of hues is often
beneficial over a single hue. Research
suggest that assortment of hues in
a learning space reduce eyestrain
and visual fatigue and advance the
learning process as well. The amount
of variety is also an important factor
as an excess may overstimulate and
strain the mind; while moderation may
result in bored and introvert students.
It is also important to keep in check
the amount of bright and muted
colors to create a sense of balance.
If the walls are painted in bright hues,
neutral tones of furniture is preferred to
minimize the effect. Conversely, if the
walls are in neutral and muted tones,
bursts of lively hues on the furniture
can make the space feel alive.
February 2017 SPACES / 69