Color is an important aspect of any all architectural works. True architectural art masterpieces are judged not only on the complexity of the design but also the aesthetics that the design evokes to anyone viewing (Serra, García, Torres & Llopis, 2011). Thus the color chosen should be well considered so as to bring out its intended ambience and purpose.
Its selection should ensure that it not only stands out but also fuses with other design aspects and the client’s preferences as well (Serra, García, Torres & Llopis, 2011). As such a study on the various factors that affect architectural color choice are integral to improving the overall experience an architecture wants to bring forth. The literature review below samples various works written as a result of research on this extensive topic and points out the discrepancies and shortcomings they face.
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"Literature Review on the Use of Color in Architecture".
Research has been done towards this end with multiple factors being considered. These are such as level of education, gender, social background, religion and culture, environmental background, personality and previous experiences.
Voordt (2017) has also been able to reveal in his research the relationship between color preference and setting. he further explains how a particular set of colors can hold a lot of meaning to various people and create an atmosphere they desire. For example the color preference difference at home and at work.
In writings in this topic lucila(2007) also tries to find out what informs a client’s color choice. It tries to explain whether color selection is impulsive or whether it is the result of research on the part of the client.
In addition, Bimler(2004) also added that gender plays a critical role when choosing colors due to the variance of emotional difference. He argues that color scheme chosen can have a direct positive impact on individuals which ultimately creates a sense of satisfaction and content.
In support of Bimler argument, Baniani(2015) also recognizes colors have a relation to ones background which can relatively affect ones personal environment like educational or spiritual orientation.
These pieces of literature all try to break down the topic of color preference and color selection in a bid to find out the best color variations to use depending to the nature of the client and the respective setting.
In light of the above on can argue that the studies are comprehensive. But beneath the surface the writings fail to reveal an in depth analysis of how each of these individually should affect color preference. They merely vaguely list the factors down and for most of them do not expound on the specific relationship and how clients and architects color selection is affected by them. For example they only state that males are more tolerant of achromatic than females but offer no explanation for this occurrence. As such all they do is state what is observed during the research and not why it is observed. Another is when one study asserts that residents in coastal regions prefer their homes to have the color blue in their décor while those in the mainland mostly prefer the color white in their homes. No explanation is offered only that the environment is what affected the choice.
Therefore the question that should asked and studied is: why and how do these factors influence color selection and color preference. An explanation should be sought as to how these factors interrelate and just how this information would be useful to both architects and the individuals looking to decorate their homes or offices. The research should aim to help architects and individuals make more informed decisions about the color combinations to use in their designs and homes.
Thus it can be seen that the sampled studies are inconclusive in their final findings. Therefore emphasis should be put on further extensive research. This literature review hopes to bring to light the need to carry out research on this topic that is geared towards expounding on the specifics of the relationship between the given factors and color selection and color preferences. As such the fresh research should be undertaken and the necessary resources should be expended towards this end. Also the scope of the research should be increased. These studies have covered few geographical regions and cultures namely Iran (Middle East) and Japan (Asia). The new research should cover more geographical regions so as to cover more respondents in the research that span different cultures, religions and social backgrounds.
Should the above suggestions be followed the data collected would be extremely helpful. The findings would better show the relationships between the various factors and color preference. Also they could show how various factors correlate with each other. For example an architect would use the data to figure out which color scheme would take into consideration his clients personality, culture, environmental and social background (Serra, García, Torres & Llopis, 2011).
In conclusion what needs to be done is to offer more in depth explanations to these relationships that are founded upon grounded extensive research. The question thus that needs to be answered is not what factors influence color preference but rather why these factors affect color selection and preference. Another question that should be answered is how these factors can be linked and correlated.
- Baniani, M., & Yamamoto, S. (2015). A comparative study on correlation between personal background and interior color preference. Color Research & Application, 40(4), 416-424.
- Bimler, D. L., Kirkland, J. and Jameson, K. A. (2004), ‘Quantifying variations in personal color spaces: Are there sex differences in color visions?’, Color Research and Application, 29: 2, pp. 128–34.
- Lucila R., Geymonat de Destefani, T. W. and Allan W. (2007). Esthetic Decision Making: How Do People Select Colours for Real Settings? Wiley Periodical Inc. Volume 33. Number 1.
- Voordt, T. van der, Bakker, I., & Boon, J. de. (2017). Color preferences for four different types of spaces. Facilities, 35(3/4), pp. 155-169. doi: 10.1108/F-06-2015-0043.
- Serra, J., García, Á., Torres, A., & Llopis, J. (2011). Color composition features in modern architecture. Color Research & Application, 37(2), 126-133.
