Lightscape, Colour & Human Response PDF

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LIGHTSCAPE, COLOUR & HUMAN RESPONSE Ramola Helena Lewis (14559065) MA Interior Architecture and Design | Research Essay University of Lincoln United Kingdom June 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................

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Accelerat ing t he world's research.

Lightscape, Colour & Human Response Ramola Lewis

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LIGHTSCAPE, COLOUR & HUMAN RESPONSE

Ramola Helena Lewis (14559065) MA Interior Architecture and Design | Research Essay University of Lincoln United Kingdom June 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................ 2

2

LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... 2

3

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 3

4

STRUCTURE ............................................................................................................................................... 4

5

RATIONALE ................................................................................................................................................ 4

6

RESEARCH QUESTION ............................................................................................................................. 5

7

AIM .............................................................................................................................................................. 5

8

OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................................................. 5

9

LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................... 5 9.1

LIGHTSCAPE SHAPING SPACES ................................................................................................................ 5

9.2

COLOUR PERCEPTION & MOOD STUDY .................................................................................................... 9

9.3

STUDY OF HUMAN RESPONSIVE LIGHTSCAPE AND CHROMATIC ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH CASE STUDIES... 12

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9.3.1

Case Study 1: M&M’s World, London, United Kingdom ................................................................ 12

9.3.2

Case Study 2: Snog, London, United Kingdom ............................................................................. 14

METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 16

10.1

REASONS FOR CHOOSING MIXED RESEARCH METHOD ........................................................................... 16

10.2

DATA COLLECTION PROCESSES............................................................................................................ 16

10.2.1

Unstructured observations: time, place and participants ........................................................... 16

10.2.2

Interviews ................................................................................................................................... 17

10.2.3

Visual Media Documents ........................................................................................................... 18

10.2.4

Acquiring informed consent ....................................................................................................... 18

10.2.5

Mixed research method analysis ............................................................................................... 18

10.2.6

Ethics and Limitations ................................................................................................................ 19

11

CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................... 21

12

REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 22

13

REFERENCES (IMAGES)......................................................................................................................... 23

14

APPENDIX 1 ............................................................................................................................................. 24

15

APPENDIX 2 ............................................................................................................................................. 25

15.1 16

INFORMED CONSENT FORM .................................................................................................................. 25

APPENDIX 3 ............................................................................................................................................. 28

16.1

SAMPLE CASE STUDY OBSERVATION LISTS AND SEMI-STRUCTURED QUESTIONS ....................................... 28

1

1 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Influence of colour on mood and perception (Bright & Cook, 2010, p. 111) ........................ 10 Table 2 Details of the case study (Edited by Author) ....................................................................... 17 Table 3 Details of the case study (Edited by Author) ....................................................................... 28

2 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Colours, Light And Shadow (Author’s Image)...................................................................... 3 Figure 2 A Cross Section Of The Human Eye (Wrench, Et Al., 2012) ............................................... 5 Figure 3 Koshino House By Tadao Ando (Anon., 2015) .................................................................... 6 Figure 4 Neanderthal Museum By Estudio Barozzi Veiga. Piloña, España (Anon., 2015) ................. 7 Figure 5 Conceptual Portrayal Of Right Side Brain And Left Side Brain. Right Side Brain Is Considered More Creative And Colourful Whereas The Left Side Brain Is Technical And Rigid (Author’s Image) ............................................................................................................................... 8 Figure 6 Chakra Colours And Meanings (Anon., 2009) ..................................................................... 9 Figure 7 The 'Colour Experience Pyramid' (Mahnke, 1996, P. 11) .................................................. 11 Figure 8 The Main Attraction (Bô, 2012) ......................................................................................... 12 Figure 9 Red Zone (Anon., N.D.) .................................................................................................... 13 Figure 10 Entrance To The Store (Masters, 2013) .......................................................................... 13 Figure 11 Entrance To The Shop (Anon., N.D.) .............................................................................. 14 Figure 12 Interior Blue Lighting (Anon., N.D.) ................................................................................. 15 Figure 13 Interior Orange-Yellow Lighting (Anon., N.D.) ................................................................. 15 Figure 14 Interior Purple-Pink Lighting (Anon., N.D.) ...................................................................... 15 Figure 15 Merge Of Coloured Spaces Of Exterior And Interior In The Presence Of Sunlight (Author’s Image) ............................................................................................................................................ 20 Figure 16 Semi-Structured Questions ............................................................................................. 28 Figure 17 Observations Details Of The Case Study Related To Light ............................................. 29 Figure 18 Observations Details Of The Case Study Related To Colour (Part 1).............................. 29 Figure 19 Observations Details Of The Case Study Related To Colour (Part 2).............................. 30 Figure 20 Brief Description And Overview Of The Case Study (Part 1) ........................................... 30 Figure 21 Brief Description And Overview Of The Case Study (Part 2) ........................................... 31

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3 INTRODUCTION Visual perception creates experiences. Lightscape and colour, being an integral part of this perception are inseparable and play a vital role in architecture today. Both disciplines play a major impact on human response covering the psychological and physiological welfare especially within interior spaces. Also, advancement through different disciplines today including technology, psychology, architecture, and human factors is seen in

light and colour. Light is inspiring. It changes the appearance of the spaces by throwing in light and shadow, thus defining every nook and corner which gives a unique meaning to it. Colour, on the other hand, can shape form and transform. Colour perception by the human eye creates sensations that further activates thoughts and alters the mood of a person based on the chromatic surrounding environment. The merge of lightscape and colour in design of interior spaces may aid the

creation of a story and leave an emotional impression on every user. The importance of lightscape and colour in architecture also includes providing visual comfort, ergonomics for interior spaces and the special needs of visually impaired people. The opus of light reflected from chromatic surfaces stretches the knowledge of the architectural world, setting parameters and provides directional motion through the interior spaces.

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FIGURE 1 COLOURS, LIGHT AND SHADOW

4 STRUCTURE This research essay is comprised of a series of sections giving a profound vision into the topic. Section 5 is the rationale which gives an understanding into the justification in terms of importance, thoughts and human responsive design issues faced leading to the research question. Following this, the aim and objectives of this research are discussed, which detail the approach towards this topic. Furthermore, the literature review delivers the context with regard to the lightscape, colour and human response in the design of interior spaces. As such it is in three parts: 





An overview of how lightscape shapes spaces in the design of interior spaces. An explanation of colour perception and how it affects the mood of a human being. A study of human responsive lightscape and chromatic environments through case studies in the 21st century.

Section 10 deals with methods that will be employed to collect data to achieve the various objectives mentioned. This is followed by expressing the various ethics and limitations that could be faced during the fieldwork for the research process. The conclusion includes considerations and outcomes, by using the specified methodology to achieve the aim of the research, exploring a relationship between lightscape, colour and human behaviour in interior spaces.

5 RATIONALE Architects have always considered light and colour as two different aspects. In practice, they often strive to design areas with natural lighting from the sun. However, not all colours in a built form will be highlighted to their best visuals by daylight. Quite often, artificial lighting brings out the applied coloured surface creating a unique genius loci for the space. Another issue faced is the role of colour in the built form being given a cosmetic role as people deny that its presence affects them. Designing interior and exterior spaces of a built form should also be carefully designed concerning human response to these spaces. For these reasons, the topics are looked into further to understand the importance of the relationship between light and colour in design of interior spaces, quantitative measure for introduction of the merge of light and colour defining the spaces and how it alters human behaviour respectively through cases studies.

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6 RESEARCH QUESTION How does the phenomenon of lightscape and colour in interior spaces affect human behaviour?

7 AIM To explore the relationship between lightscape, colour and human behaviour in interior spaces.

8 OBJECTIVES 

To understand lightscape in design and how the presence of light and shadow in interior spaces



is a crucial factor through a literature review and quantitative results from case studies.



interviews from case studies.

To explore the different human responses to colour in interior spaces through observations and

To determine the necessity of lightscape and colour in the design of interior spaces based on human response in the 21st century through case study examples.

9 LITERATURE REVIEW This section gives an insight into lightscape shaping spaces and how light and shadow in interior spaces is a vital factor in design, an in-depth study of colour perception and mood study and the study of human responsive environments based on these two fundamentals with the aid of case studies.

9.1 Lightscape shaping spaces Natural beauty in the environment is perceived only by the presence of light. It stirs the virtual world around us making architecture more remarkable and it is exploited further by human behaviour. “Light is the most fundamental of materials; without it, form cannot be visualised, space cannot be appreciated and atmosphere cannot be created.” (Brooker and Stone, 2008: 70) The entire spatial experience in one’s lifetime is built by the eye and mind alone that results in unique individual perception. Spaces are visible through reflection of surfaces where the light enters the eye that touches the sensitive receptor cells in the retina which initiate sensations and reach the brain creating images in the mind (see Figure 1) (Michel, 1996). FIGURE 2 A CROSS SECTION OF THE HUMAN EYE (WRENCH

5

ET AL., 2012)

The genesis of life creating memory of a place is the soul presence of sunlight. However, with technological improvisation over the years, artificial light is being widely used in man-made spaces to enhance architecture and design in interior spaces to appeal to human behaviour. There is a remarkable difference between sunlight and artificial light. Sunlight being the balance white light plays a vital role in the biological process in the living environment. Whereas artificial light is mainly utilized within enclosed man-made spaces replacing natural light and it also has varied spectral properties (Mahnke, 1996). One of perceptions of spatial depth in the design of interior spaces is the formation of light and shadow which creates a distinctive experience defining the function of the space and interaction with the users. This formation shapes the animation of art and architectural design. Below are examples of the Neanderthal Museum in Spain and Koshino House in Japan that depicts how light and shadow defines the spaces.

FIGURE 3 KOSHINO HOUSE BY TADAO ANDO (PINTEREST, 2015)

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FIGURE 4 NEANDERTHAL MUSEUM BY ESTUDIO BAROZZI VEIGA. PILOÑA, ESPAÑA (PINTEREST, 2015)

In the United Kingdom, there is standard code to be followed for lighting design in spaces called ‘The Code of Lighting’ (SLL, 2009b). While designing, consideration should be given to the use of lighting and colour that enhances the spatial experience with users. In many cases lighting is vital to aid users of the space who are either blind or partially sighted. Good use of lighting in a space can help users feel safe, contented and also helps in maximising the virtual environment around highlighting the colour and design features present. Looking further, the connection between colour and human responses and how lightscape revives both aspects and leads to the formation of a whole new experience is explored.

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FIGURE 5 CONCEPTUAL PORTRAYAL OF RIGHT SIDE BRAIN AND LEFT SIDE BRAIN. RIGHT SIDE BRAIN IS CONSIDERED MORE CREATIVE AND COLOURFUL WHEREAS THE LEFT SIDE BRAIN IS TECHNICAL AND RIGID (AUTHOR’S IMAGE)

9.2 Colour perception & Mood study Colour deals with conscious, subconscious and unconscious aspects creating experiences that are significant to human response. “Colours acquire particular associations on the basis of prior experience and cultural background.” (Miller and Schlitt, 1985: 73) The presence of colour connects users with the spaces around them. It allows users to be directed, emotionally and confidently. Colours are also used to project feature designs in construction. The eye is the main key to visualisation and interaction of light and colour. (Bright and Cook, 2010) Chromo therapy is the science that utilises light in the form of colour spectrum to maintain energy, health and welfare of the body. The body has seven centres of energy called ‘chakras’ and each receptive to a different colour. Warm colours include red, yellow and orange which are used as accents to pop out neutral shades and bring excitement and joy into a space. Cool colours, such as blue, green, violet and indigo, give a more relaxed and calm feelings to the environment because of their versatility. The diagram below depicts the seven chakras present in our body and its respective significance. For further details about each colour, refer to Appendix 1.

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FIGURE 6 CHAKRA COLOURS AND MEANINGS (NATURE CARE HOSPITAL, 2009)

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has become a very common problem nowadays, especially in the United Kingdom, where there is lack of sunlight. Thus, this has given rise to psychological diseases, mainly in the form of depression. (Azeemi and Raza, 2005) Colour related moods affects user’s experiences, features, thoughts and culture. In the table below, the mood/effects of colour are summarised as generally seen in the United Kingdom.

TABLE 1 INFLUENCE OF COLOUR ON MOOD AND PERCEPTION (BRIGHT AND COOK, 2010: 111)

Perception of colour constitutes experience. There are six basic interrelated factors as illustrated below in the ‘Colour Experience Pyramid’. Personal experience deals with the significance of a colour emotionally to the user in a space. Influence of trends, fashions and styles emphasises the materialistic vision of the technology driven world of today. Cultural influences and mannerisms highlights and projects cultural differences amongst different cities across the world. Conscious symbolism explains the peculiar metaphors, for example, blue sky and red carpet. Collective unconscious defines memory of a place amongst humans. Biological reactions to stimulus elaborates on wavelength and chromatic environment (Mahnke, 1996).

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FIGURE 7 THE 'COLOUR EXPERIENCE PYRAMID' (MAHNKE, 1996: 11)

To understand more in-depth, the following case studies namely - M&M’s World, London, United Kingdom and Snog, London, United Kingdom were particularly chosen since both commercial buildings are designed with the use of lightscape and colour throughout the internal spatial experience. They also have different internal functions wit...