The Language of Color- Capstone Spring 2022 by Kaylie Siwy

THE

language OF color KAYLIE SIWY

CAPSTONE THESIS 2021

T N O C ts n e

introduction

10-25 26-37 38-47 48-63

precedents/case study

68-75 76-83 84-91 92-95 95-105

History Geographical Built-Environment Contemporary

Color in Light Color in Film Color Memory Color in Design Color in Philadelphia

program

110-111 112-113 114-117

Immersive Installations Program Breakdown Chart The Four Zones

site

122-125 126-129 130-135 136-139

Urban Pockets The Rail Park/Network Poplar City Site Information/Diagrams

topical investigations

142-163

Breakdown of Project Needs

the design

166-185

The revitalized urban pocket of the language of color

conclusion 187 188-189

Summary Statement Color-Blindness Images

appendix

192-193 194-199 200-207

Interviews Design Process Code Information

Today our society has been changing the way we think about color and the role color plays in our perceptual world. Color is a uniquely personal experience where it is hard to measure the importance of color to us, more than just being visual. Through this we are living in a future tense, this mode of thinking where we see color because we expect to see color. Therefore, there is this divide between how color is being communicated in the relationship between the physical and mental world.

THE WHY Growing up, I experienced my grandfather and brother having colorblindness, where their opportunities were limited, and their visual experience was different from mine. I started to wonder why our world is always designing and using color as a visual component only. Us as a society are designing for one user only and we are unaware of the impact it is doing to individuals. Color-blindness has opened my eyes to the world of color and how there are so many other ways to associate color with, farther from a visual component. Color is all around us and has become another language to our life. Through this I have made the connection of language with color, comparing language we speak to color because they are both a structured system of communication that can vary in how it is spoken and shown. Color plays a huge role in the world we live because it is a powerful form of communication affecting our life psychologically, emotionally, and symbolically. It has greatly affected everyone’s everyday life where the first thing that you remember using or seeing color was the day you were born, where a blue or pink hat was placed on your head as a symbol of gender. Color also organizes our life and brings a sense of order through symbols such as the control of a stop light, where red makes us stop and green makes us go. It is truly hard to imagine a life without color but are there ways that we can create the same feelings and impact of color for people that do not see it? Through forms, light, sounds, touch, and other sensory conditions, my goal is to create a space where the conditions of visual color are altered. Through my booklet, I will be exploring the depth of color and how it is used throughout the world. Before you move on, I ask a couple questions to think about as you read. How does color affect you and is there something about color that you find interesting and impaction to your life? At the end of my booklet there will be a breakdown of all the images being transformed into the lens of a color-blind person.

INTRODUCTION 8

HIST 10

TORY 11

g u o r h t t r a ve a c cs i h t i l Paleo

coa a r a h c

humanity has been using pigments for hundreds of thousands of years. The earliest pigment was discovered in the Lower Paleolithic period roughly 350,000 years ago. People during this time would use a deep black pigment from the ashes of fires. Not too long after people began to use different colors of pigment from more earthly materials. It was way more effective than carving images into trees and stones. It is believed the first paint came from charcoal or earth pigments, this was grounded to create a paste and eventually mixed with some form of binders such as spit, blood, urine, or animal fat. “The first red pigment discovered, red ochre, comes from iron rich rocks containing hematite. It dates to hundreds of thousands of years ago, a highly pigmented mineral that easily stained the skin and could be shaped into sticks, or ground into a fine, powdered pigment. In early cultures, the color’s resemblance to blood linked it to fertility, life and growth” (Lesso).

Soon after many more earth pigments were being used, limonite, hematite, yellow ochre, umber, burnt bones, and white calcite. With time, people starting using different types of binders, by the 15th century, oil paint was invented and provided artists with “the ability to depict realism in perspective, picture-plane depth, luminosity, enhanced color, and more nuanced simulations of light and shadow” (Mollica Page 7). Color allowed ancient civilizations to communicate more effectively and efficiently with different forms of materials. During the renaissance, artists were able to bring their paints to life with more realistic color.

DAVINCI (1500)

COL THEO JOHANNES ITTEN (1920)

WOLFGANG VON GOETHE (1810)

He proposed a basic set of six hues, and each color held a direct relationship to the natural world. In his color set, white related to light, yellow stood for the earth, green for water, blue for air, red for ﬁre, and black for night or darkness. These associations of hues to the natural world were a spiritual manifestation in paint of his devout convictions.

LE BLON (1706) Le Blon developed the theory of the primary color system. His concept was that three hues yellow, red, and blue. These hues could be mixed or blended in varying combinations to make up all of the other colors. Le Blon developed the ﬁrst four-color printing process, or subtractive color process, whose basic scheme of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black is still with us today.

Goethe disagreed with Newton’s theory and instead argued that color was shaped by perception as well as elements of light and darkness. In these arguments, Goethe became one of the ﬁrst people to systematically explore color and color theory, the study of how colors are perceived and how they interact with other color. Goethe’s theories were more art and philosophy than pure science

HISTORICAL

ROOD (1879)

Rood was trained as both an artist and scientist. Using spinning disks, he proved that pigments could be optically or visually combined as the disks turned to simulate the effect of the mixing or blending lights. On a still plate or picture, the same effect could be achieved if dots or points of paint were very small and placed next to each other.

Itten’s theory was all about the subjective experience of color and his book focuses on how color can be combined to invoke feelings in the viewer. The central idea in Itten’s work is the existence of seven color contrasts that artists must master in order to know the effect of their color choices. Itten often uses his own subjective experience to establish a generalized theory on color and perception.

ALBERT HENRY MUNSELL (1905)

ARISTOTLE (350 BCE) In Ancient Greece, Aristotle developed the ﬁrst known theory of color. He postulated that God sent down color from the heavens as celestial rays. All colors exist in a spectrum between darkness and light, and that four primary colors come from the four elements: ﬁre, air, water, and earth

TOBIAS MAYER (1758) NEWTON (1701) Newton discovered that white light is a combination of all colors across the color spectrum. When you shine white light through a prism, the light is split into colors from across the color spectrum. This prompted him to wrap the color spectrum into a circle, beginning a tradition of using basic shapes to represent the relationship between colors

Tobias Mayer created a color triangle with the primary colors red, yellow, and blue at each point. Each point was connected to its adjacent points by twelve gradations of color—Mayer believed that this was the highest degree of color variation the human eye could detect. Unlike the traditional color circle, he created many variations of this triangle by stacking triangles of different brightnesses on top of each other. This made it possible to deﬁne a color by its position within a 3D space, a technique still used to this day.

MICHEL EUGENE CHEVREUL (1810)

Chevreul claimed to predict the Chevreul outlined his theory of simultaneous contrast in The Principles of Harmony and Contrast of Colours. The visual effect of simultaneous contrast across all these situations with a single rule: if two color areas are seen close together in space or time, each will shift in hue and value as if the visual complementary color of the neighboring or preceding color were mixed with it

Munsell wanted to create a model with perceptually uniform steps, and although he was a painter, his approach was very scientiﬁc: He used human test subjects and a range of mechanical instruments that he invented to create a remarkably accurate model. Munsell’s color system divided the color space into three new dimensions: The hue determined the type of color (red, blue, etc), the value determined the brightness of the color (light or dark), and the chroma determined the saturation of the color (the purity of the color).

JOSEF ALBERS (1960

Josef studied the op making one color appea depending upon which c He also found that two made to look the same, color ground they were formalistic color experime geometric shapes such as

LOR ORY

COLOR IN FORM

COLOR AS COMMUNICATION

BATCHELOR (2001))

David Batchelor, one of the pioneers of contemporary color theory, coined the term chromophobia, which is the fear of color and of the use of color. Batchelor looked at popular culture and ﬁlm, as well as digital technology. He wrote that black and white were masculine, while color was feminine. He looked at ﬁlms that used both black and white and color to tell their stories.

ptical illusions of color, ar like two different colors, color ground it was placed. different hues could be depending upon which placed. These were very ents usually done in simple s squares and rectangles.

Besides other sensory perceptions, humans orient themselves according to optic signals, and learn through visual messages. This makes color vitally important to the meaning of the environment as well as to human interaction with it. Our emotions are always touched by what color reveals to us about our environment, what it communicates. This can be seen through the spacial color experience schemes the collective unconscious, conscious symbolism and association, cultural inﬂuence and mannerism, trends, fashion, style, and personal factors.

COLOR IN PERSPECTIVE

Color perspective is a method of spatial expression using a psychological technique with color and visual effect. The effect that color gives in perspective is that warm colors such as red and yellow convey a feeling of compression, of being propelled forward. Conversely, cold colors such as blue give the impression of being drawn back.

NADIN (2003)

Nadin says we are always living in a future tense. In this mode of thinking, we see color because we expect to see color. Grass is green because we expect it to be green. Even colorblind people will perceive and, in essence, see grass as green because of their cultural conditioning and education. This aspect of color deﬁciency reinforces the fact that color information is processed in two distinct ways. First, the information received through the eyes is processed by the brain, which is primarily a physiological function. Second, there is the personal contribution, previous experiences, cultural upbringing, and other interactions. All of these factors lead us to make color predictions.

COLOR PERCEPTION

Perception is the attempt to understand and make sense of the stimuli received and does no good to respond if we don’t understand what the stimulus is. The scientiﬁc term for the minimum amount of stimulus energy needed for perception is absolute threshold. There are many types of color perception, from dermo-optic vision, the concept that there are other color receptors in the body, to synesthesia, the concept that in some individuals two or more senses are needed to perceive and understand the world. All of these enhance the color experience and are used by artists and designers in the creative process.

The Cubists were most particularly interested in form and reduced their colors in number accordingly. Expressionists and Futurists used both form and color as expressive media; Impressionists dissolved form in favor of color.

COLOR HARMONY Color harmonies, color ways, and color schemes are all different terms for the same thing. They are the ways in which artists and designers pick and use a combination of hues, knowing that they will work together in a composition. The most closely associated color way or harmony is an analogous color scheme. An analogous group is any three hues directly next to each other on the color wheel. If two hues are very similar to each other in value and saturation, they will have a dramatic visual impact and interaction with each other.

CONTEMPORARY CONTEMPORARY

PYSCHOLOGY OF COLOR

GLOBAL/CULTURAL COLOR

People are inﬂuenced by their past experiences and by the culture in which they live. Every product, including the food we eat, has color added or enhanced in some manner. We have seen how color can change our feelings toward a product, making it look heavier, cheaper, or alter our sense of its net worth. Color can also be “heightened” to shock and add emotional impact. Understanding the viewer’s psychological reaction to color enables the artist to achieve a desired response and create a more meaningful work of art.

Color usage can dramatically change from one part of a continent to another. In addition, socio-economic factors may also play a part in how a person feels about color. This illustrates the complexity of global color utilization and association. A color and its usage may distinguish a people and can be used for its symbolic nature. It can quickly identify a faction or a single individual. Since color has an instantaneous subliminal human response, it can trigger a whole host of associations without any additional imagery or text.

DIGITAL COLOR Understanding it is as important to the fine artist as it is to the designer. Light is at the heart of digital technology. The artist or designer is now manipulating and mixing light to create color. The final product may stay on the screen or may be printed or transferred to film or video. With digital color, the new primary systems of RGB and CMYK are added to the repertoire of artists and designers. Artists and designers must keep up with technologic advancements, keeping pace with an ever-changing marketplace.

Overtime, the Atomist theory started to simplify vision where the sense of sight and other modes of perception were also a sense of touch. They stated that “when the body comes into contact with anything, the person feels the object and understands the touch” (John 6). Through the theory of vision, the development of other senses was starting to be researched more, showing that the mind and the eye work together to perceive the world. Likewise, the theory of visual fire used to “there was a light emitted by the eye that came into contact with the object being viewed” and “when the fire hit the object, it reflected back to the eye and the image was seen” (John 9). Fire was even sometimes associated with sunlight because they both were used as a helpful tool when seeing what’s around you. Through this light became a necessary component that allowed an object to be seen by the eyes and the mind, as before it was only just human eyesight. The importance of this theory of vision is because for one to associate color in different forms and through different senses, one must see to know how the world works and how to gain knowledge. A great quote by Socrates states that “one can remember something without looking at it in that very moment, but in order to find meaning in anything, it has to be seen” (John 15). Overtime, the theory of vision starts to evolve into other sensational factors that impact our world of color perception. This is because it was seen from Aristotle when he was the first to discover the natural phenomena of color through touch and nature.

Imagine a world without color, where the world would not understand season changes, connect to the food we eat, create memories nor express feelings. Color theory was first discovered in the ancient world through the knowledge of Greek science. The Greeks were the first to start thinking about vision and colors, even though there was no previous knowledge of this phenomena before. The Greeks started to develop the theory of vision as a starting point to the theory of color. “Vision allows us to interact appropriately with the people around us since we communicate through body language just as much as with words. Not only is vision the primarily used sense when interpreting one’s relationship with other people, but it also guides our interactions with the inanimate, such as art or the natural world” (John 1). Even though color theories started to take on different approaches to discovering color, Greeks were the first to learn about color through a visual component. The Greeks credited the idea of ocularcentrism, which is privileging vision over all other senses. Since technology was not as developed as today, ancient philosophers started to show the ideals of vision through visual fire, the Platonic theory, and the Atomist theory. The Greeks explore the physical and philosophical tradition of vision and through this understand the visual process of how we see and how it can influence an individual.

t o

the theory of vision 17

E L O T IS

R A

Aristotle and Empedocles developed the first known theory of color using natural elements. Empedocles was the first Greek philosopher to write on color. During 490-435 BC, fire, water, air, and earth were the roots of all things on earth. With these elements, they have become the shapes and colors of all physical things in the world. He associated these four elements with four colors, fire being white, air being red, earth being black, and water being yellow. These colors feel random and surprising to today’s associations of nature and color. People were wondering where blue was, which is a primary color today, or if black and white were colors. Even people started to think the Greeks were colorblind, but these specifications were false. The reason these four colors were discovered was because of the developmental level of the Greek language at the time. Many of the colors that were seen in the world did not have words to associate them within the Greek language. Aristotle adopted Empedocles theory of color and started to associate them differently.

Aristotle’s theory was unique because it used other senses to develop the feelings color makes us feel today, differently from the Greek’s approach of mainly vision being the primary start of color. Taking the realm of touch, which are cold, warm, dry, and wet, Aristotle connected them with the four primary qualities: earth, water, air, and fire. Earth was cold and dry, water was cold and wet, air was warm and wet, and fire was warm and dry (9). Through this experience of using touch to discover sensation, it allowed Aristotle to discover the connection to the colors on a deeper level as well as discovering a smell to them. The first approach of how he discovered the nature of colors was through two main colors, white and black where white was light and black was dark. He states that “no colors are brighter than white or darker than black” (18) and that green was in the middle between light and dark and purple was considered a dark color. White and black were the mixing tools to creating different colors and determining if they were more light or dark. This became an early start to Newton’s theory of color.

E the r e v co ion s i t c d e n to con n o e h s t r pe ough t r ure s h t r i t a n f r in colo The s e f v o y eha r b o e r h o l t w co o h of

N Newton was the first person to use light and color to create the color wheel, a system we know and use today. He developed the concepts of color harmony and color perception through his discoveries.

NEWTON Issac Newton was a physicist and mathematician and in the 1660s, he discovered a new theory of light and color through a scientific approach. The use of lenses from telescopes brought Newton closer into discovering color because the “when examined through telescopes, objects had colored contours (now called chromatic aberration), which limited the usefulness of the lenses” (John 86). To further his study, Newton looked at glass prisms because back then it was known that prisms could produce colors. There were many trial and errors that occurred through each prism Newton tested on because some colors were shown vivid and some were not. While experimenting with sunlight and after many tries, Newton noticed the refraction from white light going through the prism shown six colors, in what we associate as a rainbow today. The six colors were red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and violet. Not only did Newton discover these six colors but he also discovered the three primary colors from the use of prisms and mirrors.

“He discovered that when the light from three separate parts of his rainbow, the red, green, and blue regions, were recombined they would regenerate white light” (color theory). Likewise, when mixing the primary colors together, he got yellow, cyan, and magenta, which magenta was not found in the natural visible spectrum. However, these colors were then separated and were known as the secondary colors. Through this experiment and discoveries, Newton created a color wheel system, which is an organization of the six colors around a circle, showing the relationship between the primary and secondary colors. Even though Newton’s theory was not as accurate with what we see today on a color wheel, it paved the pathways for contemporary color theories such as color harmony and color perception. With establishing the visible spectrum, “Newton laid the path for others to experiment with color in a scientific manner. His work led to breakthroughs in optics, physics, chemistry, perception, and the study of color in nature” (color in a new light).

L L E S N

U M

In the early 20th century American painter and teacher Alfred Munsell developed his color theory to bring clarity to color communication by establishing an orderly system for accurately identifying every color that exists. Munsell based his system on what he defined as “perceived equidistance” — the human visual system’s perception of color (Munsell Color). It is called the Munsell’ Color System. Also referred to as Munsell’s color tree, is a 3-D system that measures and defines color easily. Munsell included the “dimensions of chroma” and “color value” as additions to hue. Munsell says Chroma is the purity or intensity of the color and is now referred to as saturation. Color value refers to the lightness or darkness of the color and is now referred to as value or brightness. Each dimension is represented on an axis with color value as the y-axis, chroma as the x-axis, and hue as the z-axis” (Koontz). The Munsell Color system brings reliability, flexibility and a logical simplicity to visual color matching and color identification.

ARTISITC VS SCIENTIFIC THEORIES

Through these important theorists and color discoveries, there is a division between how people founded and explored color (seen on the diagram). The diagram breaks down the connection between the themes of color with the corresponding approach of being either artistic or scientific. Artistic color theory was more “concerned with the visual effects of color combination in the fine arts” as a scientific color theory “described the nature of color through increasingly complex but precise color models” (history of color theory). All the color theorists took their knowledge of color and experiences to explore the tools and expressions that helped shape color today. Though “scientists place heavier focus on objective measurement to map out the material world, whereas artists tend to focus on the more abstracted qualities of emotionality and expression” (Mullennix).

Many artistic and scientific color theories were used in many contemporary theories today such as color as communication or color perception. Many theorists took on developing their approach of color perception through the science of the human eye vs how light can affect the view of color. Both approaches develop a thinking of curiosity and creativity which is why the division the two also have similarities. Overall, the scientific side uses the physical world and the creations of materials and models to develop the depth or the language of color. However, on the other hand the artistic side uses the human model and art qualities/tools to create the relationship and connection to color. Without both approaches, color would not have been as impaction as it is now. Throughout the diagram, key words, and adjectives to help understand how each of them use objects, languages, feelings, and symbols to color. To connect more with these theories, they will be mentioned more throughout the book.

GEOGRA 26

APHICAL 27

COLOR 28

R IN CULTURES 29

Red symbolizes romance, violence, celebration, and power. In European cultures, red has a negative connotation as it represents aggression and visual impact. In Indian cultures however, red is the most powerful of all colors “where physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, stimulation, masculinity, and excitement” (What is color and how is it perceived?) are seen from this color. The red henna and the red powder, known as sindoor, are the most significant in the culture, representing when a woman gets married. Overall, within Indian cultures, red is a “representative of a certain time and place in one’s personal life” (what colors mean in other cultures). Similarly, the Chinese use red for prosperity and life by celebrating it with funerals, weddings, and the New Year. Lastly, in Thailand red has become a religious association through their solar God, Surya. Therefore, on Surya’s birthday and on Sunday’s people wear red to honor the god.

Even though yellow is known to be happy and cheery, it also has negative meanings in cultures. In European cultures yellow has “positive meanings, including optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength, friendliness, and creativity” (What is color and how is it perceived?). However, France and Germany signify yellow with jealousy and betrayal and are even a sign of weakness. French people would paint doors yellow where traitors and criminals lived. China associates yellow with pornography where yellow picture or yellow book references the publication or media of pornographic images. Royalty and wealth also represented yellow, especially the African and Thai culture. Egyptians would paint gold on mummies and tombs “before the deceased were sent to the afterlife, making it a symbol for mourning” (what colors mean in other cultures). Lastly, in Thailand people wear yellow to pay tribute to King Bhumibol and wear it on Mondays for good luck.

Purple represents royalty, power, and fame in many Eastern and Western cultures because back then the dye was extremely rare and hard to extract from sea snails. Therefore, purple clothing was extremely expensive, therefore the people that mainly wore it were higher authority like kings, queens, and rulers. European nations associate color similarity to black by representing death and grieving. It is even “considered unlucky to wear purple when not attending a funeral or related service” (what colors mean in other cultures). Lastly, in the United States the military wears a purple heart as a symbol of honor and courage, which is the highest award to be given as an act of bravery. On the other hand, pink symbolizes femininity, romance, and the life of women in Western cultures. “In general, pink is said to be mentally stimulating, reduce violent behavior, and make people feel calmer and more controlled, which is why many prison holding cells are painted this color” (what colors mean in other cultures).

Depending on the context and culture, orange can vary both positively and negatively. Orange can represent fun, playfulness, warmth, and passion however it can also represent immaturity and frustration. In the Netherlands, orange is the nation’s color and represents the Royal family. But in many Middle Eastern countries, orange is associated with grieving. Japanese and Chinese cultures represent the feelings of happiness, love, and healthiness with this color. Even in Indian cultures, the sensation and symbol of fires are associated with orange. Lastly, Ukraine uses the color of orange as a symbol of strength and bravery from the Orange Revolution, which was a series of protests and other political events in 2004 where people stood up against the government during a fraudulent presidential election.

“Green shares many common meanings around

Blue holds many meanings around the world from royalty to sadness. Western cultures correlate blue with sorrow but also calming and soothing, every like what we think blue as today. Blue symbolizes masculinity and the life of a male but in China it is the complete opposite but associating blue with femininity. In middle Eastern countries blue “means safety and protection, and is symbolic of heaven, spirituality, and immortality” (what colors mean in other cultures). Lastly, blue is associated through many religions, especially in Hinduism and Catholicism. High catholic cultures celebrate blue as a sign of hope and healthy living. Virgin Mary was a symbol of blue as she wore a blue robe and headscarf, representing prosperity. In Judaism blue represents divinity through the Hindu God, Krishna “who embodies love and joy, and destroys pain and sin” (what colors mean in other cultures).

the world, some of which include nature, ecology, environmental awareness, the military, and the color for traffic lights” (what colors mean in other cultures). In Western cultures, green freshness, and money as well as jealousy and greed. In Ireland, green represents good luck with the shamrocks and Saint Patrick. However, most Eastern and Asian cultures associate green with new beginning, young, and fertility. Though green in Chinese cultures can suggest that a man is cheating with his wife if he wears a green hat. In Mexico, green is displayed on their flag to represent gaining freedom from Spain and achieving independence whereas South American countries associate green negatively by symbolizing death.

Maps have been used with color for years, the way it is presented has changed and been modified throughout the years. The first-time color was seen in mapping was back in 1786, when William Playfair added color to “convey categorical and quantitative differences in data visualizations. Playfair used color coding to emphasize variations in economic trends and to differentiate variables in his graphs” (Morphocode). Despite how the use of color has changed in mapping, the overall purpose is the same, “color, along with position, size, shape, value, orientation, and texture is one of the primaries means to encode data graphically” (Morphocode). These are known as visual variables, a set of symbols that can be applied to data to describe the underlying information. Since the purpose of color is to convey the information, it is important to make sure it is accurate and not misleading to the reader. There are three perceptual dimensions designers need to focus on adjusting to get the most out of colors in maps, these are: hue, saturation, and lightness. “Hue is what we associate with color names – red, green, blue etc. Saturation is the vividness of a color and is also known as Chroma or Intensity. Lightness is a relative measure describing how much light appears to reflect from an object compared to what looks white in the scene” (Morphocode). Moreover, there are three types of color schemes designers use for color mapping, qualitative, sequential, and diverging.

Qualitative, is used when there are multiple classes of data, for example when mapping race or ethnicity. The different classes are seen through the different color hues. Sequential schemes are used for more numerical data, for example, population density per square mile. The lower the population the hue will be lighter, as the area gets more populated the hue will be darker. Sequential schemes progress from light (lower values) to dark (higher values). “Qualitative schemes may apply plenty of variations in lightness, especially when there is a large number of categories to display, and sequential scales can benefit from hue variations when they are first and foremost ordered by lightness” (Morphocode). Diverging schemes are usually a combination of 2 sequential schemes with a break in the middle. This is where the name comes from, the two sequences diverge from a shared light color in the middle and progressively get darker towards the ends. Roughly, 4.5% of the population battles with color-blindness, with red-green color being the most common. Color-blindness affects men more than women. It is an important thing to take note of when designing color schemes. “Qualitative schemes are difficult for those who are by color-blind; sequential schemes, on the other hand, are much more accessible due to the lightness variation between each step” (Morphocode). People who are color-blind can still see differences in lightness of different hues. That’s why it is critical to make maps readable for those with color-blindness by adding variations in both hue and lightness.

MAPPING

American urban planner, Kevin Lynch, describes wayfinding as “process one must go through to reach the destination” (Page1). The environment and space must have a coherent way, a recognizable pattern, and needs to be organized, this is referred to the legibility of the environment. Wayfinding can be improved with wayfinding elements; these are cues for people to help find the way easier. The wayfinding itself correlates with the environmental legibility; “humans can learn and understand an environment. This aspect indicates that the more comprehensible an environment is, therefore, it has a higher rate of environmental legibility” (Page 2). These features can be spatial or elemental related, for example, informational, signage or landmarks. “Wayfinding elements can be classified into two kinds, passive and active. Built-in environmental features such as passive tools, and signs, directories, colorcoding as active ones” (Page 3). Color is used to enhance the meaning and feasibility of wayfinding. Color is a stimulus for the human senses, and when added to wayfinding elements it acts as an informational element that is easily understood for the user. What color can do in the favor of wayfinding elements is to make it a cognitive landmark for every individual. In this sense, signage can possess added visual values for wayfinding and orientation and can act as an informative and cognitive element. Color is used by designers “to design environmental graphic signage which can be installed and be integrated in the environment and therefore increase the amount of legibility of that specific environment” (Page 4-5). Color is extremely important in wayfinding and its main contribution is to provide users a clearer and easier way to reach their destination as quickly as possible.

WAYFINDING 37

BUILT-ENV

VIRONMENT

Relationship of Color to Space and Its Elements Orientation

Aesthetic Quality

Color plays a key role in the orientation of buildings as it becomes a visual aid to the user to orient themselves quickly around each space. We, as the user using the space, “depends on visual orientation and guidance systems that correctly, accurately and clearly identify all paths, places, and “addresses” (Color Communication in Architectural Space 75).

The design of the space should incorporate a holistic aesthetic through “atmospheric, informational, functional, and aesthetic qualities; through a logical and balanced interplay of forms, materials, structures, light, and colors” (Color Communication in Architectural Space 75). Color can bring a balance to the space through contrasts, color relationships, and proportions. Color needs to correspond to the purpose of the design, creating conscientious color harmony.

The overall design of a space should bring a clear purpose. A building needs to have a purpose-oriented atmosphere through its color. It would make sense for the ambiance to correspond to the users and activities that use the space. According to J. Pankoke, “color symbolism essentially uses colors to transfer subconscious messages by linking impressions and associations with our intuitive conceptions of color” (Color Communication in Architectural Space 74). Color has the potential to affect our bodies and minds, from there it may influence our well-being and psychological health. Color can be classified with other primarily physical factors of spatial surroundings, temperature, ventilation, humidity, air quality, light, and noise. It is best described as comfort when all these physical factors are set in a specific combination. Every space has its own unique combination to achieve comfort, different buildings must have different equilibrium points to reach comfort. Color also has the potential to connect

people

its

surroundings, for

example color can bring out inner calmness on a hectic day. The human organism is stimulated and excited by special awareness, designers of buildings use colors to differentiate diverse areas and color dynamics because it is beneficial to humans.

Relationship of Color to Building and Spatial Function 41

COLOR PERCEPTION IN ARCHITECTURAL SPACE The principle of perspective color perceptions in architectural space is critical because of the physicaloptical fundamentals. “Warm, highly saturated, and bright colors (orange, ocher, sand yellow) advance to the foreground of the space” (Page 68). Colors that are not too cold or warm like green and purple are located best in intermediate ground. Bright, dark, warm, and cool colors, like dark blue and lime green, recede to the background of the space. To create the optimal space with color the relationship between figure and ground is critical to get right. For example, the section in the book states, “black can be placed in front of white if black is functioning as the figure rather than the ground. Otherwise, white is placed in front of gray in front of black” (Page 68). Colors are used for color perspective to influence a room’s proportions, such as wide, narrow, high, or low. Moreover, bright colors are considered light in weight versus darker colors which are experienced heavy. The comparison of light and heavy in architectural space is seen more clearly with ceiling and wall colors. For example, “light blue on a ceiling, does not in itself appear light in weight if it is next to a white wall; but it would appear light in weight in relation to a sand-colored or dark wooden wall… the effects of colors in architectural space, on the floor, wall, and ceiling, always depend on the brightness and saturation of a color” (Page 68).

Light and color have always and always will coexist as partners in processing perception. “Light and color affect the body, intellect and spirit, behavior and social interaction. They can therefore serve as a means of healing, or at least contribute to developing and maintaining a sense of well-being” (Page 125) Using them in sync throughout a space allows for positive subconscious feelings for a person. The goal of perception in a space is to make it comforting for all people. That’s no easy task because of the diversity in people; however, designers understand the psychology of the human brain and use light and color brilliantly. “The sense of sight is our most comprehensive perceptive faculty. It supports and complements the other senses. The sense of sight allows us to perceive everything visually, comprehend forms and movements, to the visual feel, forms, materials, and structure. The sense of sight is our access to the world of light and color’s finest nuances, as well as to the diversity of visible environmental qualities. The sense of comfort/life, which is linked to the sense of sight, allows us to perceive visible beauty, pleasantness, harmony, or the ugly, uncomfortable, and discordant” (Page 14).

Sense of sight is a blessing for the majority of people; however it is still important to use light and color for those who are visually impaired. “Seeing is not the only purpose of the collaboration between light, eye, and brain. Besides the “optical” visual pathway, there is also the “energetic” one, that directs incoming light and color stimuli directly to the interbrain…Biological reactions occur on purely physiological levels. They are independent of how people think about a color or a combination of colors, or how they evaluate them aesthetically” (Page 20). Light and color bring energy into a space. Energy is something you feel rather than see. Those who are visually impaired have a great sense of feeling compared to others. Their sense of sight is lacking however the other senses are enhanced. With light and color designers can still bring the right energy into the space for everyone to “feel” the energy within the room.

LIGHT AND COLOR 43

COLOR AND MATERIALS Materials and colors are the key visual parameters

It is recommended to review László Moholy-

for perceiving and experiencing space. For

Nagy definitions of structure, texture, and

centuries there has been the debate about

processing methods in his book “The New

material and colors in architecture and interior

Vision, from Material to Architecture.” He shows

design. In the early years of the debate, it was the

the difference between structure, texture, and

argument of color leading the way. By the 19th

processing methods by writing “Structure is the

and 20th century material was gaining traction.

immutable composition of a material, for example,

John Ruskin believed that “materials should

the crystalline structure of metal, the cellular

be the only colors in architecture.” Semper

structure of wood, and the fibrous structure of

spoke of “material-color-surfacing” as the key

paper. Texture is the organic surface area of any

characteristic, the “ultimate element” of spatial

structure, as well as processed surfaces. This

design (Page 50). Materials and colors have a

group includes the cross-sectional view and

specific function and therefore should be placed together in order to create the desired effect. The effect has to fulfill the constraints

grain of wood, the granulate texture of granite,

set by ergonomics, optics, aesthetics, and

of particle board. Processing methods are the

functionality.

perceptible expression of material processing.

the stratification of marble, the woven texture of fabric, plaiting or yarn, and the fibrous texture

Highly diverse materials often have graduated processing steps that influence color” (Page 50).

It is feasible to also change the color of material. With

The color is always affected by the technique

new technology, binding agents, and additives it’s

used on the material. Each material will

possible to explore a wide range of colorful materials.

portray color differently by the way it

Wood can be stained or varnished, and metals can be

reacts to the technique used and the color

galvanized or coated. There are numerous different

itself. The use of color, natural materials

options, each one gives the material a new look and

and material surfaces allows designers

feel. This allows interior designers to design with the

endless possibilities when creating their

intent of using the material to represent itself or a

space. The ability to use the five senses and

slightly different form of itself. It goes well beyond the

different techniques allows them to turn

color materials have but the statement it makes in a

any space into an exciting area through their

space. Humans perceive materials through the five

perception.

senses. “As Hugo Kükelhaus says, with all our senses, just as we perceive space with all our senses. Materials influence tastes, smells, sounds, and

memories of previous sensations, perceptions, and the associations that they trigger.” (Page 50).

color and for It has been portrayed throughout the years that architecture and decoration have always dealt with form. Clarity of color is most appealing and can also be true for threedimensional form. “Good order in form seems to require simplicity and clarity of shape or mass. Slight distortions of familiar areas seem to be visually disturbing” (Page 38). This is seen in Gestalt psychology which is difficult to define but deals with perception as a coordinated unity of impressions and not as a group of separated or isolated parts. David Katz writes, “The whole is more than the sum of its separate parts.” In short, every threedimensional form or shape is more than its isolated parts or lines, it is complete. According to a Gestalt psychologist, red and orange are “hard” colors, while green and blue are “soft” colors. “Abstract painter Kandinsky saw movement in the colors, yellow had spreading action, it seemed like it would approach the observer. Blue, however, moves in upon itself and red rings inwardly and grows. It was Kandinsky’s observations that colors like yellow are best suited for sharp forms and softer colors like blue for rounded forms” (Page 39).

rm The shapes of colors were introduced by Edwin Babbit, he gave blue the form of the circle, yellow a hexagon, red the triangle. This is like Kandinsky and Babbit describes his reasoning, “the circle, having no corners, represents the tranquility of blue. The triangle, sturdy and with sharp angles, expressed the energy of red. The hexagon, neither round nor angular, partook of both calmness and vitality” (Page 40). Every color has its shape it coincides with, with that comes the weight of color in the form it takes up. Brightness will always dominate darkness. Brightness is easily seen compared to darkness. “Deep, or darker colors, serve best for the base and lighter colors for superstructures, a structure built on top of another structure. It shows the need for keeping color integral with form and of building from the ground up with color” (Page 45). Pure color will overpower grays, warm color will push cool colors to the background. Keeping this in mind will make it more visually appealing for observers.

Wassily Kadinsky: Color in form

CONTEM 48

MPORARY 49

Johannes Itten-Elements of Color

THE RETINEX THEORY

The Retinex theory, invented by Edwin Land, is “how we are able to see colors consistently in spite of differences in light levels” (study). Edwin’s theory “states that no matter what the lighting conditions are, we expect an object to retain its color” (Page 210). He explains that “colors are not determined in isolation and that colors change in relation to one another” (Page 44). This is because the level of ambient light and other hues around can change how a color looks, even though it is the same consistent color. An example by Johannes Itten and Joseph Albers, who used this theory in many of their studies of color theory, shows Retinex theory color is used in a picture of the green stripe running down the center. The top and bottom green boxes appear a different hue of green at first glance but are the same color. It appears this way because of the lightness or darkness of corresponding background hues. Our eyes and brains perceive color by the amount of light and hues surrounding it. Depending on the background color, it can change the visual appearance of the color on top.

INNATE RESPONSES How we react to color is based on two factors that can affect how we associate a certain color. The two factors are that there are “ones that we all share as human beings and those that are taught to us from infancy (Steven 40). This is because we are born with “wired in” reactions to colors that are common with everyone and not specifically through cultural or social experiences. An example of an innate response is from the colors yellow and black as “they are the colors of poison and danger [and] bumblebees, wasps, police caution tape, and road hazard warning signs all contain these two colors (Steven 40). It makes these colors harder to use in spaces as well as they are not as inviting because of the associations that occur with yellow and black together. Though the messages and functions used with these colors work perfectly because they bring attention to these objects or events at a far distance.

It has been mentioned countless times about human relationship with color. We don’t even think about color and it’s important in our everyday lives. Our perception of color is not only based on intuition and our subconscious mind. Our response to color is also learned. The culture and the marketplace can teach certain ideas to. Color is a way to reinforce those ideas into our mind. For example, blue for boys and pink for girls is a societal norm nowadays. “Fire Trucks have been red since its existence, but several years ago it was discovered that this red hue is actually hard to see during dusk and dawn. Because of the lack of light during these times, fire trucks and fire hydrants are starting to be painted a yellowgreen” (Page 41). It is believed yellow green can be seen the farthest. There are standard responses that come from colors that many people have in common due to experiencing similar situations on earth.

LUSCHER COLOR TEST In 1960, Dr. Max Luscher developed a color test that determines personality traits and disorders. The Luscher Color Test is effective and used on those who were visually impaired or had color blindness. The test consisted of two groups of 8 colors. First group is made up of the four psychological primaries, dark blue, yellow, redorange, and green. The second group contains more neutral colors, brown, gray, black, and violet. “The test is about putting these swatches in descending order of preference from position 1 (most preferred) to position 8 (least preferred), it reveals aspects of personality, including anxieties, conflicts, and compulsions” (Page 42). I did this test on my mother and a student peer to see the relationship on how they react to the eight colors (see appendix 1).

The ef f stop s ect of chang in ign to a green g a red one

COLOR FUNCTION AND COGNITION

The unique thing about color is that we tend to associate its qualities and products that are with it. In other words, “we tend to recognize objects such as signs by their color as much as by their shape or lettering” (Steven 44). A perfect example of this is a stop sign, no matter if the shape changes the color signals us to stop. People would do studies and change the stop sign color to green and many would go through it. When asked they would say that they saw the sign but green signal to go and not stop. Therefore, “the drivers were more influenced by the color of the sign than the printed word or the shape of the sign” (Steven 45). It is as simple as changing the hue or shade of a color can impact the meaning and function of it. The issue of these colors keeps the same meaning even if the words or shape around it goes away. As simple as changing the color of a product can ultimately change the whole product without changing physically. But what about people that do not see color? How can we switch this situation around so that if the colors disappear, the shape and the font still hold the same reputation color has?

color pys Psychology is the science of people’s conscious and unconscious mental processes and behavior. It discusses the processes and reasoning for people’s thoughts, feelings, and dreams. What makes psychology complicated is it analyzes every single experience in a person’s life to determine a feeling or thought in present time. Color is critical to designers to get a better understanding of people’s psychology. “Color is also an experience that influences behavior. While the physicist regards color as wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, the psychologist is concerned with color as a sensory stimulus, and with its effect on people. Color psychology examines the existence and the qualities of color experience, and its effect on people. Aspects of color psychology are people’s experience of color; the emotional effect of color; the synesthetic effect of color; and the symbolism of color and its associative effects” (Page 25). Today we use color to describe our feelings and emotions, but they use senses and comparisons to describe these feelings, such as “green with envy” or “in the pink” or even “white as a ghost.”

schology The relationship between color and emotions are very similar in that “we use these terms as descriptions for concepts and feelings that go beyond words and language” (Steven 40). Every decision we make revolves around color and “when we look at anything from a painting to a package or even a simple product, we bring a lifetime’s worth of memories, experiences, and psychological baggage that impacts and affects our perception” (Steven 40). For example the book describes an example of color psychology that was applied at a psychiatric hospital. For the design, “mainly blue tones were used as a calming element for the patients. This was not achieved, but resulted in spaces that were uniform and monotonous. From this it can be assumed that relaxed, calm, or stimulating spatial environments can only be achieved in line with neuropsychiatric aspects, in other words, established with applied color psychology (Page 24). Even though results can be difficult, using color psychology allows designers to manipulate behavior throughout a space.

TECHNOLOGY The world of technology is exponentially advancing in amazing ways. Within the world of digital color, technology has taken drastic improvements since the first computers. Monitors have an important role in color. Monitors are similar to a television set without the antenna or cable hookups, the screens are exactly the same. In today’s market, liquidcrystal displays (LCD) and plasma monitors have taken most of the industry. A newer technology has been introduced and far more efficiently using less electricity. LED or light emitting diode technology offers more contrast and richer, darker blacks than the LCDs (Page 111). “Monitors use an additive color mixing system (RGB) to produce color. It emits red, green, and blue light in the varying proportions required to a specific hue” (Page 109). With the advancement of technology seemingly every day, the RGB system already is behind with the new HD display, QuadPixel. “This proprietary technology was created by Sharp Electronics adds yellow to the range…RGBY system produces a wider color gamut of more than a trillion colors over the standard technology, which produces around a million (Page 111).

PIXELS In the digital world the most basic component of color is called a pixel. The name derives from the words picture and element. Pixels are two-dimensional squares with height and width but no depth. When multiple pixels form a row, it is called rasters. Multiple rows stacked will form an image. The quality of the image is known as the resolution, which is the number of pixels in a one-inch space. The more pixels per inch (ppi) the better detail which can be shown. Moreover, “different size resolutions are used for different things. A web page is displayed at 72 ppi. The smaller file size allows data to be sent fast and more efficiently. A standard printed page on a magazine is made at 300 ppi” (Page 105). Occasionally, you can notice a stair-step effect on graphics or images. The stair step effect is called aliasing, it’s when you can see what appears to be the edge of the pixels on images. We also see devices such as cell phones and digital cameras measure image size in megapixels. “Megapixels is equal to one million pixels. The higher the megapixel, the greater the resolution and therefore print quality that can be obtained” (Page 115).

WEB COLOR

PRINTING

Web color is the smallest color range. It contains only 256 colors which gives the artist and/or designer limited selection. Web color is used by web designers because file sizes are kept small to help increase download speeds. Web designers need their pages to load quickly, or they will lose retention from potential customers, viewers, subscribers, etc. Along with the web color, there are “special file formats used in web page design. The JPEG format was developed to work with continuous-tone images and creates smooth photographic web images. GIF is a file format great for backgrounds, banners, and buttons because of its ability to download quickly. Another renowned file format is PNG, developed as a patent free format, with greater color depth” (Page 116). There are several other formats however these are becoming the industry leading choices. Web color is the basic form of color selection for designers how allows them to be creative with their work/designs while keeping quicker download speeds.

When printing an image, the quality and color will never be identical. An artist or designer must be aware that printed images usually appear darker on paper than on the monitor/ screen. “Most printers use a four-color ink printing process or CMYK, which stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Back is represented by K. The K actually refers to “key” because black is used to add richness and depth or value to the print” (Page 116). Every printer brand will have slightly different shades of color for the image. This sometimes requires the artist or designer to match colors exactly with a spot color system. “The most used system is the pantone brand color matching system. Pantone is most widely used because of its variety of color and paper stock to choose from” (Page 117). This cannot go unseen; color matching is critical from printing basic imagery to logos of multinational corporations. Color is what gives things its representation, energy, and feelings.

THE FUTURE OF COLOR The future of color is now. Humans have been constantly developing the way we use colors. New technologies push the limits of color to new boundaries and ask questions of how far it can go. Technologies like virtual reality and cybernetics have been around for years but only now are we seeing the impact on our everyday lives. However, “it is not just through high-tech research that innovation occurs. There are low-tech and notech advances in theory, practice, and convention that are influencing the way we see, work and use color” (Page 196).

The color green has been a significant and meaningful color in past generations and currently in today’s world. It’s the color of nature and is directly connected with growth. Similarly, to nature, green has been connected with the environment and its concerns for the sustainability of earth. “The “green movement” is a global contemporary movement concerned with sustainability and concern for the environment” (Page 209). “The color symbolizes fertility and life. In some religions the color is associated with resurrection, regeneration, and paradise. Worldwide it is used to represent safety” (Page 197). Green brings people a feeling of abundance and success. In the United States, money is green and occasionally correlated with greed and power. Although it may have some negative representations, the majority would conclude that green is a peaceful and earthly color allowing people to embrace the beauty in nature and in their everyday lives.

VIRTUAL REALITY/ TECHNOLOGY Believe it or not, virtual reality has been around for several years. Its main use was to help teach scenarios to pilots, the military, police, and doctors. Nowadays, virtual reality has advanced to all people in multiple forms, from amusement parks to artwork. Virtual reality is changing the world today and causing movement and conversations about what is next with the technology and how far advanced can it become. A commonly seen form is in the way of “exploration for artists. They are a place to experiment with visuals, sounds, and interactivity. In this art, the audience is no longer simply viewing, but actively participating in the artwork” (Page 204). Therefore, without the interactivity there is no artwork, the art itself is interactive. Time will tell how technologically advanced virtual reality can become and how it will change the world we see. The goal for virtual reality is to help advance humans however will it have a negative impact on our everyday lives?

COLORBLINDNESS There are many ways that can affect color

However,

perception and that is from deficiencies

make the visual perception unable to tell the

such as color-blindness and synesthesia.

difference between green or red. “Statistically

“An estimated 253 million people live with

speaking most people with a moderate form

vision impairment: 36 million are blind and

of red/green color blindness will only be able

217 million have moderate to severe vision

to identify accurately 5 or so colored pencils

impairment” (color blindness: how to design

from a standard box of 24 pencil crayons”

an accessible user interface). There are even

(color blindness: how to design an accessible

mono-chromatics, people that do not see

user interface). On the other hand, blue-yellow

color at all and instead see shades of only

color blindness has two types: tritanomaly

grey. The most common color deficiency

and tritanopia. Tritanomaly is unable to tell

is dichromatic where they cannot see one

the difference between blue and green and

of the three primary colors. This is because

yellow and red as tritanopia is unable to tell

the person lacks one type of cone and has

the difference between blue and green, purple,

problems seeing either red and green or blue

and red, and yellow and pink. Tritanopia also

and yellow. For red-green color blindness,

causes these colors to be less bright, creating

there

Deuteronomy,

a muted color perception within these colors.

protanomaly, protanopia, and deuteranopia.

This deficiency is most found in men and is

Deuteronomy is the most common type and

caused genetically. This statistic states that

the mildest of the four as it makes a green color

“7 percent of the men in America, or nearly 10

look more red. Likewise, protanomaly is also

million men, are color deficient, while only .04

mild and is the opposite of deuteranomaly

percent of women are affected” (Steven 12).

which makes red look more green and not as

This deficiency has become an obstacle for

bright as someone who can see color would

people to experience the world the same as

experience.

others who have regular vision.

are

four

types:

protanopia

and

deuteranopia

COLOR-BLIND TEST

Today the digital world has been starting to graphically design apps, images, and modes to be geared towards the color-blind. This is seen through using shapes instead of colors, using patterns and contrast to see differences digitally, and changing color vision modes on Photoshop and computer settings. However, what is lacking is the actual real in person world. We are not caring about the ALL even though the purpose of designing a space is to provide the conditions for the ALL. Whether that’s culturally, physically, and mentally.

PHOTOSHOP SETTING

MESSAGING APPS

SYNESTHESIA Synesthesia is another form of color perception that associates color through different senses. Synesthetic people “perceive their environment by using a peculiar combination of two or more senses to understand and relate to the world around them” (Steven 13). This means that colors might be associated with a sound, shapes might have a taste, smells might have a color. These ideals are a huge part of experiencing the world of color without a visual perception. Synesthesia is caused by early childhood development, an injury or accident, or drug induced. When synesthetic people associate a certain object, shape, or letter with a color it will always be the same then, staying constant through their visualizations. This topic and deficiency were noticed by artists and designers because they used color as an everyday tool to their tasks. It allowed them to look at their way of using color in a different way and more through a sensorial viewpoint. One-way artists and teachers would do with people with this deficiency is play music and have the user paint the feelings they experienced while listening. It was a great concept of allowing the viewers to alter how we perform a visual task by seeing the music and hearing with their eyes. Therefore, the contemporary concept today is to “combine both sound and visuals to express an idea, convey a message, or even sell a product” (Steven 14). A perfect example of this is the use of technology today, allowing a space to be altered for every user to enjoy it. Virtual realities “rely on the use of multiple sensory inputs to allow users to suspend their sense of what is real and accept the illusions set before them” (Steven 14). Having the connection to other sensory stimulation allows the user to connect to the color of an object or space more. “Synesthetic links between color and surface sensation depend on the quality of hue and its nuance, as well as its shift in temperature sensation. In this way, touch is also related to sensing temperature. Smell and taste can influence the perception of space – the sense of smell occurring more commonly in association with the perception of temperature” (Birkhauser 26).

Study.com. “The Retinex Theory of Color Vision.” Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. Accessed May 2, 2022. https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-retinex-theory-of-color-vision.html. Tuchkov, Ivan. “Color Blindness: How to Design an Accessible User Interface.” Medium. UX Collective, March 1, 2019. https://uxdesign.cc/cThe Retinex Theory of Color Vision - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.comolor-blindness-in-user-interfaces-66c27331b858. “Types of Color Blindness.” National Eye Institute. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed May 2, 2022. https://www.nei.nih. gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/color-blindness/types-color-blindness. Bleicher, Steven. Contemporary Color: Theory and Use. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, 2011. Mausfeld, Rainer. Colour Perception: Mind and the Physical World (version January 2012). Www.researchgate.net. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2006. Birren, Faber, and Raymond Lufkin. Color Psychology and Color Therapy : a Factual Study of the Influence of Color on Human Life Place of publication not identified: Pickle Partners Publishing, 2016. Birren. “New Horizons in Color.” HathiTrust. Accessed May 2, 2022. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ pt?id=mdp.39015006316742&view=1up&seq=64&skin=2021. GSB, Team. “Color Play a Very Powerful Role in Building Architecture.” Go Smart Bricks, April 24, 2021. https://gosmartbricks.com/color-play-avery-powerful-role-in-building-architecture/. Meerwein, Gerhard, Bettina Rodeck, and Frank H. Mahnke. Color: Communication in Architectural Space. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2010. Birren, Faber. Color, Form, and Space. New York: Reinhold Pub. Corp., 1965. Onechee. “Thesis: Colours and Emotions.” Issuu, May 28, 2019. https://issuu.com/onechee/docs/thesis. SmarterTravel. “What Colors Mean in Other Cultures.” HuffPost. HuffPost, January 26, 2017. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-colors-meanin-other_b_9078674. “The Use of Color in Maps.” MORPHOCODE, May 10, 2018. https://morphocode.com/the-use-of-color-in-maps/. Mahmoudi, Ali, and Maryam Sadat Khalilihran. “Designing Colorized Wayfinding Elements Based on the Legibility of Environment .” ReasearchGate.net. Accessed May 3, 2022. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334162878_Designing_Colorized_Wayfinding_Elements_ Based_on_the_Legibility_of_Environment. Koontz, Alison. “A History of Color.” Edited by Aditi Narayanan. Caltech Letters, May 29, 2018. https://caltechletters.org/science/history-ofcolor-1. “Munsell Color Theory & Albert H. Munsell Fundamentals of Color.” Munsell Color System; Color Matching from Munsell Color Company, June 3, 2014. https://munsell.com/about-munsell-color/. “Color Theory.” COLOR. Accessed May 2, 2022. https://web.mit.edu/22.51/www/Extras/color_theory/color.html. “The Science of Color.” Smithsonian Libraries, January 1, 1970. https://library.si.edu/exhibition/color-in-a-new-light/science. “Color Theory: Causes of Color.” Color Theory | Causes of Color. Accessed May 2, 2022. http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/1B.html. Lesso, Rosie. “Red Ochre: The Colour of Survival - the Thread.” the thread , April 29, 2020. https://blog.fabrics-store.com/2020/04/28/red-ochrethe-colour-of-survival/. Koontz , Alison. “A History of Color.” Edited by Aditi Narayanan. Caltech Letters, May 29, 2018. https://caltechletters.org/science/history-ofcolor-1. Mollica, Patti. Color Theory: An Essential Guide to Color-from Basic Principles to Practical Applications. United States: Walter Foster Publishing, 2013. Madsen, Rune. “A Short History of Color Theory.” A short history of color theory - Programming Design Systems. Accessed May 2, 2022. https:// programmingdesignsystems.com/color/a-short-history-of-color-theory/index.html. Mullennix, Bryan. “Artists vs Scientists (Similarities & Differences).” ArtistryFound.com, February 18, 2021. https://artistryfound.com/artists-vsscientists-similarities-differences/.

ENDNOTES

IMAGES “Color Theory: Causes of Color.” Color Theory | Causes of Color. Accessed May 2, 2022. http://www.webexhibits.org/ causesofcolor/1B.html. Harris, Beth, and Steven Zucker. “A Brief Introduction to Paleolithic Art.” Brewminate, February 16, 2022. https:// brewminate.com/a-brief-introduction-to-paleolithic-art/. Saunders, Julie. “DoorDash.” The Urban Letter, February 21, 2020. https://theurbanletter.com/doordash/. Black & White World Map. n.d. Photograph. Kandinsky, Vasily. Circles in a Circle. Photograph. Philadelphia, n.d. Philadelphia Museum of Art. https://artondemand. philamuseum.org/detail/461206/kandinsky-circles-in-a-circle-1923 “Chromarama.” Kukka, March 8, 2022. https://www.kukka.nl/en/portfolio/chromarama-tapestries/. Ren, Fei. “What My Color-Blindness Taught Me about Design.” Medium. UX Collective, January 23, 2018. https:// uxdesign.cc/what-my-color-blindness-taught-me-about-design-d3009a93ff9c. Albers, Josef. “Exposition : Learning to See .” oneartyminute.com, January 13, 2022. https://oneartyminute.com/ agenda/learning-see-josef-albers.html. Lüscher Max. The 4 Color Person. New York: Pocket Books, 1980. https://agoodusedbook.com/products/the-4-colorperson-dr-max-luscher Branding, Company. “Color Psychology: What You Should Know about Different Colors.” Website Design, Digital Marketing, WebDetail 256-658-0558. Accessed May 2, 2022. https://www.webdetail.com/blog/200/colorpsychology-what-you-should-know-about-different-colors. “Nature. the World’s Most Valuable Industry.” Lombard Odier, May 21, 2021. https://www.lombardodier.com/contents/ corporate-news/responsible-capital/2021/may/nature-the-worlds-most-valuable.html. Bogdan-Martin, Doreen, Susan Persky, Helen Papagiannis, Ruth Morgan, Jessica Outlaw and Susan Persky, and Sandra Lopez and Jeremy Bailenson. “Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.” World Economic Forum. Accessed May 2, 2022. https://www.weforum.org/communities/gfc-on-virtual-reality-and-augmented-reality. Meerwein, Gerhard, Bettina Rodeck, and Frank H. Mahnke. Color: Communication in Architectural Space. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2010.

PRECEDENTS/ CASE STUDY 66

Kere Architecture Colorscape

COLOR IN 68

N LIGHT 69

LUIS BARRAGAN

Luis Barragan uses color significantly in his design as a role of dimension or space. However, the biggest tool he uses to depict color is the use of light. Barragan uses light and color to transform the space and was specifically interested in using sunlight to enhance color perception.

This was seen in the studio house where the space “develops inwards, underlining the sensation of inner being and encouraging meditation” (Durao 3). Likewise, the studio house was Luis’ mircocosmos, “the place for his introspective memory and a living body that grows and changes” (Durao 4). The influence of the sun affects natural light through stars, fire, and luminescent sources. Both “light and color are part of a life giving and life preserving cycle and are vitally significant to the meaning of our interaction with the environment that affects our emotions” (Durao 4).

Luis Barragan: Studio House

The studio house shifts our body movement throughout the interior and the spatial sequences which “prepares us for perceptual changes that are always indirect and slow, magically discovered with the senses” (Durao 11). Barragan was inspired by the feeling of light and shadows through his childhood memories. As a young kid he would always observe the choreography of shadows on surfaces and the implications of the sun. In an interview he had with Elena Poniatowska, “he recalled how the afternoon sun gradually got weaker – although it was still light- and – and how the look of things changed, angles got smaller and straight lines stood out even more” (Durao 12). Barragan’s biggest inspirations were Le Corbusier and Kiesler as they both had architecture that would flow into one another and bring qualities of the living body “with color and lighting breathing heavily and lightly” (Durao 12).

r e n e e k i l e v i l a color is t a h t n o i t a m r o f s tran In the studio house, there is a facade that has no windows where different sources of natural light and shadows interact in the interior space. In Mexico the exterior patios would channel light into smaller rooms that were in a bigger room as the glazing on the windows had a yellow filter. “The skin of the partition filters light, the varying heights of the walls and surfaces reflect the light and project it, duplicating and extending the physicality of space and consequently, the light and color inherent to it” (Durao 12). Therefore, the light entering the studio house is controlled by the conditions of the windows, some even correspond to the golden ratio rectangular. Within the studio, the light is broken up into a contrast of both the exterior light and rooms of the studio. In Barragan’s architecture “the perception of color engages not only the eye but the whole body.

Color is alive like energy in constant transformation that is used vitally, not featuring decorative but evoking memories of Mexican vernacular architecture with the same hues and tones” (Durao 14). The color competitions in the interior spaces are used to explore color light and shadow interactions, qualitative characteristics of spatial depth “as mediations to the emotional and spiritual dimensions of our body” (Durao 14). Barragan noticed that there was an inherent energy in color and color “forces the character of something to reveal itself and so he used it in all its extent to unify cultures and integrate the body in its physical and metaphysical dimensions” (Durao 14). Overall, Barragan designs his spaces around the importance of color achieving serenity and bringing new life with light.

t n a t s n o c rgy in y l l a t i v is used

r r u t s e m a J The goal of his spaces was to create an experience of wordless thought through light and color where there was no focus and no image but instead all you look at is the space around you and yourself. James Turrell has worked with light and space to

Within the sensorial experience, it reveals the

create an environment that engages the user with

spatial and heavenly meditation of shadows,

the limits and wonder of human perception. All of

mystery, and invitation, without geometric angles

Turrells installations involved color light inhabiting

and edges from structure showing these. It is the

a space as he states “If the color is in the paint on the wall, then in making a structure and allowing

power of light that can bring the experience to

light as well alter the space needed for reflection

light to enter it, the color will tend to ride on the

and function within. Artificial light can “create

walls. But if the color of the wall is white, which

their space with lines of light and walls of color

in one way is non color, then the light is allowed

with chromatic mutations that make the mind

to enter the space riding on the light, and that

wander off tangible markers” (Diptyque Paris).

color has the possibility of inhabiting the space

Turrell even uses diffuse light to make the walls

and holding that volume rather than being on the

around you feel as if they do not have edges or

wall” (arch daily). A new yorker stated that his

they are floating, an overall softer perspective

work is not about the physical light “it is light –

to the eyes. He even used natural light from the

the presence of light manifesting in sensory form”

outside as viewing spaces as they “emerge as a

(Tompkins).

passage for a vertical diffuse sky” (archdaily). Light is used as a material and has a physical presence to fill a space and make it solid.

l l re

the dif fusion of ligh t

COLOR I 76

IN film 77

The wizard o The Wizard of Oz is a film that depicts color theory as a transition into feelings and wealth. The film was directed by Victor Fleming in 1939 and is about a girl named Dorothy taking a journey through the yellow brick road after her house was destroyed by a tornado. Through her journey, she meets new friends and must accomplish a helpful task for one of them. The color used in this film was extremely interesting as this film used the first three-strip Technicolor, bringing new ways to use color to tell a story. This film was the “pioneer for all the color studies in the film until today” (issuu). “The success of this film comes from an ingenious choice of colors and movie sets, integrated with additional layers of features, elements to overcome the shortage of color technology during that period” (issuu). The first technique that color is used to represent is the social class or certain races in each area. Once Dorothy steps into another world of beautiful landscapes, the film turns dull sepia colors to vibrant colors.

The first couple of scenes in the movie start out with a sepia dusty color, representing the harsh life Dorothy was living. It is not as visually appealing however it does represent the emotional feeling of home for Dorothy. Through this color, the audience needs to predict the colors that would be shown there. The unique thing about using no color in the beginning is having to visualize the scene through textures. Professor Marvel’s outfit is an example of this as he is wearing checkered pants, embroidered vest, and patterned silk tie. These textures brought more depth to an image and made people associate the patterns that the characters were wearing with wealth and personalities.

of oz

As the scenes started to shift into color, so did the audience’s experience. The Triadic color scheme (red, blue, yellow) was shown in scene 4 and 5, which showed harmony through the primary colors. Green was used as the background because it is “able to form a balance with the existing color schemes chosen and not distracting the audience's attention from the main characters” (issuu). The yellow brick road, the blue pool, and the red pavement all symbolize the discovery of a new life from the before scenes.

The green seen in the film was vivid during the encounter of the Wicked Witch of the West. This color symbolizes virtuous as well as evil because of the actions and language being used. The “murky green'' is an example of the distorted luminance effects from hues that violate the natural orders of lightness. This messy connection of color makes the viewer feel disconcerted and confused, leading the character unfavorably by the audience” (issuu). However, the emerald green in the film represents the visuals as magical bringing a fulfillment of dreams. Therefore, by changing the hue of green by a little it can cause the audience’s emotions to also shift. Through this the simple change of light can make a scene in the film from scary and unwanted to exciting and happy.

In the film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, it uses colors to depict certain emotions and actions that are changing throughout. As seen, red is used as a signal of danger or warning. The carpets and the elevator are both red and in both of those scenes there were violent actions occurring. Purple is seen the most throughout the film from the uniforms and with the richness from the hotel, purple is used as it “denotes solemnity, royalty, also pomp and vanity” (Kalmus). The film uses color as a juxtaposition to depict what needs to stand out and become more important while watching. In one of the scenes, Mr. Moustafa wears a blue suit jacket while sitting in a warm colored room. The warm tones in the room make the jacket stand out because “when two colors are placed together, the first emphasizes the characteristics which are lacking in the first” (Kalmus). Therefore Mr. Mostsfa’s jacket is geared to stand out for the audience, showing him as a person of interest” (Kalmus). The color consciousness trend is seen tremendously in the film, using complementary colors to direct the audience to what is important on frame. Color is mainly used purposely instead of aesthetically, representing the law of emphasis which is “that nothing of relative unimportance in a picture shall be emphasized as eros of this nature must be carefully avoided” (Kalmus).

Wes Anderson, the director, uses color as a form of communication through chromatic choices, the brightness as well as the shades of each hue. Through each scene Anderson has a dominant color combined with a specific palette because it “allows one to identify each story as different from the others” (Attademo 3). The chromatic colors create a narration through the associations between emotions and symbolism. “These perceptions that color is capable of establishing are assimilated by the human mind according to the images formed over time in the collective memory and culture” (Attademo 4). According to Yumibe, “through its sensual appeal, color can move the mind and emotions of a spectator. This understanding of the interconnection of the senses, intellect, and emotions is also, broadly construed, synesthetic in nature” (Attademo 4). Overall, the monochromatic schemes and use of specific colors in the film bring reactions to the audience, allowing them to connect to specific symbols and emotions. Thus, “in the works of Wes Anderson, in fact, color has become a real language through which to interpret themes and feelings of the characters and of the space they inhabit” (Attademo 4).

d n a r G e Th t s e p a d u B 83

COLOR M 84

MEMORY 85

experimental installation

"The exhibition invites visitors to consider how architecture benefits and interacts with communities, while revealing how materials can potentially transform into meaningful collective experience when coupled with basic tools, ideas and willpower" (Kere Architecture). In Kere’s exhibit he uses the textile strands as a soundscape as well to incorporate the experience of both relaxing and healing as well as playing and learning. He promotes these installations as not just an exploration of color, touch, and movement but brings an “understanding of African art and culture as a dynamic and complex conversation between past and present, tradition and innovation, the local and the global” (Kere Architecture).

Colorscape is an immersive and experiential installation that was produced as part of the Creative Africa series. The structure is made from lightweight cords that were inspired by Philadelphia’s rich textiles. These textile strands are attached through steel and then hung from the ceiling in the atrium space of the exhibit. The process of making these was extremely easy where it required no tools and any complicated techniques, representing the building practices in Western Africa. The “colorful cord becomes both massive in volume and a unifying element that encloses the visitors” (Kere Architecture).

color memory exhibit This exhibit “celebrates colour in architecture and explores its centrality to the work of a range of contemporary practitioners each of whom has a distinctive position on how and why they use it” (museum of architecture). This topic is extremely important in my field of color theory and color language because it explores the symbolism of color within personal experiences. In a space, society associates the color through their own personal memories because it is with them always. This exhibit called “Colour Memories “explores personal connections to colour and as well as ideas related to how colour informs the design process. It looks at the history of colour, colour in nature and biophilia, the impact of colour on our psychology and well-being, and the use of colour in architecture today” (museum of architecture). The people that share their stories bring color to life by inspiring others with their experience to a certain color.

His experience with color memory is associated with his own disability. He stated that for 25 years, he could not be who he wanted to be in the future because he is color blind. He stated, “I was sitting in the careers office at my school and heard that I couldn’t become a pilot, or a doctor, or an architect because I was colour blind.” This is an interesting story because even people that do not see color can have a color memory. He states that many “people don’t doubt the greenness of the grass or the blackness of the night sky. Well between you and me, these are exactly the kind of questions I often have on my mind, and you could say I try to explore through my work.” Through his color blindness, Asif has connected to color in different yet fascinating ways. Color has transported him to his experiences of family holidays in the house where his father grew up. His aunt would do henna tattoos on him every holiday and the draw patterns, the cold henna paste, and the sharp stick associated the color to him. Asif states “What a feeling! The colour of Henna for me is, in part, a scent. The two aspects are inseparable for me. It hangs in the air or on your skin. It’s heavy, intoxicating, like walking into a forest; tea leaves, iron, humidity, earth.” He describes the reddish-brown paste drying on his skin, as the color transitioning to even a darker color overtime.

This memory of color started from a fountain pen. The representation of the pen represented the progression through childhood, showing that your handwriting was acceptable (this journey from pencil to pen). “It meant ownership of your most valued possession and allowed you to write and draw more quickly. A vivid experience, tracking your lines, taking pride in the marks you made on the page. The ink, free flowing, provided a limitless blue horizon, the backdrop and start to any act or story” (museum of architecture). She described the color of the ink having depth and variation, stating that the letters are bound in cursive union.” The color of handwriting has become never ending, imaginative, and endless. This idea of freedom within imperfections.

COLOR IN

N design

Not only can color be a personal experience, but it can also be a movement. Two guys Dre and Jereon transformed spaces into new life using color on buildings. Even though the color is just a 2D visual, its story behind the meaning of the color is what allows people to experience a space the actual color differently. They used public art projects to transform rough neighborhoods as “they didn’t want it to be about art that applied to a community but about art applied with a community” (Dre and Jereon). Their goal is to use art to transform and revitalize neighborhoods and to always contribute to the education of the youth and motivate the residents of the neighborhoods to improve their living environment. Their first project was done in Rio where they painted a community of homes into a work of art. During the time of this painting, there was a war between the drug gang and the police, making the process extremely hard to work on. They also painted a former prison in the Netherlands into colorful homes for refugees. Lastly, their latest project and the one I went to visit was a town of business that was painted to transform to change the connotation of a poor area. The town was located on Germantown Avenue, right near Strawberry Mansion, the most impoverished area in Philadelphia. Through this project, both Dre and Jereon used color to revive the community and city around it.

Therefore, from 2011 to 2012, Favela Painting, Dre and Jereons business, carried out a largescale painting project on Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program commissioned this project with the goal of revitalizing the neighborhood during a period of steady economic decline. Over 50 buildings were painted with a pattern of weaving bands of color. Favela Painting devised a system where one building’s colors would lead into the next’s, and the individual owners of each building would pick from a selection of color swatches. Ultimately, the project aimed to provide visual cohesion to Germantown Avenue as well as social unity to an area with high rates of crime and unemployment. Members of the community were recruited to work as painters, including teams of exprisoners, and many went on to get jobs with the Mural Arts Program. I went to the Germantown Avenue location to experience the murals that Dre Urhahn and Jeroen Koolhaas painted in the town. The experience was extremely eye opening as many of the places around there were very undeveloped and unsafe to be at. The colors consisted of bright and tropical colors to make the town stand out. Even though it was still a very unsafe area, the painting made people gather at this one area, it made it the busiest place to be at. The main goal of this space was to transform it to feel more welcoming while allowing the neighborhood to gather more. The color ultimately sparked conversations and a point of attraction to a place that no one wanted to be at. The paint changed the perception of the outside world of these places to start up a new sort of communication.

COLOR IN

N phillu

MY JOURNEY THROUGH PHILADELPHIA To understand how color is communicated, I explored eight places in Philadelphia, Logan Square, Love Park and Dilworth Park, Chinatown, Fashion District, South Street, Gayborhood, Market Street, and Germantown. Through this journey, I was able to understand the reason color was used in these areas and how it benefited the area farther from just a visual perception.

Logan Square is the beginning point to all the places in Philadelphia, it has become the guidance to other areas in the city. Many street signs, bike paths, septa signs, and maps were shown through this space. The color of the signs played a significant role in the space. The green signs are green because they still stand and catch people’s attention, but they do not distract people. International flags along the roadways with the country corresponding (this idea of diversity), the entrance to a diverse community. The love sign is the highlight of the love park place. It is a sign to represent love and romanticism. The popularity of LOVE led it to become a sign of the era’s counterculture movement and countless unauthorized products displaying Indiana’s image. Chinatown was very energetic and busy. Always people buying goods for their family and friends. Friendship gate, the brilliant, vivid archway is now at the center of one of downtown’s liveliest neighborhoods, and its bright colors now compete with gaudy shops, restaurants, and outdoor video displays.

Fashion District was known for its large screens with colorful advertisements and transportation signs. The septa and the subway were two big color communications within the space. Mapping is a huge color communication through its contrast. Color distinguishing the route people take. Transit connects people to a place, and they identify with it through color-coded stations that are grouped based on express stations or local stations, letting users know when to transfer. The South Street Headhouse District between Front Street and Seventh Street is a neighborhood known for its “bohemian”, “punk”, and generally “alternative” atmosphere and its diverse urban mix of shops, bars, and eateries. Through this South Street was very colorful, expressive, and playful with the use of colors on murals, the walkways, and on the architecture. Likewise, Gayborhood was free spirited, and colorful with rainbow sings, encouraging love is love. Lastly, Market Street had a colorful installation that brought curiosity to the neighborhood and school around while encouraging a gathering point to learn about this structure and communicate with other.

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COLOR TYPOLOGIES As I explored the language of color in Philadelphia, I saw three categories, symbols, art, and architecture, that were seen to communicate color in the city. Many of the symbols were communicated through wayfinding, transportation, and signs. The colors use for transportation were used in purposely way which was to grab people’s attention but not distract from other activities and driving. The contrast and use of primary colors for buses were designed for people to see better for people with either color deficiencies or hard of seeing. Each color on the signs is not trained in our brain to remember the function of the color. Green signs near streets are an indication of how to get to places around the city as stop lights help the flow of traffic and control when to stop and go. The white patterned crosswalks are an indication of human traffic just from the contrast from the black street pavement. Each symbol is communicated through color but associated different through function and memory. Likewise, the use of art was seen through attractions, murals, furniture, and installations.

The purpose of the art was to bring liveliness and contrast from the natural colors around the city. These qualities stood out tremendously in the city and it brought interpretation and conversation to the population of Philadelphia. Many of these were used for playscapes as well as lounging and photo taking spots. The use of color in this category communicated overall protection, creativity, and history, farther from the visual aspect of color. Lastly, color was used in the architecture of Philadelphia. Many of the building facades and doors were colored to show distinction from buildings around. It helped their branding and marketing of a business or residential home as well. Color even brought depth and pattern to the city through materials and ornamentation. Lastly, color on buildings were communicated as a community movement. Color was not purposely used as an aesthetic but for neighborhoods to come together and feel protected and wanted by the color murals and paintings on their city.

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COLOR TYPOLOGIES in Philadelphia SYMBOLS

bike path

street signs

stop lights

wayfinding

transportation

ART

tourist attractions

graffiti

murals

installations

furniture

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ARCHITECTURE

facades

doors

materials and ornament

community movements

With the use of color in Philadelphia, it can encourage and affect human b gathering space, people from all ages gather to talk, read, run, shop, and sit and this space was examined to analysis the different activities and expres purple, yellow with the contrast of the green nature and architecture.

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behavior and interactions. At Dilworth Park, a waterpark, flea market, and t while listening to the city around them. Colors influence how we behave, ssions people have from the color psychology of colors, such as pink, blue,

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Etteh , Abre. “Colour Memories.” Colour Memories - Museum of Architecture. Accessed May 4, 2022. https://www. museumofarchitecture.org/colour-memories.html. “Colour Memories by Museum of Architecture.” ArchDaily, April 15, 2021. https://www.archdaily.com/960197/colourmemories-by-museum-of-architecture?ad_source=search&ad_. Onechee. “Thesis: Colours and Emotions.” Issuu, May 28, 2019. https://issuu.com/onechee/docs/thesis. Cultura e scienza del colore - color culture and science. Gruppo del Colore – Associazione Italiana Colore. Accessed May 4, 2022. https://jcolore.gruppodelcolore.it/ojs/index.php/CCSJ. “The Grand Budapest Hotel – Colour Analysis.” abbiericeyfilm, May 23, 2018. https://abbiericeyfilm.wordpress. com/2018/05/23/the-grand-budapest-hotel-colour-analysis/. Turrell, James. WEDGEWORKS. n.d. Https://Jamesturrell.com. https://jamesturrell.com/work/type/wedgework/. Colorscape. n.d. Photograph. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Creative Africa series, supporting the monographic exhibition The Architecture of Francis Kéré: Building for Community. https://www.kerearchitecture.com/work/design/colorscape McKnight, Jenna. “Francis Kéré’s Colorscape on View at Philadelphia Museum.” Dezeen, March 30, 2017. https://www. dezeen.com/2016/06/28/colorscape-installation-kere-architecture-opens-philadelphia-museum-of-art/.

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ENDNOTES

IMAGES Barragán, Luis. Casa Gilardi. Https://Www.dwell.com/. Dwell, n.d. https://www.dwell.com/article/luis-barragan-casagilardi-cuadra-san-cristobal-8dde56ff/6499013099210199040. Sanchez, Mireia. “Publicadas Más De 100 Obras Ocultas Del Arquitecto Mexicano Luis Barragán: Blog.” Domestika. DOMESTIKA, April 14, 2021. https://www.domestika.org/es/blog/7315-publicadas-mas-de-100-obras-ocultas-delarquitecto-mexicano-luis-barragan. Frugone, Angela. “The Directorial Intentions of James Cameron.” Medium. Medium, April 21, 2016. https://medium. com/@angelafrugone/continuing-my-independent-study-i-decided-to-break-down-the-essential-elements-ofblockbuster-hits-73bf069a86af. Mamos. “Avatar: A Contradictory Movie for Contradictory Times.” Unity & Struggle, October 24, 2018. http://www. unityandstruggle.org/2010/01/avatar-a-contradictory-movie-for-contradictory-times/. Cipriani, Casey. “The Ending of Avatar Finally Explained - Looper.” Looper.com. Looper, February 8, 2022. https://www. looper.com/148923/the-ending-of-avatar-finally-explained/. Marchant, Beth. “Inhabiting Wes Anderson’s World of Color in the Grand Budapest Hotel.” Studio Daily, March 28, 2017. https://www.studiodaily.com/2014/03/inhabiting-wes-andersons-world-of-color-in-the-grand-budapest-hotel/. Gleiberman, Owen. “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” EW.com. Entertainment.com. Accessed May 4, 2022. https:// ew.com/article/2014/03/20/grand-budapest-hotel-movie/. Zilko, Christian. “How to Decorate Your Home like a Wes Anderson Movie.” IndieWire. IndieWire, July 14, 2021. https://www.indiewire.com/2021/07/wes-anderson-style-decor-1234622300/. Muses, Monsters &. “The Grand Budapest Hotel: A Dissection of Colour & Style.” Medium. Movie Time Guru, June 19, 2018. https://movietime.guru/the-grand-budapest-hotel-a-dissection-of-colour-style-60203b3eab13. “We Know Movies Better.” We Know Movies Better. Accessed May 9, 2022. https://weknowmoviesbetter.wordpress. com/. “AA School.” AA School. Accessed May 9, 2022. https://www.aaschool.ac.uk/. “Colour Memories .” Colour Memories - Museum of Architecture. AXALTA. Accessed May 4, 2022. https:// museumofarchitecture.org/colour-memories/. Colorscape. n.d. Photograph. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Creative Africa series, supporting the monographic exhibition The Architecture of Francis Kéré: Building for Community. https://www.kerearchitecture.com/work/design/ colorscape

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PROGRAM 108

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sensory experientia

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al installations The program will consist of an immersive design experience/installation that “creates an illusionary environment around” the user” (Sachidanand). An immersive design is an experience that fully immerses the user into the environment through sensory conditions and through technology. “True immersion is not when a person is placed in a whole new different environment, rather it is when they learn, enjoy, and understand the environment they are meant to live in” (Sachidanand). Through immersing the audience with the language of color, experimental installations will be used. These installations will vary in size and designed specifically for its function. The user will need to adjust to how the structure is built, such as the installation only allowing the user to use touch.

SelgasCano Adds a Splash of Color to the Bruges Triennale

Ziggy Installation / Hou de Sousa

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PROGRAM CHART

the languag

sound

smell

form

function

ge of color

touch

material

color

technology

SOUND The soundscape zone will be transforming the qualities and feelings of color through all different and pitches of sound. “Sound has a fundamental role in the way we perceive and interact with the environment. It exerts a deep impression on our cognitive system as the neurophysiological ability to decode sounds/vibrations has played a major role in human evolutionary design” (Cavaco 1049). The frequencies and the amplitude of sounds have such a deep quality to them that can create different meaning through each of them. The first idea is using the pixels from an image to sound through technology. Through this, this system will capture sounds through the color in the image, the amount of darkness/light in the space and the location of the light sources. Through light, the colors will change in hues and create a different mood to the image and as this happens the sounds will start to be adjusted.

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There have been some creations where sound was related to color for people that are color-blind can get the same experience with someone that has normal vision. A soundscape was created for the color-blind called HueMusic and it “is a tool that converts 2D images into music by associating hue values with timbres” (Cavaco 2D). Likewise, See Color was designed by taking a video image and transforming into sounds through musical instruments. All these soundscapes will be measured through the color’s hue, saturation, lightness, and even the depth of it. “Using deep-learning technology to match paintings and music offers direction and guidelines for soundscape design, and it provides a new, rich aesthetic experience beyond vision. In addition, the technical results of that study were applied to a 3D-printed tactile picture” (14)

TOUCH The second zone is touchscape or tactile immersive experiences through vibrations, patterns, color codes, and other tools and technologies.

Using tactile senses “visually impaired people can access their works more independently, and have better tactile perception than non-visually impaired people” (Cho 16). By using color patterns as a color language to experience what could be a visual perception. Through color pictograms, raised patterns and textures are used and through touch, the user can experience the feeling of color. “In each tactile color pictogram, these basic geometric patterns are repeated and combined to create primary, secondary, and tertiary color pictograms of shapes indicating color hue, intensity, and color lightness” (Cho 17). Likewise, vibrations are used to associate a color though the different levels of amplitude (short on, short off, long on, and long off).

A test of this was done and a mobile phone vibration was used to figure out “the gap length preceding or succeeding a signal, the number of gaps in the vibration pattern, and the vibration’s duration affect an alert’s perceived level of urgency” (Cho 26). After this was tested, the results showed that the “short on signal is highly susceptible to varying perceptions of its level of urgency, depending on the length of the gaps that precede and succeed it” (Cho 26). There are many ways even through form such as 3D printing that can allow users to even hold a structure that was from color sensory installations.

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PLAY The third zone uses movement and color psychology to incorporate playscapes within the urban design. Ergonomic furniture is a simple yet strong way to incorporate the feeling of colors. When some furniture is designed around the comfortability that user likes, people will start to feel relaxed and relate this feeling to cool or warm colors. Likewise, the movement of how people go in a space, such as straight and rigid vs smooth and curvy can also make people follow a certain color association. Through this the forms, shapes, and wayfinding in the space can be a way to show the depth of color. This zone can be designed so that people can take different pedestrian passageways depending on how they want to feel in the space. Lastly, this zone can have playscapes that encourage exercise or other moving activities (skating, drawing, climbing, etc). The most important part about this zone is making sure that the forms and shapes of a space is designed so that the user group using it understands to associate the actions with a color. This zone is not only educational but also fun and playful to younger and older people.

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SMELL The fourth zone will incorporate a food eating area using smell and temperature to experience and visualize the color the user is eating without seeing it. “Scent expressed is very limited, because the intensity of fragrance perception is poor. Scent acts as a good trigger for memory and emotion, because it can mediate the exploration of works of art in terms of general memory or emotion” (Cho 21). Smells are a big part of evoking memories even through a cultural setting. The language that would use for color is mediating the role of odor through color associations. Touch and scent can connect but allowing the user to touch a white flower and the smell of the color and flower would mist out. Likewise, “specific scents with color directivity and concept directivity and then used those scents to successfully deliver information about the colors used in artworks to the visually impaired” (Cho 22). Similarly, temperature and scent are very similar and work together to create a color perception. Many smells also were reminded of how cold or hot it was therefore there could be an installation that uses both tools as a language of color. Likewise, these aspects could be shown through cultural beliefs thus bringing diversity while eating in one urban space.

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Bauhaus Dessas Foundation. “The Sound of Colours .” https://artsandculture.google.com/. Google. Accessed May 4, 2022. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-sound-of-colours/0ALymHuhPl1jLg. Hamilton-Fletcher, Giles, and Jamie Ward. “Representing Colour through Hearing and Touch in Sensory Substitution Devices.” Multisensory Research 26, no. 6 (2013): 503–32. https://doi.org/10.1163/22134808-00002434. Luis Cavazos Quero, Jorge Iranzo Bartolomé, Jundong Cho, Accessible Visual Artworks for Blind and Visually Impaired People: Comparing a Multimodal Approach with Tactile Graphics, Electronics, 10.3390/electronics10030297, 10, 3, (297), (2021). Cho, Jun Dong, Luis Cavazos Quero, Jorge Iranzo Bartolomé, Do Won Lee, Uran Oh, and Inae Lee. “Tactile Colour Pictogram to Improve Artwork Appreciation of People with Visual Impairments.” Color Research & Application 46, no. 1 (2020): 103–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/col.22567. Sachidanand, Rishab. “Elements of a True Immersive Experience: Comparing Altered Reality Technologies.” Medium. UX Planet, November 20, 2019. https://uxplanet.org/elements-of-a-true-immersive-experience-comparing-altered-realitytechnologies-c38fec9a5461. Munsell., Posted by Albert. “Hear the Rainbow: Interactive & Emotive Sonification of 3D Color Space.” Munsell Color System; Color Matching from Munsell Color Company, September 19, 2017. https://munsell.com/color-blog/hear-therainbow-color-sound/. Bauhaus Dessas Foundation. “The Sound of Colours .” https://artsandculture.google.com/. Google. Accessed May 4, 2022. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-sound-of-colours/0ALymHuhPl1jLg. Cavacoa, Sofia Medeiros, J. Tomás Henriques, Michele Menguccia, and Nuno Correia. Color Sonification for the Visually Impaired, n.d. Munsell., Posted by Albert. “Hear the Rainbow: Interactive & Emotive Sonification of 3D Color Space.” Munsell Color System; Color Matching from Munsell Color Company, September 19, 2017. https://munsell.com/color-blog/hear-therainbow-color-sound/.

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ENDNOTES

IMAGES Walsh, Colleen. “How Scent, Emotion, and Memory Are Intertwined - and Exploited.” Harvard Gazette. Harvard Gazette, February 27, 2020. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/02/how-scent-emotion-and-memory-areintertwined-and-exploited/. Okoro, Enuma. “If You Could Step inside a Painting, Which Would It Be?” www.ft.com. Financial Times , June 18, 2021. https://www.ft.com/content/09b10805-8c7e-43d6-ba70-3814dc70477b. Hamilton-Fletcher, Giles, and Jamie Ward. “Representing Colour through Hearing and Touch in Sensory Substitution Devices.” Multisensory Research 26, no. 6 (2013): 503–32. https://doi.org/10.1163/22134808-00002434. Munsell., Posted by Albert. “Hear the Rainbow: Interactive & Emotive Sonification of 3D Color Space.” Munsell Color System; Color Matching from Munsell Color Company, September 19, 2017. https://munsell.com/color-blog/hear-therainbow-color-sound/.

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SITE

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URBAN POCKETS 122

S map of the green urban spaces in Philadelphia

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THE IMPORTANCE OF URBAN POCKETS Urban pockets have become a huge problem in cities, where undeveloped spaces are not being used functionally. Urban pockets are “left-over spaces or under-utilized spaces that have affected the urban space negatively by reducing the qualitative attributes of the urban space and making it a less sensitivity space” (Lanka 2). Urban pockets “transform the image of space lost into quite as effective positive space in urban redevelopment” (Lanka 65). This new change would open new opportunities for a space that has public and private areas while bring the community together. Today the opportunities of seeing and hearing people gathering in an exterior environment has started to disappear as “the life, movement, and the activities between buildings are superseded by emptiness” (Lanka 68). An urban is much different than an open green space because it provides intimate contact through activities, shopping, lounging, and learning.

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“The quality of a city drives from the memorability of its urban space city being the ultimate gathering space for people, its countless and varied urban spaces and the celebration of human expressions in relation to community activities” (Lanka 72). Urban pockets are important because they create a better physical environment, minimize crime, and encourage economic revitalization. I am creating urban pockets as a base for educating people with the color or language because there is a potential to rethink how these spaces are being used just as much as how society can rethink how we see color. Therefore, the world can appreciate color more because we are showing it in ways, we don’t always see it. These urban pockets are cross paths that frame a flexible space for creative ideas to come together to express the love for food and art and music, etc. all through one space. As these revitalizing urban pockets are being transformed into functional space, it is a perfect opportunity to have people learn how the outside world of color is much different within.

URBAN PASSAGEWAYS

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he Rail Park Bryan Hanes Landscape Architect

The Rail Park is a vision that’s revitalizing three miles of unused rail lines into a usable, beautiful, public space for all. The first phase is complete filled with pathways, greenery, and bench swings with amazing city views. My discussion with Bryan Hanes was extremely informative not only about The Rail Park but about the demographics and users within the area. Bryan first discussed how the Rail Park became a thought through its inspiration. The neighborhood around the railroad had no private getaway and was all elevated apartments. This sparked interest to get the neighborhood involved in asking what they want to in their “space”. This idea of allowing the user group to pick their interests. Through this the idea of a park was established as well as the inspiration from the High Line in NYC. It was unusable and vacant land that had potential. Bryan started to explore the history, culture, and users of the space before developing a design for the existing railroad tracks. The rail park is around the poplar neighborhood, which is a low-income African American city, around Chinatown, the poorest neighborhood of Philadelphia, and Callowhill, the workshop of the world. Overtime, the area became a huge problem with drug and homeless problem in the area. The Rail Park is a great example of using undeveloped spaces and making them a gathering space for the community to gather.

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THE NETWORK There are many spaces that are undeveloped, especially around the Callowhill area and around the Rail Park. These maps show existing potential spots for spaces to become a function and activity within them. They are either being used as a car passageway or a place for vegetation to grow and trash to be piled up in. These spaces of network are a great start to make positive impacts on urban pockets in Philadelphia. With the site I have now, it will connect the connect and function to these spaces around the Rail Park. With the Rail Park only starting to develop the above space of the railroad, I will designing the undeveloped spaces bellow the tracks. Each of these alleyways and open areas are below or adjacent to the viaduct. Overall, creating a train of urban pocket networks will eventually transform Philadelphia and bring new activities and gathering points for the impoverished or up and coming neighborhoods.

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1 2

MAP OF POTENTIAL NETWORK SPACES AROUND THE RAIL PARK

Above are two photos depicting the conditions some of these spaces are at. These are not being used or taken care but have the potential to be a business, a park, or even a gathering space around the busy and loud city.

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Poplar city Poplar is a historic section of Philadelphia with historic landmarks and architecture. The area is 1.192 square miles and is home to a diverse population. This section of the city found growth from artists and creative minds. Today, it is mostly a residential neighborhood, however it does have some commercial properties on Broad Street and Girard Avenue. The area also includes some industrial facilities to the west of the railroad tracks. The neighborhood is filled with restaurants offering Indian, Mexican, and Venezuelan cuisines. Before the Poplar area was filled with apartments and restaurants, the great depression back then made this area extremely run down during the late 1930s. However, the Richard Allen Homes, a public housing project, came together to try to reshape the area. The homes were not taken care of and the Poplar area then became notorious for crime and drug trafficking during the 1970s and 1980s. The styles around poplar are mainly a combination of both traditional and modern architecture. Overtime, the area started to rebuild its neighborhood and today is now home to close to 17,100 residents. With, next to my site is a newly built modern apartment building that is on the higher end therefore it will bring more people to my site through the new construction. With Poplar still becoming a newly developed area, my site will bring people together and use all the open green spaces that are not being used to life.

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DEMOGRAPHICS

Black (48.9%)

White (20.3%)

Other (9.2%)

Hispanic (8.0%)

Asian (7.0%)

2+ Races (3.4%)

American Indian (3.3%)

Number of Residents

Distribution of Residents’ Age

Age Distribution of Median Household Income in 2019

Households

7.5K

2.5K

0 <

20 30 40 50 60

Households Income (1,000)

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ZONING DIAGRAM The space is around apartment and residential homes as well as churches and activity spaces. The railroad that is above my site splits into another one next to, altering the conditions of the natural daylight and acoustics within the space. The site is on a semi-busy street where there is a constant flow of people walking, even from the surrounding places.

LOCATION The location of the site is 899 N 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19123. It is located next to the new apartments called Poplar. It is below the tracks that run from Spring Garden St to Vine Street.

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Sun Study at 9 am

Sun Study at 12 pm

Sun Study at 5 pm

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CLIMATE DIAGRAM

Precipitation

Temperature

Monthly Temperature and Precipitation

The neighborhood is in Philadelphia and has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. There is always a chance of rain depending on the forecast and in the winter months people can expect the possibility of snowfall. The architecture has been built to withhold the climate of the area, for example, roofs are sloped for rain and snow. Since the site is underneath an overhead, the climate will be colder since no sun will be entering in some of the spaces. Therefore, with the change of weather in Philadelphia, the design needs to be changed as well to get the best thermal comfort all year round.

Less natural light

DAYLIGHT DIAGRAM

The space is mainly shaded underneath the railroad tracks and the sides still have natural light coming in. Since part of the site splits into another railroad tracks, the bottom half of the site is more dark than the top.

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Have you ever noticed how forbidden and dark and noisy the underneath of an elevated rail is? The city of Philadelphia has many miles of elevated transportation infrastructures, but nothing is being done below them. Therefore, the potential of designing and utilizing this space in a positive way will impact the city and overall well-being of humans and the environment. The goal is develop innovation strategies to provide a multifunctional space, both publicly and privately. The key role is “reclaiming this undervalued space to sput positive change citywide” (Chin). These spaces can be transformed and break the connotation of being scary and unsanitary to welcoming and playful.

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UNDER THE ELEVATED 136

SITE DIAGRAMS

200”

131”

585”

145”

Column Dimensions

Cross Section of the Railroad Structure

zone #3 zone #4

zone #2

lounge

zone #1

lounge

pedestrian walkways **will hopefully find a plan over break**

Adjacent Railroad

Plan with Zone Adjacencies and Wayfinding Total Square Footage: about 650 x 200 sq ft 14 rows of 4 columns, 4 rows of 3 columns, and 1 row of 2 columns (not to scale)

zone #1

Elevation

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educational hub

pedestrian walkways

ilroa a r g nnin u r h a t a e rn unde

being used as a skatepark

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ACOUSTIC DIAGRAM The sound starts to vibrate and become louder when you walk further into the space. This is because the enclosure from the adjacent railroad makes the space feel not as open. to

Loud

Quiet

Adjacent Railroad

louder

quieter

MATERIALS/STRUCTURE The space consists of a blacktop pavement with concrete columns and ceilings. There is also a metal fence along the one side to bring some safety and distinction from the street. The main space is clean and mainly destroyed through graffiti and other community art. Besides the underneath space, there is metal rail tracks above, glass and concrete apartments, and open greenery. The structure consists of the metal rail tracks with columns and beams holding up the tracks above.

Track Structure

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“University of Moratuwa Sri Lanka - Dl.lib.uom.lk.” Accessed May 9, 2022. http://dl.lib.uom.lk/bitstream/handle/123/371/pretext.pdf?sequence=4 Fischer, Erica. Typical Existing Elevated Railways (Reinforced Concrete Type) for Rapid Transit in American Cities, with Proposed Capp Street Elevated Railway (1930). n.d. Https://Www.flickr.com. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ walkingsf/4434043928/in/photostream/. Google maps. Google. Accessed May 9, 2022. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Poplar,+Philadelphia,+ PA+19123/@39.9676599,-75.1546518,15.41z/. “Annual Climatology: Philadelphia, PA (PHL).” Philadelphia: Philadelphia, n.d. https://drought.unl.edu/archive/climographs/ PhiladelphiaANC.htm City-Data.com. “Poplar Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA), 19121, 19122, 19123 Detailed Profile.” Philadelphia, n.d. Climate-data.org. “Climate Philadelphia,” n.d. https://en.climate-data.org/north-america/united-states-of-america/ pennsylvania/philadelphia-1690/. Jobanputra, Pankaj. “Philadelphia 2035 Plan He Comprehensive Plan for Philadelphia .” https://issuu.com. Issuu, November 2, 2011. https://issuu.com/pcjoban/docs/final_phila_2035_plan/146. Under the Elevated: Reclaiming Space, Connecting Communities. New York City: Design Trust for Public Space, 2015. https:// www.krvcdc.org/sites/default/files/files/pages/under_the_elevated.pdf “The Rail Park.” The Rail Park. Accessed May 4, 2022. https://www.therailpark.org/.

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ENDNOTES

IMAGES “Sobre Arquitectura y Más : Desde 1998.” METALOCUS. Accessed May 9, 2022. https://www.metalocus.es/es. Jobanputra, Pankaj. “Philadelphia 2035 Plan He Comprehensive Plan for Philadelphia .” https://issuu.com. Issuu, November 2, 2011. https://issuu.com/pcjoban/docs/final_phila_2035_plan/146. Under the Elevated: Reclaiming Space, Connecting Communities. New York City: Design Trust for Public Space, 2015. https:// www.krvcdc.org/sites/default/files/files/pages/under_the_elevated.pdf

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TOPICAL INVESTIGATIONS 142

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The user group will be coming from the nearby neighborhood of Callowhill, Chinatown, and Poplar. My space will be mainly used during the day and used at night for more of the not enclosed space. The vendors’ interior zones, such as an exhibit, are used for people to learn, explore, and experience through a different communication than the outside world. These zones will close around 7-8 and reopen in the morning again. Many of the users will be using the space during the day and having it be a space to take a break from the busy life, a neighborhood attraction, or even a fun experiential space for all ages to use. Living in a world where we are selfish in how we design or experiment spaces, it will be useful for the users to use this space as a learning lesson for people that see color differently, which is through unexpected and unusable areas in Philadelphia. The area of Poplar is known for its artist culture therefore, many creative businesses and individuals will be coming to the space. Likewise, since the site is next to a local playground and tennis courts, many athletic and younger kids will be using the space as well. Through the development of eyes and color perception from children to adults, the space needs to be designed around both the development of sight in children vs adults. The user group is not only geared for the neighborhood, but people that are color-blind or are synesthetic to feel for a space that is designed for them. This will ultimately affect the design of a space because it will have to be understood across all deficiencies within color. The main struggle is the influence of the apartment building across the site bringing lots of traffic to an area that has the opportunity for both quiet and loud spaces. The biggest influence on the area and the user group is that Popular is known for its street art installation. Therefore, the space will stand out but also blend with the culture and behavior of the people there.

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r e

s u

a t a

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LIGHTING Natural and artificial lighting will be used in the space depending on the functions of the spaces. Since my space is an exterior environment, it will use all its natural daylight needed. However, since the urban pocket is underneath a railroad, it will need to use artificial lighting to light the space underneath. The natural daylight will be mainly used above the railroad tracks as artificial lighting will be used below the tracks. Likewise, outdoor lighting systems will be used to light up the space around it, especially at night. However, due to my concept being about how color is shown differently, artificial lighting will play a big role in how a user might perceive color through a light source. During the day the light is strong on the railroad tracks and the streets but not underneath the tracks. However, as the sun moves, the tracks and the streets next to the tracks will not have natural daylight and will go over the buildings around the site. Therefore, the biggest thing to look at is how the sun rotates over my site and when the temperature of the light starts to change as well as where it is hitting on my site. I need to provide adequate lighting to highlight the public space as a focal point for the community and highlight buildings or the specific hubs within my space. I will be considering seasonal lighting and provide adequate light levels to support pedestrian safety and security at central spaces and pathways at night. Light levels as well as the direction of lighting should maximize the safety and decrease the sky’s light pollution at night in the surrounding neighborhood.

Color blindness is not a form of blindness but is a deficiency in the way people see color. Color-blindness is more common in men, yet women still have this deficiency. There are different kinds of deficiencies such as red-green and yellow blue that affect how people see these certain hues. Light is a big factor to this because light can alter how a color is shown through its color temperature and brightness. To see, we need light to hit the retina at the back of our eyes. The retina is made up of photoreceptors: rods and cones. The rods are sensitive to light while the cones pick up color. Synesthesia can associate the light of a space as a sound as well. Synesthetic people might hear flashing lights as sounds through just the movement lights do in space. This can ultimately alter the way lights can be used in my space through how light is associated through another sense.

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Depending on the orientation of a building or space will have different exposures of natural daylight. Natural light can change the perception of a color through the northern exposure (soft light all day), southern exposure (bright light all day), eastern exposure (morning light), and western exposure (dawn light). The northern exposure can make colors look darker and less saturated, having to alter what colors to choose in that specific area. The northern exposure is mostly diffused light and will mainly have the same brightness and color temperature throughout the day, making the color stay the same throughout the day. Therefore, having lighter values and less muted tones will work best in this space. The colors that work best in a southern exposure are muted, greyed, or medium value colors. Spaces with the southern exposure benefit from warm light but can cause intense brightness to the eyes as well as glaring. Lastly, light that comes from the eastern and western exposure contains a warm color temperature to a space. The light is softer and yellowish in the morning and then shifts to a more intense orange or reddish in the afternoon. Therefore, colors that are in these exposures should use more warmer and less muted colors instead of cooler tones.

Artificial light is also a huge part of the perception of color through the most common sources which are fluorescent, incandescent, halogen, and LED light bulbs. Objects that have the same color can look different strictly under different lighting conditions, which is a phenomenon known as metamerism. Halogen is very similar to the color temperature of natural daylight around noon as it has a white color temperature. Fluorescent light has a bluer tone and incandescent has a yellow tone. Lighting will affect the hue of a color because with a warmer and yellow light, it will intensify the warmer colors and make the cooler tones more muted, and with a cool blue light will do the opposite. Not only does the color of artificial light affect colors, but the value and intensity does as well. As you increase the amount of light in a space, the value of a color lightens, and intensity will increase. Likewise, with too much light will make the space look too bright and start to wash out the color in a space.

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Furniture, Equipment, Artwork, Decorative Art, and Accessories Provide a variety of arrangements using comfortable and durable materials that are accessible to all ages and abilities. Permanent seating should be located at the edge of spaces and along connecting pathways where desired. Locate seating to promote views and lines of sight across spaces. The space should include movable furniture that allows visitors to make choices and to gather in smaller or larger groups when desired. Likewise, there should be drinking fountains near areas of physical activity that are designed more attractive and playful as well as accessible to all. Many of the furniture that is placed on the exterior will be more park or street furniture such as tables and chairs, benches, trash cans, built-in seating, and other durable furniture. However, on the interior of spaces, there can be more commercial seating that will provide for comfortability in the colder times of the year.

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To create an educational program within my site, I will be using the concept of AR (augmented reality). This allows people to investigate a lens and be able to move it around to look at the world through the lens of people that are colorblind. This will bring an eye-opening experience to the viewers through showing the difference between what we see vs what other people see. There will be the option of switching the films in the augmented reality to different color deficiencies as well. Since this will be a standing activity, the object needs to be adjusted for everyone’s height or provide multiple AR look through lenses with different heights already set for people.

To create a comfortable environment for people to lounge while outside, the seating needs to provide a backing to help with people while they are working or relaxing. Likewise, a stoop culture is extremely important and should encourage people to lean back instead of sitting straight up. It provides a more relaxed and welcoming lounge area to the space. Having furniture that allows for proper posture will attract more people to come back as well.

ERGONOMICS 149

circulation The circulation in my space consists of a vertical passageway below and above the railroad tracks as well as a movement upwards to get to the tracks. The circulation will consist of a main corridor and branching out to different hubs within the pocket. The space will be accessed from all sides of the railroad track, bringing the crowd from the busy street, the side street, and the businesses and homes around. The circulation consists of building up and having the rail tracks be a big part of the existing structure. The circulation of the space should also have a hierarchy of scale through what should be done first to then next and so on. It allows the users to flow in an orderly manner. Since there will be different destination hubs in the space, the circulation paths need to guide people to each one based on the function of each hub.

The pedestrian circulation will be prioritized over other transportation in the space because it is a gathering space for people to use. Therefore, there needs to be direct connections to the public and private spaces within the site, while providing space for areas that might be increased in pedestrian flow. The activity areas and the programming spaces need to be located near the view corridors, entries, and public transit. However, the circulation of the space should also challenge pedestrians through stairs and slopes because it encourages exercise and depth to a linear site. Overall, the circulation should create an immersive horizontal and vertical space within an urban pocket.

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Wayfinding will be shown through the hierarchy of the space. The space will be built upwards to attract users. Urban wayfinding systems are extremely important in exterior public spaces because they create and reinforce destination hierarchy through enhancing the identification and utilization of undeveloped or not popular destinations. It will also improve traffic flows, safety, and ease the users when trying to find parking and pedestrian walkways. Signage will also be used for a graphic and visual language to connect the public space with the surrounding neighborhood/city. Using public art and other community engagement will attract more people and make them feel more welcomed. The signage will also include hours of operation, educational information, and a map of what each space is in the urban pocket. Since the space is near a historic city and right near the Rail Park Since there will be multiple entries from all four sides, the entry needs to be visible from a far distance. It will be useful to bring color or vegetation to circulation pathways to help with the wayfinding within the site. Since it is an undeveloped urban pocket, wayfinding and signage is extremely important to be visible from far away as well as be seen from both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

wa y f i n d i n g / visual 151

PLACEMAK Placemaking is a people-centered approach and through the development of an urban space it helps plan the design and process of a public space. Simply, it allows people to feel good about being in an environment that encourages work, place, and living all in one. Through this space, it encourages the actions of learning and coming together through a common ground. It allows the experience and discovery of a community’s needs and aspirations, which will then drive the interactions and behavior from individuals. Within an open urban setting, placemaking will “tap into the local community’s talent and promote the aspirations and potential of the people” (Rethinking the Future). By not only promoting the urban design principles in the space, the placemaking needs to facilitate “creative thinking, capitalize on community assets, and contribute to the community’s health, happiness, and well-being” (Rethinking the Future). With the program and site, people will gather in one area to learn, enjoy, and grow from the language of color. The underutilized space will bring a unique experience to a pedestrian scale through accessible pathways and interior spaces as well as connect and attract the community around. The biggest goal is to encourage people to come back but incorporating diversity with a cohesive vision. Overall, I need to intervene and use the value of a space through four sensory and immersive installations that bring uniqueness to the perception of color.

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KING

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MATERIALS/ TEXTURES The building materials that are used for a public space should be visually appealing, long-lasting, and sustainable. Since my space will consist of more of an exterior environment, the materials and textures being used need to be easy-cleanable and are good for climate changes in Philadelphia. Wood is a good material for climate change, glass will be used to bring the exterior and interior environment together while allowing sunlight to enter, and exterior materials such as concrete, brick, and aluminum will be used for exterior durability. Likewise having water-resistant upholstery that is made with either rubber or plastic will help with different weather conditions. HDPE-based plastic lumber is great for outdoor playscapes, seats, barriers, signs, and trash cans because it will not warp, fade, or soften overtime from the climate changes. This material does not damage from the UV radiation, moisture, physical forces, insects, or other outdoor conditions. Likewise, this material is sustainable because it is made from post-consumer waste products. Materials that would be great for privacy purposes is the use of vegetation. Vegetation can help block noise, block public spaces in the site, block wind, and boost the well-being of others. However, in the hubs or interior spaces, there can be more comfortable upholstery that is still easy-cleanable and durable since it will be used daily. If there is glass, the materials need to make sure they do not fade from sunlight as well. All exterior materials need to be waterproof and withstand high traffic and exterior conditions that come each season.

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textures made for the colorblind Texture and patterns will be a great way to show contrast for people that are color-blind. Contrasting patterns next to each other is an easy way to help people that are color-blind navigate through a space and see objects and colors better. Textures are a great way to have people associate a color through a memory or something they feel. Textures can be used to represent color and the feeling color through a 3D form and a tactile experience. However, synesthetic people have a different experience with textures and patterns. Synesthetic people might feel what textures look like without having to touch it or associate patterns with a feeling or sounds. All these associations are done either through memory, disabilities, or associations that create a different experience with color. It is always the space to be not just one sense but allow people to share their experience of what color is like to them in one space.

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Acoustics

Since the area is near a running railroad track and a busy street, acoustics will be extremely important in the space. There are reflective sound barriers such as stone, metal and PVC that have a hard and smooth surface that blocks the sound more. Soundproofing walls as partitions will help block the sound in an exterior setting. The metal from the railroad tracks helps a little with the sound as well as the vegetation and trees around the area. Next to the space is a huge brick building which as well helps the sound absorption from the busy road. Overall, since the space might be more of an exterior environment, vegetation, exterior thick materials, and the use of the existing materials and building around will help with the acoustics in the space. Bringing acoustics in urban designs can be difficult with the exterior conditions such as the train above, the traffic from the streets next to it, and the neighborhood noise. There are natural acoustics that help with the noise such as sound generated from physical processes such as water, wind, and rain. Water is an acoustic camouflage for traffic sounds. Nonhuman organisms can also mask sound through the noises of birds and other wildlife. Our ears will always search for sounds, so even bringing curiosity to the sound in my space will guide and push people through the space. I will use a combination of low-fi soundscapes, which compresses a room, and hifi soundscapes, which will expand the room. Lastly, sound barriers allowing the train tracks could help mask the sound below. “The barrier itself could alternate between solid and vegetated, depending on its position along the street. The solid portions would be deployed around nodes of community activity, such as the areas around stations, and could be used as a canvas for installations by local artists. Barriers planted with vines could be irrigated with runoff from the structures [as well]” (Under the Elevated*) Overall, the main goal of the space is to hide the unwanted noise and amplify the wanted noises within an exterior space.

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SUSTAINABILITY Taking advantage of a micro-climate atmosphere that the site brings will bring comfortability to pedestrians. Planting large trees with expansive canopies will break the open and closed spaces in the site. Large trees maximize evapotranspiration of rain and runoff, minimize heat island effects in the summer and provide shade for park users and adjacent buildings. There are both solar exposure and natural ventilation where the amenities, pathways, and open areas are. Furthermore, to make sure there are not undesirable micro-climate conditions, there will need to be a screen to help buffer wind and noise as well as objects, structures, or vegetation to help provide shade. Micro-climates play an important role in the participation of public spaces in the city. Micro-climate “is the condition of the solar and terrestrial radiation, wind, air temperature, humidity, and precipitation in a small outdoor space” (MDRG). Using a micro-climate atmosphere, it will allow the space to be more thermally comfortable and encourage more outdoor activity. There should be a balance of both sunny and shaded areas within the urban pocket. Likewise, green infrastructure will help with stormwater runoff and prevent the space both underground and above to be flooded.

158

There needs to be opportunities to connect to off-site natural areas to promote a continuous habitat and increase migration corridors wherever possible. There will be watershed connectivity through education and best storm water management practices. Where possible, daylight and/or restore existing waterways. There’s something about vegetation that calms and uplifts the mood and people have recognized this in locations where the grays of concrete and metal dominate the landscape. The organic shapes and colors of plant life soften the harshness or blandness of hard structures. As a result, it’s practically a necessity to include greenery of some sort in a public space. Turf, shrubs, trees, and flowers are all options that you can intersperse around the area to make it feel more welcoming. Utilizing these elements will allow people who venture to the public space to rejuvenate their minds after spending many hours indoors or in parts of their city where greenery is sparse.

Plants also help to improve air quality by filtering out pollutants and producing oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. Furthermore, they’re instrumental in helping to regulate temperatures because they absorb less heat and give off cool water vapor through transpiration. With the space being right near the abandoned rail line, it has a great opportunity to connect to the overgrowth that is now present there. The space has become a park of itself through the greenery covering the existing railroad tracks. It allows it to bring softness and color to the space as well. Overall, this will bring a great lounge and walking path for people to be at a higher level. This can also attract and bring more attention to the space just from the contrast of the greenery next to a denser industrial city. Right next to the site is a green space and trees with a playground, bringing the relationship to nature as well.

RELATIONSHIP TO NATURE 159

security For an exterior space, security needs to be managed so that there is no theft or obstruction in the area. Since it is an exterior space, it will be open 24/7 but the interior zones will be closed after a certain time. The interior zones will have cameras on them and will be locked and alarms will go off if they are broken into. For the exterior spaces there will be streetlights for people to go to at night and lounge by the stoop culture and use the pedestrian walkways. There should be security zones, so the space does not feel isolated from everything else which includes the building yard, the sidewalk, and the curb lane. Some streetscape security elements will need to be included such as street furniture, fences or walls, bollards, planters, and hardened light fixtures.

160

The streetscapes “should be designed as an amenity to the public realm that will provide n e c e s s a r y security and not unduly impede street life activities and the normal movements of pedestrians and traffic” (NCPC). The streetscapes should be placed at least 18” from the edge of a curb so that it does get in the way from cars or pedestrians walking. Since it is an urban design with enclosed spaces in between, there will be cameras there for any issues that occur with destruction of the space with spray paint. The stoop culture furniture should be attracted to the existing conditions at the site, so they are not stolen by the community.

The Language of Color 899 N 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Renovated as a DIY Skate Park

N/A About 640 sq ft

City of Philadelphia Fire Code 2018 IBC 2018 International Energy Conservation Code 2018

Group A-5 and Group 5

My assembly group will consist of two groups for the purpose the functions in the space. Since it is an outdoor area assembly group A-5 is intended for participation in or viewing outdoor activities. In Assembly Group A, is a function that is for purposes that encourage social functions with installations, playscapes, food area, and transportation pathways. The other group that will be used is in the interior zones which are a building with an occupant load of less than 50 in the space.

CODE 161

The space can be a larger network to other undeveloped spaces around the area. Underneath the rail park are a bunch of undeveloped alleyways and urban pockets that are becoming a space for homeless people and overgrowth of vegetation. The concept of transforming the undeveloped will connect neighborhoods together. My project is connected to a technological word through using technology as a sensory and immersive experience of color, without it being visual. The space will also create an urban cohesion through mobility, land activities, social dynamic, and comfort and safety. The use of mobility and accessibility brings urban cohesion through connecting the public spaces with easy access to the population of the city. Having a “promotion of multi-functionality in the network of public spaces, ranging from commerce and services to facilities and entertainment / recreational activities” (isocarp) is crucial as well because it regenerates a space. Likewise, social dynamics “promote the arising of urban experience capable of regenerating a site or even minimize the phenomena of social exclusion and marginalization” (Fernando 3). Lastly, the comfort and safety in the network of urban spaces help the level of circulation, through all movement activities. The public space will be “enabling programming, planning, and designing public spaces in a logic of an integrated network, (and not only as isolated spaces), intending to contribute to the territorial cohesion of cities” (Fernando 2). Overall, the city of Philadelphia has been lacking in developing abandoned or unused spaces. Therefore, this idea and function will be a huge connection to unique social space, technological installations, environmental design, and even a business to the city.

Y S

162

S M E

T S Y

163

“Microclimatic Design Research Group (MDRG).” Microclimatic Design - College of Architecture, October 10, 2021. https:// research.arch.tamu.edu/microclimatic-design/. Pinto, Júlia Fernando. Ana, Remesar Antoni, Brandão Nunes da Pedro, and Fernando Nunes da Silva. “Planning Public Spaces Networks towards Urban Cohesion ,” n.d. https://www.isocarp.net/Data/case_studies/1798.pdf. Smith, Hillary. “8 Principles to Better Sidewalks: .” TheCityFix, October 24, 2019. https://thecityfix.com/blog/8-principlesbetter-sidewalks-hillary-smith-paula-manoela-dos-santos/ The National Capital Urban Design and Security Plan. Washington, DC: National Capital Planning Commission, 2004. https:// www.ncpc.gov/docs/National_Capital_Urban_Design_and_Security_Plan.pdf Gupta, Aarushi. “Placemaking of a Space - Rethinking the Future.” RTF | Rethinking The Future, January 24, 2022. https:// www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/rtf-fresh-perspectives/a556-placemaking-of-a-space/. “The Importance of Wayfinding & Architectural Signage in Urban Landscapes.” Creative Sign Designs, December 8, 2021. https://www.creativesigndesigns.com/blog/wayfinding-and-architectural-signage-in-urban-landscapes/. “Noise Barrier Solves Your Noise Problem.” Noise Barriers & Sound Barrier Wall - Profile and Catalog. Accessed May 4, 2022. https://www.noisebarriers.org/. Ponten, Emeli. “Acoustic Design in Urban Development,” 2009. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:518896/ FULLTEXT01.pdf Rehan, Reeman Mohammed. “The Phonic Identity of the City Urban Soundscape for Sustainable Spaces.” HBRC Journal 12, no. 3 (2016): 337–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hbrcj.2014.12.005. Appolloni, Letizia, Alberto Giretti, Maria Vittoria Corazza, and Daniela D’Alessandro. “Walkable Urban Environments: An Ergonomic Approach of Evaluation,” n.d. https://iris.uniroma1.it/retrieve/handle/11573/1443815/1567934/Appolloni_Walkableurban-environments_2020.pdf. “Finally, Color Explained by an Expert in a Way That Everyone Can Understand.” Sensational Color. Accessed May 4, 2022. https://www.sensationalcolor.com/light-affects-color/. Van Beveren , Tom. “Designing with the Colorblind in Mind Will Improve Your Design for Everyone.” Inside Design Blog. Accessed May 9, 2022. https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/designing-for-colorblind-improves-design/.

ENDNOTES 164

IMAGES Asa. “From Ice to Spice.” Web log. Https://Fromicetospice.com/ (blog), n.d. https://fromicetospice.com/. “Парклеты.” Megapolis. Accessed May 9, 2022. https://megapolisgroup.spb.ru/produktsiya/parklet. Under the Elevated: Reclaiming Space, Connecting Communities. New York City: Design Trust for Public Space, 2015. https:// www.krvcdc.org/sites/default/files/files/pages/under_the_elevated.pdf Bixler, Michael. “Long Awaited Construction of Rail Park Begins Today.” Hidden City Philadelphia, October 31, 2016. https:// hiddencityphila.org/2016/10/long-awaited-construction-of-rail-park-begins-today/. Gupta, Aarushi. “Placemaking of a Space - Rethinking the Future.” RTF | Rethinking The Future, January 24, 2022. https:// www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/rtf-fresh-perspectives/a556-placemaking-of-a-space/. “Chromarama.” Kukka, May 7, 2022. https://www.kukka.nl/en/portfolio/chromarama-tapestries/. Smith, Hillary. “8 Principles to Better Sidewalks: .” TheCityFix, October 24, 2019. https://thecityfix.com/blog/8-principlesbetter-sidewalks-hillary-smith-paula-manoela-dos-santos/ “Miami’s 10-Mile Linear Park and Urban Trail.” The Underline, July 24, 2021. https://www.theunderline.org/. “The Importance of Wayfinding & Architectural Signage in Urban Landscapes.” Creative Sign Designs, December 8, 2021. https://www.creativesigndesigns.com/blog/wayfinding-and-architectural-signage-in-urban-landscapes/.

165

THE DESIGN 166

How can we alter exterior spaces to communicate different ways of color perception? The proposed sequence of sensory experiences and experiments within urban contexts aim to raise awareness and to challenge and redefine traditional thinking of color theories, the built environment and our personal experiences and ways of communication. Throughout the next slides, I will be taking you on the journey of The Language of Color, where you will learn, experience, and play with the power of color, both visually and non-visually. It is all about how you want to interpret your experience with color.

167

WELCOME TO THE REVITALIZED URBAN POCKET

168

169

13’0”

13’0” 9’10”

12’0” 7’3”

12’11”

43’ x 25’

survey space

d c

bathrooms

6 32’ x 39’

24’ x

13’

57’ x 41’

lab a 28’ x

rea

18’

170

47’ x28’

tra

ac sp n io 8’ ’x

Color Theory The space consists of original concrete and graffiti with new paint, concrete walls, and pavement

Acoustics Concrete walls and flooring, vegetation around, and the noise barriers around the area help mask the noise around the area INFLORA FOOD

12’6”

11’0”

15’2”

INFLORA DRINKS

Sustainability The spaces use local sourced materials and uses sustainable materials and local artists to help with the interactive art

68’ x 32’

break points 31’ x 25’

58’ x 25’

37’ x 33’

Human behavior Users have the option to gather, lounge, play, learn, eat, and exercise while in this space.

Materials Polka Dot: softer Eating space: pavers Pathway: concrete

43’ x 25’

a 1. Case study 2. Cause and effect 3. Inflora 4. Sound Memory 5. Blank Canvas 6. Art of Smell

Total: 470’ x 88’

a. Flexible performance b. Eating space c. Lounge space d. Play space

171

THE INSTA

172

ALLATIONS

173

CASE STUDY

The first stop is an education area of the journey I took to Philadelphia. Displayed are my images I took and people are able to learn how color was communicated further from the visual part. The education part is through a QR scan on the images.VR is also there for people to see what the site and space would look without color and how textures, sounds, and actions still are reminded through color.

QR codes on them for people to scan and learn about the images

”

37’0

’0

”

13’0”

Virtual reality zone

Exhibit display of color in Philadelphia

174

CAUSE AND EFFECT

People are immersed in color not just visually, but through touch, sound, and playing. Since our natural instinct is to express ourselves through movement, users are able to use the tactile fabric to swing, lounge, and run through it. As these movements occur, the textile is moving causing sound to be fusioned with the visual color of the textile. Overall, cause and effect is about interaction experiences, captured through the 4 motion and energy of the body.

2 textile material

pulley system detail (allows for flexibility)

The event of a thread by visual artist Ann Hamilton

cause: user swinging

effect: movement of textile

Cause and Effect exemplifies how users causes the textile to bring movement and sound through playful activities such as swinging and lounging.

175

176

INFLORA

Inflora is a nature installation where people are able to smell the natural elements of vegetation through vacuums placed around the installation. This installation represents the term color psychology through the color of biophilia which brings a calming, relaxing, and healing action while being immersed in it. Nature shows the power of color to influence behavior and wellbeing through smell, touch, and sight.

16’5

”

concrete board

smell vacuum

10’4”

metal attachment varys in height

flowers

smell diagram

Food truck close up

Food truck vendors are invited weekly and corresponds to a garden food palette that is adjacent to the nature installation.

177

SOUND MEMORY

Sound memory is concave domes that display different sounds from car horns, birds chirping, paint brush strokes, and kids playing and laughing. The purpose of this space is to provide an open conversation for people to share their stories with the memories that they had listening to the sounds.

TELL ME YOUR STORY SOUND POD 3

SOUND POD 4

SOU

ND P

SOUND POD

Conversation boards are around the sound pods and users can share stories, connect, and compare how sound, architecture, and memory remind them of color. Becomes a unique way of bringing an experience and sound with color.

SOUND POD 2

We remember in color because we experience the world in color. Color is what makes memories come alive and it does the same with architecture and sound, bringing a sense of joy, personality and individuality. Color doesn’t need to be shown visually in order to be present and remembered. This is what this installation is all about, celebrating the senses of color through sound. What sound do you always hear that reminds you of a color?

178

DETAILS AND DIAGRAMS

inflatable dome

12’0”

Capacity: 3 14’0” x 12’0”

8’0”

plastic layer

1’6”

bench seating

Sound pod detail

Sound pod floor plan

sound absorption installation

7 1/2” concrete wall

hat channel metal studs

1 3/4” perforated acoustical panel

Acoustical wall detail

Sound travel diagram Lighting

Speakers

Battery operated lighting in the domes that can change color from blue, red, and pink.

179

Wireless wall mounted speakers for sound in the pods. The sounds display kids playing, car horns, paint strokes, and peaceful nature sounds and are previously recorded before people enter the installation.

BLANK CANVAS

The blank canvas is a large-scale hand drawn landscape that feels unfinished and empty. The columns represent trees and the floor presents the act of unfolding a crumpled paper, but with this space there is the potential to be something beautiful, safe, and inviting. The users bring this. As they walk through the installation thermal sensor pads give off lights depending on the user's body temperature. The thermal energy becomes the color and paint for this blank canvas to become a beautiful temporary mural. It gives an imaginary and poetic vision of this story in an immersive environment.

thermal pressure sensor pads

Underneath light sensor diagram

Materiality

Circulation diagram

The sense of touch and curiosity brings the color to the space. Color does not appear unless user participation and movement is used.

The material and folding paper structure is designed to make the space feel like an outside and undeveloped canvas. The columns act as trees, varying in sizes and width.

A flat surface is set in the folded angular flooring for ADA circulation. There is no control or path for other users while exploring this immersive installation.

180

ART OF SMELL The art of smell installation embraces beauty as an art form through the exploration of smells hidden in the walls and ceiling of the space. Visitors enter a dark and empty white space punctuated with a series of sculpted wall alcoves and capsules coming from the ceiling. They are then invited to lean into the wall and go inside the capsules to be immersed in the scented stream of air. The design eliminates all references to the visual materials typically associated with scents, it becomes a mystery on what they are smelling. Therefore, this installation embraces smell as an artistic creation, similar to color but instead, not being shown through a 2D visual perception but with architecture and smell.

8’0”

6’0”

4’0”

pockets vary in heights

technology inset in the wall that pumps smell of perfumes and essential oils

Smell travel diagram

Smell capsules

Smell pocket wall detail

181

TYPOLOGIES

(ACTIVE PUBLIC SPACES)

A flexible performance space is designed to have theater nights or then be pulled up and schedule concerts nights at the urban pocket.

The eating space is a gathering point that is designed for lunch breaks or to grab food by the Inflora food trucks.

Stadium seating is permanently placed for people around the neighborhood to relax, study, and hangout with friends and family.

182

The play area encourages exercise and competition by incorporating the existing activity of skateboarding and ping pong tables that are permanently placed for security.

THE IN-BETWEEN AND END SPACES

9’10”

TEST OUT TEST IT IT OUT

28’0”

15’2”

1’6”

15’2”

Lab spot

26’ 0”

1’6”

Break space

SURVEY 26’ 0”

How did you feel?

INSTALLATION 2

happy

sad

john

carly

mike

angry

How did you feel?

(put name under one)

angry

INSTALLATION 4

How did you feel?

(put name under one)

INSTALLATION 3

happy

sad

angry

carly

mike

john

sad

angry

sad

carly

mike

rachel

excited

anxious

samantha

tyler

calm

YELLOW

excited

ORANGE

calm

excited

anxious

calm

excited

RED

YELLOW

ORANGE

What color was your experience? RED

Survey space

GREEN

BLUE

YELLOW

calm

happy

sad

RED

PURPLE

GREEN

BLUE

YELLOW

excited

ORANGE

RED

GREEN

BLUE

43’0”

183

anxious

calm

excited

GREEN

sad mike

anxious

calm

tyler

YELLOW

ORANGE

What color was your experience? RED

BLUE

YELLOW

ORANGE

(within this portion is how color is described through adjactives)

PURPLE

happy carly

rachel

What color was your experience?

(within this portion is how color is described through adjactives)

PURPLE

angry

mike

samantha

What color was your experience?

ORANGE

(within this portion is how color is described through adjactives)

PURPLE

anxious tyler

What color was your experience?

(within this portion is how color is described through adjactives)

BLUE

anxious tyler

What color was your experience?

GREEN

angry rachel

heather

RED

(put name under one)

happy

INSTALLATION 6 How did you feel?

How did you feel?

(put name under one)

happy

INSTALLATION 5

PURPLE

GREEN

BLUE

PURPLE

12’10”

INSTALLATION 1

Apartment

Theater Typology

Residential Homes

Tactile

Eating Space

WAYFINDING

Front Signage

184

Businesses

e Installation

Structure Signage

Floor Signage

bathrooms men & women

lounge

study, read, & relax

playscape skateboarding ping pong

185

CONCLUSION 186

I explored color language all from the history of where color came from, to contemporary theories, how color is affecting us today, to even the built environment. As a student with a major in interior design I have realized how crucial it is to design around everyone’s needs, deficiencies, and wants. Without the feeling and experience of color, there would be no imagination, fun, creativity, or energy in life. I am exploring color to create a new way on how to use it in a space, without it always being a visual aesthetic. There is a division between the visual world of color and the meaning and function with color. Color is all around us and we are unaware of how much it can affect an individual that does not see color the way a person that has normal vision would see. There are so many ways that color can be used to represent another form, language, and/or action. We see color as a shape, a light, a sound, a memory, a feeling, a guidance, a voice, and so many more things. With that my goal is to spread awareness and change the way we as designers are just designing for one user. With this project, I wanted to use my brother and grandfather as platforms for guiding me through their everyday struggles. I used urban pockets or undeveloped spaces as the base for a new network of understanding, learning, growing, and playing with the depth of color, farther from a visual perception.

187

THE LENS OF THE COLOR-BLIND

red/green color-blind

188

blue/yellow color-blind

189

APPE

190

ENDIX 191

INTERVIEWS

I want to thank my professor, Loukia, a faculty member at Jefferson, Barbara Klinkhammer, a landscape architect, Bryan Hanes, my brother and grandfather that are color-blind, and my peers for helping me explore this topic of the language of color.

Barbara Klinkhammer Barbara studied color theory and helped me explore more my topic. We discussed the feeling of music being a great tool to understanding color more. She was extremely interested while studying in school the dimension of color and more the notion of color. She talked about color psychology and how red shortens space and browns and blue ground objects. Through the interview she talked about spatial dimension of color and how even through form you can camouflage objects through color. We explored the importance of textiles and this technique called bezold allowed different effects as you moved the object around, all from the conditions of color.

Bryan Hanes I met with Bryan at the Rail Park and we talked about the importance and goal of this space as well as the process of it. The inspiration started from the input of a the Callowhill neighborhood where they had said they wanted a park in the area to go to and relax. The inspiration was then sparked from the Highline in NYC. The railroad tracks were a vacant lot and had so much potential to be something said Bryan Hanes. Through that he created a public space that made a domestic landscape and created a stoop culture through lounge seating, swings, pathways, and plants. People use the space for work meetings, to play music at, to study, or to gather with friends and family.

192

Color Memory Test

PARENT Red reminds me of a warning sign or bring awareness or emphasize, anger, stop sign Yellow sun, brightness, summer, flowers, warm Blue sky, cold & crisp air, PSU, jeans Gray neutral, late fall weather, pigeons, clouds Brown poop, dirt, earth, musty smell Purple Easter, bunnies, spring flower, Easter eggs, beginnings Black dark, empty, cave, nighttime, cold

PEER Red: anger, stop lights/signs, bad, in trouble Yellow: sun, happy, lemonade, starburst, rain jackets Blue: water, sky, my mom’s favorite color (navy blue) Gray: neutral, fog, cloudy skies, groutfits, metal, dreary, concrete Green: nature, my favorite color, calming Brown: dirt, not a popular color, the desert Magenta: clothes that I used to wear as a little girl Black: death, emo, dark, spooky, halloween, absorbs sun and heat

193

PROCESS PROGRAM CHART

Spaces

Square Footage

# of People

Major Adjace

zone #1 (Soundscape)

about 50 x 12 (placed in-between the structure columns of the railroad)

Max 50 people

Next to Playsc

zone #2 (Touchscape)

about 50 x 12 (placed in-between the structure columns of the railroad)

Max 50 people

Next to educat hub

about 50 x 12 (placed in-between the structure columns of the railroad)

Max 50 people

Next to Scent/ Scape

about 50 x 12 (placed in-between the structure columns of the railroad)

Max 50 people

Next to Touchs

Max 50 people

The first stop to seen and visited

No specific #

All throughout the space to bri liveliness and community gath

zone #3 (Playscape)

zone #4 (Scent/TempScape)

Educational Hub

Other (bathroom, stoop lounge spaces, pedestrian walkways)

spread out in the 640 sq ft site

spread out in the 640 sqft site

194

encies

cape

tional

/Temp

scape

o be d first

ing

hering

Light Use

Sensory Conditions (ideas)

Material/Acoustics

both natural and artificial light

-Musical sounds (intensity, pitch, instruments) -music through shapes, numbers, and letters -movie and film experience -sound codes

both natural and artificial light

-ColorVirbroTactile (vibrations) -tactile graphics and materials with raised lines and textures -3D printing (form touch) -tech gloves for vibrations (codes)

hard and soft materials and amplify sound in this space and mask out external sound through materials

-body movement through structures and patterns -the feeling and ergonomics of furniture associating with color (color psychology)

hard surfaces mainly with acoustically sound barriers and structures for acoustics

-dark room experiencing food through smell and temperature -odor color associations -cultural memory experiences

soft and hard surfaces and acoustics through materials and structure of the building

-small samples of all the sensorial experiences (information with them all) -virtual reality throughout the space (looking through the lens of a different vision)

soft and hard surfaces and acoustics do not need to masked too much

natural light

no light

both natural and artificial light

natural light -bathrooms have artificial as well

Smell of nature, sounds of people gathering and movement from activities, touch of hard surface furniture

hard and soft materials and sound barriers and vegetation

hard surface materials and sound barriers and vegetation (mask railroad sound)

** All the zones can combine sensorial conditions to bring an immersive experience throughout**

195

STUDY MODELS

existing structure and fold

red: thinner and combination of convex and concave white: held through boundaries and stretches below and above the site

orange: creases and thicker (a mask)

curvilinear folds

orange: fluid and stiff red: solid and stiff

grey: thick to t brown: overla thinner and ri

white: semi-tra grey: textural a

fold in angularity

condition where the fold acts a canopy (still open though)

condition where you can walk on the fold

196

condition where the fold brings enclosure and darkness

condition where becomes an aes for the ribbon jo

Material Comparisons Red/blue: concrete, wood Orange: paper, fibre cement White: perforated metal, fabric string Grey:

thin and fraying apart apping and changing direction (continuous) left is ight is thicker

ansparent and bumpy and soft

e the fold sthetic ourney

User participation

the black and white textures fray and fall apart, allowing the user to play and control them (expanding and contracting), adjusting the experience under and above them

197

15’0”

13’0”

STUDY MODELS

198

199

APPENDI 200

IX 2 201

202

203

204

205

206

207