The architectural colour design process: an evaluation of sequential media via semantic ratings

In recent studies, contextual situations of applied colours are compared to colours presented as samples or chips. Findings of such studies point out different results in terms of similarities or differences between the evaluations of isolated abstract colours and contextualized situations. Architectural and spatial contexts have their own characteristics regarding colouring criteria, so it is of great importance to examine the architectural spatial colouring process from this point of view. This study explores this process by investigating the consistency of semantic ratings of four sequential stages of the architectural colour design process, namely, colour chips samples, abstract compositions, perspective drawings and 3D models. The architectural context for the study was a simple interior space. Fifteen different colour schemes were applied on the four media representing the stages. Subjects rated the 15 sets against seven bipolar, five-step semantic differential scales. The scales consisted of harmonious-discord, pleasant-unpleasant, comfortableuncomfortable, spacious-confined, static-dynamic, exciting-calming and extroverted-introverted. Findings indicated that there are significant associations between the evaluations of the abstract compositions, the perspective drawings and the 3D models; however, the evaluations of colour chips are significantly different than the others. The medium effect observed mostly between abstract and contextualized media. Additionally, factor analysis showed that pleasantness, harmony, spaciousness and comfort are connected in the evaluations of contextual situations, while pleasantness and harmony differ from spaciousness and comfort in the evaluations of colour chips and abstract compositions. The factor of activity (arousal) (dynamism, excitement, and extroversion) stays the same for all four media. It is also found that different colour characteristics are determinative over different media. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.