The Archplace

As schools are being remodeled or built, there are literally thousands of issues to be addressed. Unfortunately, design and color, especially the coloring and designing of classroom walls, is often overlooked.

“For budget reasons, a lot of schools don’t seek out good information on color,” says Bonnie Krims, IACC, architectural color consultant with Bonnie Krims Color Studio in Concord, Mass.

In a lot of cases, color choices are left up to administrators, teachers or the maintenance departments. As a result, a lot of walls just end up white, which can lead to under-stimulation.

According to the International Association of Color Consultants – North America (IACC-NA), a school’s physical environment has a powerful psycho-physiological impact on its students.

Appropriate color design is important in protecting eyesight, in creating surroundings that are conducive to studying, and in promoting physical and mental health.

The IACC also notes that many cases of irritability, premature fatigue, lack of interest and behavioral problems can be attributed directly to incorrect environmental conditions involving poorly planned color and lighting.

While color selection is important, in that certain colors have certain effects, there is still some flexibility, according to Jill Pilaroscia, IACC, principal with Colour Studio, Inc., in San Francisco. “When you apply color, there is no magic formula or no single best way to do it,” she says.

Part of what will influence selection can be the geographic location of the school, the quality and character of life in the school, and the cultural background of the students.

However, there are some basics to consider, based on color psychology, visual ergonomics and biological response to colors.

Colors in elementary, middle and junior high schools

According to Pilaroscia, younger children tend to be more active, so you can use a brighter color scheme and warm colors, such as warm yellows, pale yellows and so on. “One problem is that a lot of teachers hang so many things on the walls that classrooms can become complete visual chaos,” she says.

It is important to try to have an orderly and organized room, to reduce the amount of nervousness and anxiety in the students.

In most classrooms, there are a lot of other things competing with wall colors, such as posters, artwork, etc. These can lead to over-stimulation, which is one reason you don’t want the wall color itself to be too stimulating.

With younger children, the goal is to achieve balance with colors, which means some, but not too much, stimulation. We at The ArchPlace Interiors always recommend warm colors that invite students in and make them feel the classroom is a warm environment, so they enjoy being there.

Generally, younger children prefer primary colors — yellow, red and blue. However, if a color is too strong or bright, it becomes too stimulating, which causes some children to become overstimulated, energetic or anxious.

For these reasons, we usually recommend warmer primary colors. For example, instead of bright yellow, you can consider a creamy yellow, which is warm and draws on a primary color, but is not overstimulating.

However, if you use too simple of a color, such as a beige, it can be under-stimulating.

Colors can be chosen based on even more selective criteria — the age ranges of the students. Students ages five through eight in particular need to feel a sense of security in the school — that the school cares about them and that there is a positive social climate.

Appropriate colors we usually recommend here are red, peach/orange, warm yellow, salmon, coral and violet. These are warm, bright colors that reduce tension, nervousness and anxiety.

Walls can be painted a pale orange or citrus, for example, and red and violet make good accent colors. If the ceiling is going to be painted, it can be painted yellow to represent sunlight. In any and all cases, black, white, gray or brown are not good choices for these classrooms.

As kids get a bit older, nine and 10, reds and oranges still work, but there are also some preferences for blue and green. Here, walls could be pale orange or citrus, and accents could be blues and greens, or maybe a red.

As students get still older, 11 or 12, there should be a transition from warmer colors to cooler colors. Though Greens seem to become more popular but Red tends to ‘go out the window,’ and there is less interest in orange. For these reasons, walls could be green, but with orange accents.

Colors in high schools

By the time students become teenagers, green is still popular, and there is a growing preference for blue. However, there is still some interest in orange accents. Blues and greens seem to enhance the ability to concentrate. We usually recommend that walls can be painted light green or blue/green.

In high school, you want softer colors. You want students to be able to concentrate more and be more introverted in their studies. For this reason, we recommend beige, buff, pale greens, or pale blue-green, which help with concentration.

In addition, it is not necessary to paint all four walls in a classroom the same color. You can do a focal wall or accent at the front of the classroom with quality coloured wallpaper to relax students’ eyes, such as a blue-green or nature green.

We observed that older students don’t respond well to primary colors, because they feel that the colors are too “young” for them. They are more in tune with colors that are tied into the fashion world, such as teal or orange.

These more popular colors help make the students feel they are in environments that are more up to date.

Again, it is not necessary to paint all four walls the same color. For example, if a room has four orange walls, it is likely to be overstimulating. We recommend rather, an orange wallpaper on one wall, especially the focal wall and teal on the others. You want a stimulating environment, but not one that is so overstimulating that it becomes distracting.

Additional considerations and options

Now, are certain colors better for certain subjects? Here, the research is less consistent. Some research suggests that science classrooms are enhanced by a blue pallete.

However, it depends on the location of the school. For example, if the school is in a cold environment, you may not want the focal wallpaper color to be a cool blue. There is also some research suggesting that yellow is good for math classrooms. However, not everyone agrees on these research results,” she says.

Color can also be used as a navigational tool to create a sense of identity in certain parts of the school. For example, science classrooms and hallways can be painted one color, music and art classrooms and hallways can be painted another color, and so on. This can create a sense of community for the students.

And don’t forget some of the other rooms. For example, we usually suggest that the nurse’s office and principal’s office be painted in more refined colors to reduce anxiety. Can you relate with that…

You don’t want a bright yellow or red in a nurse’s or principal’s office right?

Furthermore, pale or light green tends to be very effective in libraries, because it is a passive color that encourages quietness and concentration.

While there are, or should be, certain constraints in selecting colors for the various rooms in a school, the corridors are another matter completely.

For us, it is usually OK to have more bright and animated colors in corridors, since the purpose there is to encourage people to move from one place to another.

Colors can create a sense of identify for students. Certainly, you don’t want to ask student opinions for colors in classrooms, where research has shown that certain colors are better for interaction and learning.

However, you can conduct a survey and ask students for suggestions on colors in other parts of the school, such as corridors, cafeterias, and recreation areas.

Conclusion 

According to our research and the consensus of the studies that have been done is that, overall, softer tones of primary and secondary colors, such as yellow, blue, red, green and orange, tend to be preferred in schools. “In general, though, students don’t react as well to tertiary colors or neutral tones.

The ArchPlace Interior Design is a full service interior design company located in the heart of Lagos since 2009.

We are a leading interior design solutions company, with specialty in the business of providing unique modern interior designs and creating a space that reflects your style or brand.

Our offerings ranges from furniture, wallpaper and floor coverings, light fixtures as well as window treatments, and accessories (such as art, plants and area rugs), we also offer an assortment of interior decorating services such as design planning (by room or whole building), art arranging, wall painting, colour consultations, furniture arranging and project supervision.

With The ArchPlace Interiors you have the benefit of professional advice and follow-through service from purchase to delivery and installation.

For more information you can contact us  and also reach us-08028437423

You can also visit our website: www.thearchplace.com 

Recently in the UK daily telegraph, we read that the Fred and Sara Machetanz Elementary School in Wasilla was the first school in Alaska to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Certification, earning silver.

Backed by that honor, the school, located in a former gravel pit and named after a prominent Alaskan painter and his wife, has emerged as a pioneer for sustainability in the Matanuska Susitna Borough.

Brought in by Anchorage-based architectural firm McCool Carlson Green, Interior Designer Cathy Kerr made sure Interface was a component in the journey.

High-recycled content products contributed to the more than 30 percent total recycled content needed for the building to achieve its LEED certification.

Plus, Interface products help maintain an increased indoor air quality in the school since floor tiles install —with no glue and meet the highest standards for indoor air quality. And then there’s the aesthetics.

Kerr carefully selected bold color combinations to contrast against Alaska’s monochromatic winter landscape while creating a stimulating learning environment.

According to Kerr, there’s some science behind the color scheme at this award winning elementary school. “I designed the interior of the school so that we used colors from all the segments of the color wheel,” she says. “We know that people respond better in a full color spectrum environment.

Students learn more with color in their environment as opposed to white everywhere. So with that in mind I went searching for the perfect laminate floor tile to do that, and I found Interface.”

The result was an all around win, says Mat-Su Borough Facilities Manager Don Carney. “We liked the design so much that we’re going to build two more using that as a prototype.”

Conclusion 

According to our research and the consensus of the studies that have been done is that, overall, softer tones of primary and secondary colors, such as yellow, blue, red, green and orange, tend to be preferred in schools. “In general, though, students don’t react as well to tertiary colors or neutral tones.

About Us

The ArchPlace Interior Design is a full service interior design company located in the heart of Lagos since 2009.

We are a leading interior design solutions company, with specialty in the business of providing unique modern interior designs and creating a space that reflects your style or brand.

Our offerings ranges from furniture, wallpaper and floor coverings, light fixtures as well as window treatments, and accessories (such as art, plants and area rugs), we also offer an assortment of interior decorating services such as design planning (by room or whole building), art arranging, wall painting, colour consultations, furniture arranging and project supervision.

With The ArchPlace Interiors you have the benefit of professional advice and follow-through service from purchase to delivery and installation.

For more information you can contact us  and also reach us-08028437423

You can also visit our website: www.thearchplace.com 

We seem to have forgotten that schools have to be fun places. Schools are supposed to inspire wonder, creativity and innovation through the teaching and learning of 21st century skills.

Schools are supposed to be welcoming environments that instill in us a love for learning, yet all too often they are boring, gloomy, colorless, and sadly, at times, dark, isolating and lifeless spaces.

The perceived realities of maintenance and cost have driven school districts to a culture of homogeneous, ‘Parchment White’, bland learning environments. In fact, it is sometimes hard to differentiate between prisons and schools this days.

Our challenge today is the world of education has completely changed and we are hindered by a tremendously large stock of facilities that support an industrial revolution learning model that does not meet today’s or tomorrow’s educational needs.

As we prepare our students for the Innovation Economy where entrepreneurship and a cross-collaborative culture prevail, it is critical that our learning environments be places where students can practice every-day learning for tomorrow.

Whether renovating/adding onto an existing school or building a new ground-up facility, there are three strategies that can be implemented to transform schools into environments for the future of Learning: design, lighting and color.

Design

At Little, we are looking at a “Pattern Language” for rethinking learning environments and have identified eight patterns that can support a culture of sharing, collaboration, creativity and innovation — the critical skills necessary for tomorrow’s Innovation Economy. These patterns include:

1. Sharing-scaping — Rethinking every surface of the school as opportunities to inquire, exhibit, present and share ideas. Interpret the learning environment as a crowd-sourcing “sketch-scape” and implement design measures that promote the idea that learning is everywhere.

2. Transparency and Connectivity — This is the single most important pattern in creating a school culture of openness, excitement, belonging and accountability. Environments that promote transparency and connectivity allow the work of the students to be on “display” and offer more exposure to informal learning opportunities.

3. Creativity — Design learning environments as a tinkering landscape that supports the maker-generation and project-based learning. These spaces encourage manipulation of materials and hands-on experiments that lead to more engaged students.

4. Relevance — Create schools that serve as a mechanism to “connect-the dots”. This means designing an environment that supports transdisciplinarity and the making of T-shaped individuals who have the ability to acquire in-depth understanding of multiple topics.

5. Collaboration — Environments that support a culture of collaboration is empowering to both students and teachers. Designing a space that can be configured for teamwork and collaboration amongst students prepares them for the real-world environment.

6. Funscape — Create spaces for out-of-the box thinking, unexpectedness, wonder and, most of all, fun. These innovation labs allow for authentic experiences that lead to a passion for learning.

7. Flexibility and adaptability — Design learning environments that have the capability to change and adapt to future needs. These environments also help provide a landscape of learning spaces to support personalization and differentiation.

8. Active and Engaging — Studies show that students retain up to 80 percent more information through active learning. Designing this type of environment includes the use of technology to support (not drive) education, functional outdoor classrooms and maker spaces.

Lighting

Research shows that students perform better when exposed to natural light. In fact, one study says that kids in school who are exposed to natural daylight score 16 percent higher on tests than those who don’t.

Why? Exposure to nature and natural daylight, is good for our bodies as it lowers blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol.

As designers, we should open up the window line, making sure we bounce light as deeply into each and every one of the learning environments.

Unfortunately, even with this design intent, many schools often decide to close blinds to avoid glare or will avoid incorporating additional windows in the design to protect valuable wall space.

To address this challenge, we use daylighting computer models to help determine how to maximize natural daylight while increasing wall space and reducing glare.

As seen on these images and diagrams above, by elevating the windows in parts of the room with light shelves while lowering the sill to the floor in other parts, we have arrived to a great combination that allows visibility out, usability of walls up to 6 foot 8 inches from the floor, and daylight with less glare and farther “throw” to the inside of the room due to the fact that we bounce part of that light back to the ceiling and it indirectly reflects deep into the room.

Color and Branding

The importance of color in our learning environments should not be underestimated. The use of color has the potential to make us perceive spaces in an entirely different way. On the other hand, a lack of color can make us feel bored and uninspired.

Color can be used to highlight areas and color theory can be used to support appropriate learning moods.

Similarly, branding and graphics can create transformative cultures in schools and make environments feel less generic.

Graphics are critical to expressing who you are; your culture, history, vision and values. When done thoughtfully, they create a more personalized experience to inspire learning and innovation.

By using bold graphics and large fonts, we are able to mentally and emotionally connect students to a space while elevating the cool-factor of our learning environments.

Conclusion

We should remember: School should always be a bright spot for our hearts, minds and our thinking.

Thoughtful design, along with the incorporation of lighting and color, allow us to rethink the vital role that space plays in providing successful student experiences for the next frontier of education.

The ArchPlace Interior Design is a full service interior design company located in the heart of Lagos since 2009.

We are a leading interior design solutions company, with specialty in the business of providing unique modern interior designs and creating a space that reflects your style or brand.

Our offerings ranges from furniture, wallpaper and floor coverings, light fixtures as well as window treatments, and accessories (such as art, plants and area rugs), we also offer an assortment of interior decorating services such as design planning (by room or whole building), art arranging, wall painting, colour consultations, furniture arranging and project supervision.

With The ArchPlace Interiors you have the benefit of professional advice and follow-through service from purchase to delivery and installation.

For more information you can contact us  and also reach us-08028437423

You can also visit our website: www.thearchplace.com