Value Add

Colours of Wellness

Nandini Shah

Colours, appropriately utilised are definitive stress eliminators, aiding in facilitating positive mood or task performance in healthcare settings

Often and contemporary to us now, is the emerging trend of mind, body and consciousness (soul) coherence. Universally, it is observed that registration, retention and recall constitute the major aspects of conscious experience. A recently researched subject, Psycho-Neuro-Immunology (PNI) is bringing to the fore, an approach of combining colour, art, science, and design to yield wellness enhancing environments. This scientific method has made a significant contribution towards developing a comfortable atmosphere and satisfying surroundings through the holistic approach of healing with appropriate balance of light, colour and space. It further examines how these modifications settle in the brain and why our minds perceive them as positive.

Modifications and Linkages

Memory modifies behavior and behavior invites further organisation of images. The need to create spaces which have uplifting and energetic atmospheres is a derivative of these modifications. By creating spatial harmony between influences of everyday life like stress, uncertainty and illness, developing a healing environment through closely aligned colour palettes from home, office, comfort colors and tones has paved ways towards balancing functionality and feeling.

Stress and Illness

In a hospital an impending treatment often causes a sense of unease. Feelings of stress can be curbed by strengthening patient's sense of well-being and encouraging relaxation processes. It has been a common thought that the effect of natural elements and light such a pleasing weather, sounds, sunlight, daylight and color address the mind in a positive way. This is where a harmoniously coloured scene with skillfully controlled lighting can counter stress, reduces tension and fears which aid in stimulating recovery.

Culture and Experience

Modern healthcare facilities should no longer concentrate on the illness from a pathological point of view instead lay emphasis on both service and comfort whether it's the patient, family or caregivers. The complexity of user groups and emotional responses to colors are filtered products of cultural learned linkages and psychological make up. These perceptual implications when averagely provided, improve patient outcomes by reduction or elimination of environmental stressors as a result of enhanced positive distractions. Colours come across as a common language amongst the human race. Colours are attributed with emotional qualities like spiritual (white, orange, golden, and yellow), calm (white, beige, light tones), healing (blue, red, and green, white, yellow) and purity (purple, blue, rainbow spectrum). We are drawn to colors that are needed to create balance in our lives.

The Basic Color

A successful operating scheme is developed through the coming alive of its effect as anticipated. Analysis of colour is subjective to processing forces such as culture, time and geographies and hence, the guarantee of perfect results is difficult. Four types of schemes, as listed under briefly, can be used as universal guidelines for this unwieldy subject attempting at being commonly understood.

Monochromatic: This scheme is developed around one colour through its full intensity and then varying it with shades, tints of the same colour. Textures and patterns enhance the interest in this scheme. This type of scheme is calming, continuous and secure and also adds to the background of art objects in a setting.

Analogous: Related color schemes are the most popular as these are based on the combination of two or three colours which lie close to each other on the colour wheel such as blue, blue-violet and red violet. This is a refreshing, restful and the colors are more interesting because of variations in intensity.

Complementary: Contrast is accentuated by combining colors which are opposite to each other on the colour wheel such as red and green, violet and yellow, orange and blue. This scheme will give a lively and vibrant room. Hence the colour scheme should be dealt with caution. One color shall always dominate. However, by selecting shades and tints in the two colors one can break the sudden impact of the complementary scheme. The colour which is high in chroma and its complement can be toned down by reduction in their values. Hence, bringing together of such contrasting colors as cool and warm in a room will make a mutually complementary association.

Accented schemes are combination of adjacent colors accented by color from the opposite side of the wheel. An example would be the amalgam of strong and soft blues, sharply defined by a dash of orange or red orange.

Neutral shades like black, white, grey and brown cannot be forgotten. These shades are to be just accepted as neutrals appear to be as naturally seen in themselves. Hence, the neutrals juxtaposed against bright colors are a palette saturated with extreme contradictions.

Human Cognizance

The awareness of self and the impact of the modern world through its technological influence relate inter-twining tales; though not so cognizant to the common psyche. The question of life and living deals with the balance of human values in the wake of a futuristic automated society. There are innumerable theories asserted to attain this balance, yet however, the study of color in healthcare institutions is still challenging as it occurs in a system of speculations and assumptions which in themselves are complex and multifaceted.

Likewise, evidences gathered from studies of existing healthcare complexes demonstrate how the contribution of certain colours when accentuated in the interior environment impact patient outcomes, safety and quality of care. Solutions which affect the patients and staff in a positive way be it through patient centered design, appropriate light and colour provisions, maintenance of acoustical levels as suitable, choice of artwork, speak volumes on the growing need to balance the feel of high technology with the more subtle, synergistic, and sensitive notion of being human.

Conclusion

There are limited empirical studies that have conclusively examined the impact of colour as a healing factor in patient care. Colours, appropriately utilised are definitive stress eliminators, aiding in facilitating positive mood or task performance in healthcare settings. An important goal, for facility planners and architects, designers should be to fulfill human needs through good colour rendering and bright, changing visual elements set in a positively arranged environment. Clearly, the future of hospital work should tend to take some aid from the world of colours to brighten and strengthen patient recovery and deliver the good feel. In fact there is a common phrase we always keep on hearing, -'In the pink of your health.' Indeed, we never really pondered about the origin of this phrase. Guess it's time to Google it out and find why is pink the 'colour' of health!

The writer is Senior Architect, HOSMAC
nandini.shah@hosmac.com