Color in eco-architecture as a representation of natural processes

Ewa Cisek, Matylda Gacek

doi:10.37190/arc220208

Abstract

The article aims to analyze the relationships between natural processes of organic materials which are used in eco-architecture and the resulting color effects. It was indicated that images of objects may undergo irreversible changes, when the material used undergoes natural biodegradation over time, as well as cyclical changes – then the applied living matter is periodically reborn in colors consistent with year-round natural rhythms. These solutions, which are implemented on various scales, are defined as new forms of art forming a combination of architecture and biology. Our research on color is part of the framework considerations on the transformation of the urban landscape into environmentally friendly eco-structures of various scales. Analyses of ecological implementations show that the idea of an organic city and introducing nature to cities in various forms of eco-architecture are part of a long-term deep ecology movement initiated in Norway, which is becoming a means of fighting the climate crisis. This study proves a high value and great importance of these applications for achieving diverse and rich color ranges in architecture, while significantly reducing the negative impact of these practices on the natural environment, compared to, e.g., synthetic building materials. Such practices should be particularly promoted in the context of the advancing climate crisis, and research into materials of organic origin should be given priority.

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Ewa Cisek*, Matylda Gacek**

Color in eco-architecture

as a representation of natural processes

Introduction

The subject of the study covers the research on color

manifestations in contemporary architectural solutions,

being in line with the trend known as eco-architecture.

The research in question was undertaken with the aim of

showing a new plastic potential inherent in the experimen-

tal green technologies and natural building materials with

a zero carbon footprint currently being launched on the

market. This study proves a high value and great impor-

tance of these applications for achieving diverse and rich

color ranges in architecture, while signicantly reducing

the negative impact of these practices on the natural envi-

ronment, compared to, e.g., synthetic building materials.

To emphasize these innovative solutions, referred to as

new forms of art, which include, among others, projects

with the use of, for example, panels with algae, hempcrete

or vertical gardens that evolve technologically over time,

they were shown against the background of eco-solutions,

currently considered traditional for some cultural circles.

As commonly used in Scandinavia, e.g., green roofs and

walls, and in Central Europe, e.g., walls made of ceramic

brick, they have been part of the culturally and environ-

mentally conditioned space for centuries. The signicance

and legitimacy of the presented research into both new

eco-technologies and traditional ones, still evolving with

the active participation of man, is related to the promotion

of bioclimatic policy in architecture, with an indication of

new, experimental solutions and the resulting unique, com-

pletely new colors.

A signicant justication for undertaking research on

this topic is the fact that currently about 55% of the world’s

population lives in cities. According to the United Nations,

this number will increase to more than two-thirds by 2050.

When combining this data with current climate forecasts,

it becomes clear that environmental design is the area of

utmost importance for the future of our planet. Hence, the

following questions should be asked: What model of ur-

ban development and type of architecture would be the

most appropriate? What policies and practices for shaping

the built environment could help future generations? One

of the possible paths of urban development leads directly

to nature: its cycles, rhythms and matter, which is charac-

terized by constant interaction and perfect adaptation with

the local environment. Eco-architecture as a complemen-

tary part of culture, remaining in deep relationship with

nature, can guarantee the authenticity and purposefulness

of spatial and color solutions. Nature contains all the pat-

terns, forms of spatial organization and colors necessary

in the design process, behind which there are subtle vibra-

tions, and which are the basis for creating a sustainable and

harmonious living environment. The article shows the use

of responsiveness (response to stimuli from the environ-

ment) of natural matter used in architectural solutions and

the resulting irreversible or cyclically recurring changes

in its color as a direct result of the coupling between ar-

chitecture and biology. As a result of this fusion, natural

processes such as, for example, plant vegetation cycles,

photosynthesis, biodegradation and absorption of rainwa-

ter are behind the variable, colorful image of the object.

These processes may additionally aect the favorable en-

ergy balance of facilities, electricity and heat production

as well as food production and rainwater retention.

The article emphasizes a great value of creating unique

solutions for the image of objects, resulting from the con-

struc tion and nishing materials used, both from the recy-

* ORCID: 0000-0002-7613-6612. Faculty of Architecture, Wro -

cław University of Science and Technology, Poland, e-mail: ewa.cisek@

pwr.edu.pl

** ORCID: 0000-0003-4317-6033. Doctoral School, Wrocław Uni -

versity of Science and Technology, Poland.

DOI: 10.37190/arc220208

Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license

82 Ewa Cisek, Matylda Gacek

cling of traditional (e.g., brick, copper) and new, experimen-

tal technologies (e.g., hempcrete). Due to the progressive

overpopulation of cities, such spatial recycling is very de-

sirable and valuable. In addition to the time factor, which is

an important element in the process of changing the color

of materials, the article also puts emphasis on the inuence

of environmental factors, including the character of natural

lighting. The analyses of ecological implementations show

that the idea of an organic city and introducing nature to cit-

ies in various forms of eco-architecture are part of the long-

term deep ecology movement, becoming a means to combat

the climate crisis.

Considering the above, the presented research is im-

portant not only because of its current character, but above

all, due to its future-oriented nature.

The subject of natural building materials in ecological

architecture, including their color possibilities, belongs to

a dynamically developing area full of innovation, and this

article is a unique collection of such examples.

Purpose and scope of research

The purpose of the research is to show how both new,

experimental and traditionally used in modern eco-archi-

tecture, eco-technologies and natural building materials

that are constantly evolving over time, which combine

architecture with biology, signicantly reduce the eects

of the climate crisis. Such practices should be particularly

promoted in the context of the advancing climate crisis,

and research into materials of organic origin should be

given priority.

The purpose of the research is to show how new, expe -

rimental used in modern eco-architecture, eco-technologie

and natural building materials (e.g., hempcrete, panels

with algae) which combine architecture with biology in-

crease aesthetic values of designed buildings, including

a deepened, unique color eect. This eect in new and

traditionally eco-architecture is a direct consequence

of natural processes that organic and often living matter

undergoes over time, contributing to the achievement of

color-changing and time-evolving images of architectural

objects. These images may undergo irreversible changes,

when the material used undergoes natural biodegradation

over time, as well as cyclical changes – then the applied

living matter periodically revives in accordance with the

year-round natural rhythms, returning periodically in vari-

ous colors. This study proves a high value and great impor-

tance of these applications for achieving diverse and rich

color ranges in architecture.

The present study covered layouts which constitute

representative European examples of the use of color

solutions based on eco-materials with particular emphasis

on new experimental technologies aimed at increasing the

energy eciency of buildings with the use of renewable

energy sources. A signicant part of the cited projects are

Norwegian facilities due to their high artistic rank and the

country’s leading achievements in promoting the pro-cli-

mate policy and the fact that in 2019 Oslo was called the

“Green Capital of Europe”. Therefore, our research on

color is part of the framework considerations on the trans-

formation of the urban landscape into environmentally

friendly multi-colored eco-structures.

Research method

Literature studies and case studies (analysis of theory

and practice) supported by the in situ method – on-site

visions became our workshop research method. The crite-

rion for collecting data, systematizing issues and making

their synthesis was made dependent on an interdisciplin-

ary approach to the topic and openness of ideas. When

selecting publications, eorts were made to present the

items representative for a given thematic group. When

there was no appropriate monograph, publications in spe-

cialized magazines and the Internet were used (the selec-

tion of websites was veried, taking into account credibil-

ity, inter alia, of people and institutions).

The state of research

The principle of continuation and complementation,

which is applied by architects and implemented, among

other things, in the form of appropriate colors of eco-facil-

ities, reects the idea of an organic city, where each new

element added to the original structure is perceived as its

natural extension. Properly juxtaposed colors of life or the

colors of the earth representing this continuation consti-

tute elements which are taken directly from nature or have

the character of individual novelties. Among the special-

ists who deal with this type of eco-architecture, the fol-

lowing authors should be mentioned: Nina Berre, Monika

Rydiger, Christem Malmström, Elisabeth Seip, William

Stanwix, Alexander Sparrow, Alexandra Martins Teixeira,

Ines Daniel de Campos, Juhani Pallasmaa, Pierre Zoelly

and Kenneth Frampton. Berre emphasizes that eco-facil-

ities can become catalysts which stimulate the develop-

ment of a given area. She draws attention to the social

priority which constitutes the basis of these layouts and

points to the presence of a visually shaped public space

which integrates the community. They can also become

a brand of cities and investments [1, pp. 8–21]. Rydiger de-

scribes architectural activities at the interface with nature

as “thinking by means of landscape”. She sees in them the

implementation of the idea of creating site-specic archi-

tecture, reecting genius loci, for which the main deter-

minants are parameters of the environment while the ele-

ments of the work co-create the landscape which becomes

a marked zone – a new quality, where boundaries between

architecture and nature blur [2, pp. 26–33]. Malmström

points to the artistic nature of these structures, thanks to

which they t into the cultural landscape. He underlines

the presence of large and small scales of designed objects

and emphasizes complex spatial relations in the sphere of

the sacred and the profane [3, pp. 22–25]. Seip, in turn,

draws attention to the character of the created eco-archi-

tecture based on the awareness of the importance of the

tradition of materials, their colors and textures and their

inuence on the relationships between architectural ob-

jects and the landscape [4, pp. 2–4]. The works of such

researchers as Stanwix and Sparrow deal with unique, in

Color in eco-architecture as a representation of natural processes 83

matic conditions in its interior and to obtain the intended

color eect on the façades. The eect of such solutions is

the creation of a compensatory green plane or biologically

active planes within the space taken away from nature.

They can also be applied as a means of revitalizing the

existing walls of buildings within development quarters as

part of the so-called pocket parks. Green roofs and walls

signicantly improve the energy eciency of a building,

i.e. they cool the interior space in summer and warm it in

winter. These solutions are also eective in reducing the

peak rainwater ow. They slow down this ow and thus

contribute to the reduction of the risk of ooding. Their

eectiveness may vary from 5% to 95% reduction in run-

o, depending on the type and depth of the ground and

the season, as well as the intensity and amount of rainfall.

The division of green roofs into extensive and intensive

ultimately aects the color eect obtained after their ap-

plication. Among the rst group, which is disseminated

in the Scandinavian countries, including Norway, we can

distinguish sedum roofs, eco-roofs and living roofs [13,

pp. 150, 151]. The entire surface is covered with light, low,

self-sucient, and low-maintenance vegetation (Fig. 1).

Depending on the type of roof, the eect is a single or

multi-colored continuous plane, which cyclically change

its appearance subject to the vegetation cycle of the plant

species used in its composition. They can be turf-meadow

plantings, such as asphodel (Leucanthemum ircutianum),

Carthusian pink (Dianthus carthusianorum), mouse-ear

hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella), Breckland wild thyme

(Thymus serpyllum L.), garlic (Allium nigrum), sapphires

(Muscari) and iris (Iris), as well as sedum (Sedum) and

succulents plantings (Succulentus). On the other hand,

intense green roofs (gardens on roofs) form shaped envi-

ronments where green surfaces appear in the island sys-

tem, giving a dierent color eect – more or less regular

colorful patterns as a result of combining a living organic

tissue with materials such as stone, wood, or ceramics.

The colors of living matter created in this way are the

changing colors of the life cycle of plants, which are jux-

taposed with natural colors of recreational spaces within

the area of the roof plane. The composition also includes

terms of color, façade solutions with the use of hempcrete

[5]. Research on the typology and color possibilities of

vertical garden solutions is included in the works by Ta-

vares Martins and Daniel de Campos [6]. The subject of

studies by authors such as Pallasmaa [7], [8, pp. 22–25],

Zoelly [9] and Frampton [10, pp. 12–15] is the research on

shaping tectonics of a building and the colors connected

with it, including green roofs which create a new artistic

quality along with topographical relief. Research into the

color of recycled bricks, which is particularly important

in the environmental context, is present in the works by

authors such as Kumar et al. [11]. Biotechnology-based

construction – as an important development direction for

sustainable architecture in the context of depleting natu-

ral resources and climate change – is represented by ex-

perimental materials with unique colors. The research on

them is included in the works of such researchers as Noam

Attias et al. [12].

Color in eco-architecture

in relation to the energy efficiency of buildings

Colors of living organic tissue

that covers and penetrates architectural objects

Green tissues, which cover walls and even entire build-

ings, constitute an opportunity to introduce vast surfaces

of colors coming directly from nature into cities. More-

over, it is a color which transforms over the course of the

year-round vegetation cycle of plants. Vertical or horizon-

tal partitions covered with plants aect the observer like

large or small-format living and changing images. Such

solutions can be classied as a new form of art forming

a combination between architecture and biology [6]. The

tools which are used to achieve unlimited solutions are

plants themselves, their type, colors, size, texture and form,

as well as combinations that create unique compositions.

Green roofs and vertical gardens are an example of

the deliberate use of colored organic matter as a nishing

material of a building to ensure benets connected with

appropriate rainwater absorption, to create friendly biocli-

Fig. 1. Extensive green roofs of a residential development in Skaidi, Norway:

a) view of the housing development, b) detail: roof with turf-meadow plantings (photo by E. Cisek)

Il. 1. Ekstensywne dachy zielone zabudowy mieszkaniowej w Skaidi, Norwegia:

a) widok zespołu mieszkaniowego, b) detal: dach z nasadzeniami darniowo-łąkowymi (fot. E. Cisek)

a b

84 Ewa Cisek, Matylda Gacek

cobalt-colored photovoltaic materials delineating trans-

portation routes and panels. Solutions which often give

surprising color eects are permaculture roof gardens or

ornamental plant compositions in pots with a given, usu-

ally one-color scheme. A representative example of this

is the geological garden on the roof of the Copernicus

Science Center building in Warsaw, Poland (arch. RAr-2

Laboratorium Architektury Jan Kubec, implementation

in 2011). The garden, which refers to raw rock and ero-

sion forms, was designed in the manner of the topogra-

phy of the Vistula areas with numerous biotopes – small

self-cleaning water reservoirs – waterholes for birds. The

layout is kept in subdued colors, where the colors of the

earth are dominant, i.e., paths are made of black basalt, pa-

tio cladding is sand-like color, and attic walls are in shades

of brown (Fig. 2). 8,000 m² of the garden area is arranged

in the form of vegetation in aluminum pots which create

dense single-species and at the same time single-color car-

pets such as lavender jak lawenda (Lavandula L.), thymes

(Thymus serpyllum), meadowsweets (Spiraea), sedum

(Sedum), and heather (Calluna vulgaris). These composi-

tions are varied with taller plants which are planted point-

wise or between lower species such as juniper (Juniperus

communis L.) and forsythia (Forsythia Vahl).

On the other hand, the green roof of the University

Library in Warsaw in Poland (landscape architect Irena

Bajerska, implementation in 2002) forms a four-color

composition, dividing its impressive area of 0.5 hectare

into parts, i.e., golden – yellow, silver – blue, carmine and

green. In each of them, color-matched plant species grow

so that the color assigned in a given location is maintained

throughout the year.

Green walls in the form of vertical gardens are increas-

ingly used as a supplement to green roofs and enhance

their hydrological, ecological, and utility functions. The

vertical planes shaped in this way, depending on the type

of solution, give a dierent artistic eect. As climbing

vegetation on a rack with the use of, among other things,

Fig. 2. The geological garden on the roof of the Copernicus Science Center building in Warsaw, Poland:

a) view of the roof – dense single-species and at the same time single-color carpets, b) detail of the roof: vegetation in aluminum pots

(photo by R. Czajka)

Il. 2. Ogród geologiczny na dachu Centrum Nauki Kopernik w Warszawie, Polska:

a) widok na jednobarwne, zwarte kobierce jednogatunkowe, b) detal: roślinność w aluminiowych donicach

(fot. R. Czajka)

species such as common ivy (Hedera helix L.), Japanese

creeper (Parthenocissus tricuspidata), ve-leaf akebia

(Akebia quinata) and Ipomoea (Ipomoea batatas), de-

pending on the type of the covered form (wall, loggia),

the color eect is uniform for the entire part of the build-

ing covered with vegetation. According to the life cycle of

some species of creepers, their leaves may change color

cyclically. Thanks to this, the façade acquires a dierent

color eect along with the changing seasons, as in the

case of the façade of the National Museum building in

Wrocław in Poland. If the green wall obscures the log-

gia, it also acts as a natural shutter, limiting the sun’s ow

on summer days and increasing its insolation in winter.

Green walls, which are built of coers lled with organic

matter, make it possible to create color compositions of

various plant species just like in the case of puzzles. As

a result, it is possible to obtain a heterogeneous, multi-as-

pect, multi-dimensional, and multi-colored biologically

active surface which changes color according to the life

cycles of plants and the seasons connected with them.

This type of green wall is used for large-scale and point-

like compositions of gardens on façades. The latter, with

a smaller scale, are used in pocket parks, creating a col-

orful accent on the façade of the building. An example is

the vertical garden on the façade of the Municipal Oce

building in Świdnicka Street in Wrocław in Poland (ar-

chitect Dobosz Architekci, implementation). The ground

oor of the building is designed of specially aged sheet

metal, alternating with elements of a vertical illuminated

green wall (Fig. 3).

The largest green façade in Europe, consisting of more

than 30,000 climbing plants covering the building, is an

example of an oce building designed by Ingenhoven

Architects in Germany (implementation 2020). The color,

which is manifested in spatial plant structures, also has

an impact in three dimensions, thanks to the use of green

tissue on all partitions of the building. The green wall with

an impressive area of 240 m², which was put up in the

a b

Color in eco-architecture as a representation of natural processes 85

ed on the fth top oor. The white of the building’s façade

is varied with vertical green accents as a result of the de-

liberate use of movable bio-reactive glass panels – blinds

lled with algae. The structure of vertical blinds protects

the algae enclosed in them against external conditions,

creating a microclimate necessary for their growth. The

year-round and all-day solar cycle determines color chang-

es on the building’s façade. The blinds are set at dierent

angles, creating interesting color transitions from light

shades of green to their deep bottle-like color. The mov-

able green shutter provides additional insulation from the

environment and the necessary shading on hot sunny days.

Bio-solar algae panels were also used as a bio-reactive

crowning of the building. The panels are arranged in large

horizontal planes, forming the green roof covering, as the

fth, colorful façade of the building visible from the bird’s

eye view. This solution, apart from the artistic eect, pro-

duces energy more eciently than advanced photovoltaic

panels. Algae multiply quickly, doubling their mass sev-

eral times a day. They absorb CO

from air and produce

oxygen 100 times faster than trees which cover the surface

area of the panels. A good example of this is represent-

ed by Imperial College London (Arborea company). This

innovative technology, apart from undeniable aesthetic

values, uses biochemical processes, being a self-sucient

renewable source of energy and ecological food.

Colors of earth. Recycled bricks as an example

of environmentally friendly construction

waste management

Recycled bricks constitute a valuable building material

with unique colors, which, recovered from the architectur-

al structures of their original use, can be reused. It should

be emphasized that in the contemporary design context,

the reuse of building materials is one of the priority as-

sumptions. These practices contribute to the real minimi-

building of the Capitol Musical Theater in Wrocław in

Poland, is also noteworthy. The green partition has a color

eect as a large-format artistic image. A similar intended

eect in the form of a single-plane vertical garden on the

façade of the building was achieved in the Caixa Forum

Madrid – Art Center in Spain (architects Herzog & de

Meuron, implementation in 2007).

The color intensity changing components of the façade.

Green panels with algae

– a renewable source of electricity and heat

Green is perceived as the color of reviving life. Its

various shades, from luminous and juicy accents to deep

bottle tones ones, can reect the next stages of biochem-

ical processes which the plant world, including also mi-

cro algae, is subject to. Among the most progressive and

purposeful eco-technologies in recent years is “Bio Solar

Leaf” – architecture using bio-reactive glass panels lled

with green algae. Algae, which are enclosed in bio-solar

façade or roof panels and feed on nutrients supplied by

water pumps to them, absorb CO

from air and produce

oxygen. They produce heat in the process of photosyn-

thesis, which is then captured and converted by bioreac-

tors into energy that supplies the building with heat and

electricity. Moreover, biomass is produced in bioreactors

during this process – one of the most promising sources of

organic energy which is quickly renewable and ecient.

Algae that still multiply in the panels can also be a source

of protein and thus an example of a futuristic bioclimatic

urban agriculture.

The zero-energy BIQ (Bio Intelligence Quotient) build-

ing, which was constructed with the use of façade panels

with algae, was the rst in the world. It was nanced by Ger-

man government subsidy “Zukunft Bau” and implemented

in Hamburg in 2013. In BIQ, there are 15 apartments with

an area of 50–120 m

each and a penthouse which is locat-

Fig. 3. A multi-aspect green vertical garden as part of a pocket park on the façade of the City Hall building in Świdnicka Street in Wrocław, Poland:

a) view of the front elevation, b) detail: specially aged sheet metal with elements of a vertical green wall (photo by E. Cisek)

Il. 3. Wielowątkowy, zielony ogród wertykalny w ramach parku kieszonkowego na elewacji budynku Urzędu Miejskiego

przy ul. Świdnickiej we Wrocławiu, Polska:

a) widok elewacji frontowej, b) detal: postarzana blacha z elementami pionowej zielonej ściany (fot. E. Cisek)

86 Ewa Cisek, Matylda Gacek

zation of signicant amounts of waste generated by the

construction sector. In the EU alone it is nearly 36% of

the total annual waste [14], and thus reducing the nega-

tive impact of this sector on the natural environment. The

most appropriate solution, which at the same time creates

an ethical potential for shaping color in eco-architecture

in the context of the future, is to dispose of waste so that

it remains in a closed circuit becoming (as a result of

the recycling process) a secondary construction material

[15]. It is worth adding that contemporarily used recycled

bricks are also bricks made of various construction waste.

For this purpose, wastes such as y ash or slags are pro-

cessed [16]. Bricks based on recycling of plastic waste are

also being developed. Bricks for the production of which

a mixture of plastic and sand is used, are characterized,

among other things, by much lower water consumption,

which is particularly important in the environmental con-

text [11]. Traditional brick is an organic material, usually

formed from mineral resources, the composition of which

determines the color of the nal clay brick. Moreover,

specic conditions and processes of brick fabrication de-

ne both its color (e.g., ring temperature), as well as the

degree of its resistance to weather conditions and resis-

tance to the passage of time.

Recycled bricks oer a wide range of colors and aes-

thetics, which creates a potential for architects to use them

to shape architectural forms with a variety of visual ef-

fects, from traditional forms to modern aesthetics. The

individual recycled bricks represent exceptionally diverse

colors of dierent saturation, namely from light shades of

beige, yellow, through orange, rust tones, browns, to gray

and ash-like. Most bricks have a warm color temperature.

These are mainly shades of red with various dominant

tones and degrees of intensity depending on the ring

temperature. Due to the above, it is possible to obtain

bricks with shades of white and yellow, which is thanks to

the high content of calcium, or specimens with pink tones

due to the high content of iron in the raw material. More-

over, in the case of recycled bricks, it is possible to modify

them in color using the painting or staining process, in-

cluding the entire existing brick walls [17]. An important

feature of this material, inuencing both its color and the

possibility of repeated use, is high resistance to the inu-

ence of the time factor on its structure. Over the years,

under the inuence of weather conditions, brick façades

are constantly transformed, gaining various forms and de-

tails, depending on the individual specimen. Bricks reused

in construction bear the sign of the times in the form of

characteristic lime blooms of light tones and dark tones

caused by dirt remaining in the porous structure of the

material. The above-mentioned characteristic form of this

material is worth emphasizing as an important component

of the aesthetics of brick, which (as a material commonly

hand-formed in the past) is characterized by the unique

texture of each piece. These heterogeneous surfaces af-

fected by variable natural lighting generate interesting

light and shade transforming the basic colors of recycled

bricks over the course of the day and year.

The GjG House (Fig. 4), which was designed by the

BLAF architecten studio (2015, Gentbrugge), is an apt

illustration of the unique color of the object that was ob-

tained thanks to the use of recycled brick. The building

was erected with the use of bricks recovered directly from

the ruins of former farm buildings on the plot. This is a rep-

resentative example of the rich tonal colors of brick parti-

tions, the building material of which is construction waste.

The unique transitions of various colors seem to fol-

low the heterogeneous curving (to avoid the existing tree

stand) planes of the walls. The object blends in with the

surrounding nature by means of its organic form and

Fig. 4. Unique light and shade transitions of various colors of recycled bricks on the curving surfaces of the walls in GjG House, Belgium:

a) view of the GjG House, b) detail of the brick wall (photo by S. Bollaert, BLAF)

Il. 4. Unikatowe przejścia światłocieniowe różnorodnych barwowo cegieł z recyklingu na zakrzywiających się płaszczyznach ścian

w domu GjG House, Belgia: a) widok domu, b) detal ściany ceglanej (fot. S. Bollaert, BLAF)

a b

Color in eco-architecture as a representation of natural processes 87

colors, the so-called colors of earth. The texture of their

surfaces also inuences the nal perception of the color

of brick partitions. Due to the use of recycled bricks, it

is heterogeneous and variable. Thus, an interesting visu-

al eect depending on the light intensity and the viewing

angle was achieved. The surfaces with a clear texture re-

fract the light, creating chiaroscuro tonal nuances on the

face of the material. It is worth mentioning that in order

to achieve this eect, nowadays, the faces of brick walls

are also often exposed in interiors, which is a procedure

for the eective and economical introduction of both color

and texture in a given room. A similar solution for intro-

ducing an authentic brick color in interiors are tiles made

of original cut old bricks. Moreover, currently available

on the market of building materials are also new bricks,

deliberately visually aged already at the production stage

to imitate the original old copies. The universality of this

type of solutions conrms that brick is a timeless and at-

tractive material in its colors.

Another interesting artistic eect is achieved by mé-

lange – a combination of bricks of dierent shades of the

same color. Examples of such solutions, being part of the

so-called Rural neo-Gothic style of housing, can be found in

Belgium [18, pp. 52, 53], e.g., in Braaschaat and Houvenen

(Fig. 5).

Another important example of architectural actions with-

in brick structures is the recovery of not only the brick itself,

but also the entire existing brick structures (remains of old

buildings), while integrating them into new architectural

forms. An example of such actions is an old country cottage

in the Czech Republic (Jevíčko), which was transformed by

architects from the ORA studio into a modern single-fami-

ly house aptly named House inside a ruin (implementation

in 2020). As the name suggests, it is essentially a building

within a building where a brick framework lls a newly

designed home. The result of combining the old and new

structure is unconventional elevations (Fig. 6). It is a good

example of real recycling of both materials and space.

Fig. 6. House inside a ruin in Jevíčko, Czech Republic. The old cottage has become a brick colorful skin for a new home:

a) view of the building, b) detail of the brick wall (photo by BoysPlayNice)

Il. 6. House inside a ruin w Jevíčko, w Czechach. Dawna chata stała się ceglaną, „barwną skórą” dla nowego domu:

a) widok domu, b) detal ściany ceglanej (fot. BoysPlayNice)

Fig. 5. Mélange of the brick color used is visible in the façade of the residential house in Houvenen, in Belgium:

a) view of the front façade, b) detail of the brick wall (photo by E. Cisek)

Il. 5. Melanż zastosowanego koloru cegieł widoczny w elewacji domu mieszkalnego w Houvenen, w Belgii:

a) widok frontowej elewacji, b) detal ściany ceglanej (fot. E. Cisek)

88 Ewa Cisek, Matylda Gacek

The perception of brick partitions is also signicant-

ly inuenced by tectonics and the drawing of the planes

themselves, i.e. the brickwork bond. The way the bricks

are arranged in the wall creates a specic composition of

the brick surface. Formally, the brick usually takes the shape

of a cuboid with similar side proportions 1:2:4, and the pos-

sibility of obtaining various geometries is extremely wide.

In the building designed by Biuro Toprojekt (implemen-

tation in 2017), the possibility of a non-standard arrange-

ment of brick in the wall was applied in order to provide

additional chiaroscuro and spaciousness with the plane of

vertical partitions (Fig. 7). Moreover, the reverse procedure

was used by subtracting individual bricks in some places,

creating openwork. The sculpted façade obtained a dynam-

ic brick color scheme, changing with the movement of the

sun and the shade appearing on it. The walls were made

of hand-sorted waste bricks from the nearby brickyard.

Again, this is an example of obtaining waste material

which is available locally, thereby reducing the carbon

footprint of its transport to the construction site.

The design assumption was for the building to give the

impression of rising out of the ground. As architects M. Wa -

wrzyniak and K. Wawrzyniak say: In the process of pat-

inating the ceramic material, the line of contact with the

ground should become more and more blurred, and the

colors of the roof and wall surface should be joined to-

gether. The green roof, over time, will have a plant cover

and colors will start to harmonize making the house and

the natural surrounding as one [19, p. 1].

Heterogeneous and unique façade colors.

Hempcrete, an eco-building material

with a building carbon footprint close to zero

Hempcrete is a material with signicant potential for

applications in the 21

-century architecture, both in terms

of possible color solutions as well as the energy ecien-

cy of buildings. The Climate Special Report of the Inter -

governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2019) em -

phasizes the urgent need to reduce CO

emissions by all

sectors of the economy in order to delay human-induced

climate change [20]. The construction sector alone is

responsible for 36% of nal energy consumption. Addi-

tionally, its activity is the cause of 39% of carbon dioxide

emissions to the atmosphere, which is a consequence of

energy and technological processes, of which as much as

11% is the result of the production of building materials

such as steel, cement, and glass [21, pp. 9–12]. The nat-

ural material hempcrete is a material with a particularly

low environmental impact. Its widespread use is a way

to minimize the extremely negative impact of the archi-

tecture and construction sector on the environment, and

hence on climate change. Hempcrete also represents an

important and exceptionally benecial feature of the so-

called enclosing CO

in the building structure. This is

due to the fact that plants are the raw material for it. This

means that during the stage of cultivation and growth of

the plant, it absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

When processing plant raw materials into construction

materials, it is in the building structure that CO

, which

is so harmful to the climate, is ultimately blocked. An un-

questionable advantage is also the possibility of storing

such a total amount of CO

by plant raw materials, which

value exceeds the sum of carbon dioxide generated during

the construction phase of the facility. To sum up – the en-

ergy necessary to construct a building in the hempcrete

technology is much lower than in the case of commercial

technologies at every stage of the building’s life [22].

Hempcrete, as a kind of conglomerate of hemp shives,

a binder (mainly lime) and water, is a heterogeneous ma-

terial, also in terms of color and uniqueness in each case.

Depending on the purpose and composition of hemp con-

crete (including proportions of individual components of

the mixture), structures with a dierent degree of mixing

density, and thus a dierent texture, are obtained [23].

The porosity of the nal plane of horizontal or vertical

partitions made in this technology also signicantly in-

uences the perception of their colors. Due to the organic

Fig. 7. The building of Red House in Rudy Wielkie, Poland (from the color of brick walls) is characterized by dynamic variable colors

due to the tectonics of the planes and rich light and chiaroscuro: a) view of residential development,

b) detail: the sculpted façade obtained a dynamic brick color scheme, changing with the movement of the sun and the shade appearing on it

(photo by J. Sokołowski)

Il. 7. Budynek Red House w Rudach Wielkich, w Polsce (od barwy ceglanych ścian) za sprawą tektoniki płaszczyzn i bogatego światłocienia

cechuje się dynamiczną, zmienną kolorystyką: a) widok założenia mieszkaniowego,

b) detal: rozrzeźbiona elewacja, zmieniająca się wraz z ruchem słońca i kładącym się na niej cieniem (fot. J. Sokołowski)

a b

Color in eco-architecture as a representation of natural processes 89

origin of the main raw material of hemp concrete, namely

hemp stems (Cannabis sativa L.), individual batches of

material may dier in size and color. The nal color of

the material is inuenced by the degree of its humidity;

the form in which hemp concrete occurs; possible addi-

tion of natural coloring pigments. Due to the controlled

conditions of prefabrication, hemp concrete in the form of

blocks (bricks) or ready-made wall panels is characterized

by a more homogeneous structure and color (the material

dries under controlled conditions). On the other hand, the

material produced on-site as a mixture distributed directly

around the supporting structure of the building is charac-

terized by a greater variety. Generally, individual layers of

the wall are applied to the formwork and compacted (man-

ually or with the use of devices), which translates into the

structural and color multilayer of the nal face of the ver-

tical partition (Fig. 8). This specic manufacture of the

building creates an extremely authentic, each time unique,

artistic visual eect of the nished walls. The individual

layers of walls create a monolithic structure with interest-

ing and irregular patterns, resembling the cross-sections

of rocks, e.g., sandstone. Undyed hemp concrete assumes

colors from neutral to warm tones of gray and beige with

low saturation. Moreover, with the help of hempcrete, it

is possible to freely shape forms, which makes it possible

to obtain interesting chiaroscuro bodies and planes. Walls

can take on soft lines, on the surfaces of which light re-

fracts gently and subtle tonal transitions are observed.

It is possible to achieve many color shades depending

on the composition of the mixture and the additives ap-

plied. Hempcrete can be colored by adding mineral pig-

ments [24]. It is worth mentioning that this material is

often covered with internal and external nishing layers

in the form of natural plaster: lime, hemp, clay, with ag-

gregates and natural paints [5, s. 230].

In the context of the reception of architectural works

as spatial objects, we should take into account the haptic

nature of the recipient’s experiences, which constitutes the

overall aesthetic perception of the object. As Pallasmaa

pointed out in the Thinking Hand: An architectural work

is not experienced as a series of isolated retinal pictures;

it is touched and lived in its full integrated material, em-

bodied and spiritual essence [25, p. 130]. Thus, parallel

to visual properties of an object, i.e., color, the aesthetics

and perception of the experience of architecture are inu-

enced by haptic properties such as structure and texture.

Undoubtedly, hemp concrete is an example of such a ma-

terial which engages the aforementioned multi-sensory

perception in a recipient. In the case of buildings which

are constructed by means of this technology, the user ex-

periences architecture through sight – a variety of colors

with a unique drawing as well as by touch – non-uniform

structure with a characteristic texture.

A good model for the use of hempcrete in deeply

pro-ecological architecture is the project of a single-family

house called Flat House (Cambridgeshire, Great Britain,

Fig. 8. Various colors, structures and textures of the surfaces of vertical partitions made of hempcrete: a), b) the examples of walls

(photo by M. Gacek)

Il. 8. Różnorodne kolorystycznie, strukturalnie i fakturowo powierzchnie przegród pionowych z betonu konopnego: a), b) przykładowe detale ścian

(fot. M. Gacek)

90 Ewa Cisek, Matylda Gacek

2019) by the Practice Architecture studio (Fig. 9). This is

another example of noticing the locally available material,

here – hemp grown directly on the construction site, and

then using it for construction, thus minimizing the car-

bon footprint generated on the production line of build-

ing material – construction site. The house was built of

hemp-lled prefabricated panels. From the inside of the

building, the wall panels were left in a raw state, expos-

ing the aesthetic properties of hempcrete. The surfaces

have an interesting diverse texture and ambiguous colors

which change under the inuence of light intensity. The

at house is an example of the so-called a zero-emission

house. In the case of hemp concrete buildings, it is the

plant material that is responsible for negative carbon diox-

ide emissions [5, p. 63] – the material stores the amount of

that exceeds the total amount of CO

emitted during

production and transport of the material. The external sur-

faces of the building are covered with specially developed

façade tiles, also made of hemp. The individual hemp -

ber plates are joined with sugar-based resin obtained from

agricultural waste. This action is an illustration of a truly

ethical color in eco-architecture. As a result, the building

adopted warm tonal colors in shades of brown and from

a distance the covering resembles wood. Moreover, the

grooved structure of the tiles contributes to an interesting

play of light and chiaroscuro on the façades, which react

to changes in lighting and undergo a color transformation

on a daily and yearly scale.

Color in eco-architecture in relation

to the time factor and environmental conditions.

Façades with the use of materials of organic

origin which change color permanently over time

Time is a direct factor which has an inuence on the

color of façades made of organic materials. Their surfac-

es undergo a constant color transformation over the years.

Combined with the parallel inuence of changing weather

conditions, these façades take on various tones and textures.

The most common example of such façades is repre-

sented by wooden façades. Wood is a material which,

when left unnished on the façade and exposed to weather

conditions, loses its original color very quickly. This prop-

erty is often used on purpose, especially since some types

of wood give the intended color eect after many years,

e.g., the wood of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) changes to

a silver color with time. An example is the paneling of this

type of wood used in the building of the Norwegian Par-

liament of the Saami People in Karasjok (architect Stein

Halvorsen, Christian Sundby, implementation in 2000), in

Norway (Fig. 10).

Due to an inevitable change in the color of wood, im-

pregnation agents have been used for hundreds of years to

prevent premature aging. The traditional Japanese tech-

nique of impregnating wood with re called shou-sugi-

ban (as well as yakisugi) involves the controlled burn-

ing of the wood to give it the desired color and specic

properties. As a result of this treatment, the burned wood

acquires re-resistant properties, is more durable and re-

sistant to weather conditions and pests [26].

When it comes to colors, due to the charring process,

the wooden surface heated in this way takes on dark tones,

i.e. close to black. It can also be cleaned and oiled. The

visual eect of the wooden surface treated in this way

is unique, as in the completed project (2020) by the 89°

studio. This single-family house near Warsaw (Poland) is

characterized by a minimalist form emphasized by a large

black surface of the façade. With the surrounding vegeta-

tion, it creates an interesting black and green assemblage

(a spatial collage) in which the verticalism of harmonious-

ly contrasting façade boards with tones close to black with

the white of the surrounding birches is visible (Fig. 11).

Impregnations based on iron oxides, commonly used in

Norway, especially in farm buildings, signicantly inu-

enced the colors of Norwegian farm buildings. Deep red barns

are an integral part of Norwegian landscapes [27] (Fig. 12).

In the context of pro-ecological architecture, it is nec-

essary to mention a new material with great development

Fig. 9. Zero-emission hemp house Flat House at Margent Farm in Cambridgeshire, England, covered with innovative hemp fiber tiles:

a) view of the front elevation, b) detail of the wall (arch.: Practice Architecture, photo by O. Proctor)

Il. 9. Zeroemisyjny dom z konopi Flat House na farmie Margent w Cambridgeshire, w Anglii, pokryty innowacyjnymi płytkami z włókna konopnego:

a) widok frontowej elewacji, b) detal: płytki z włókna konopnego (proj. Practice Architecture, fot. O. Proctor)

a b

Color in eco-architecture as a representation of natural processes 91

Fig. 10. Siberian larch wood, discoloring with time from gray to silver, used as a cladding for the façade of the Norwegian Parliament

of the Saami People in Karasjok, Norway: a) view of the front façade, b) detail of the roof (photo by E. Cisek)

Il. 10. Drewno modrzewia syberyjskiego przebarwiające się z czasem z koloru szarego na srebrzysty zastosowane jako okładzina elewacji

Budynku Norweskiego Parlamentu Ludu Saami w Karasjok, Norwegia: a) widok frontowej elewacji obiektu, b) detal dachu (fot. E. Cisek)

Fig. 11. Wooden house façades with dark colors, treated with the shou-sugi-ban method:

a) view of the building with tones close to black with the white of the surrounding birches, b) detail of the façade (photo by A. Olczak, studio 89°)

Il. 11. Ciemne tonalnie elewacje drewniane domu mieszkalnego pod Warszawą potraktowane metodą shou-sugi-ban:

a) widok budynku zestawiony z bielą otaczających go brzóz, b) detal elewacji (fot. A. Olczak, studio 89°)

Fig. 12. Deep red barn – a permanent element of the Norwegian landscape, Stryn, Norway:

a) view of the farm development with barn, b) detail: the elevation of the red Barn (photo by E. Cisek)

Il. 12. Stodoła w kolorze głębokiej czerwieni – stały element norweskiego krajobrazu, Stryn, Norwegia:

a) widok zabudowy farmerskiej ze stodołą, b) detal elewacji stodoły (fot. E. Cisek)

92 Ewa Cisek, Matylda Gacek

potential in the context of the future. It is the so-called

hempwood, which has a chance to become a substitute

for wood. This ecological material, which is modeled on

the physical characteristics of oak commonly used in con-

struction, surpasses its properties – it is 20% more durable

than oak and its production is 100 times faster. Hempwood

has very interesting visual characteristics, i.e., a variety of

colors, from shades of gray to browns with varying de-

grees of saturation; unique surface drawings depending on

the material, from linear to irregular, resembling a pattern

of natural stones [28]. This innovative material oers wide

aesthetic possibilities and at the same time constitutes

a valuable potential in the perspective of the deepening

climate crisis, environmental protection, and thus mini-

mizing the excessive reduction of trees.

Ice is a similarly unstable, biodegradable, and environ-

mentally dependent eco-material which gives the façade

a white eect changing into various shades of gray over

time. Representative examples include ice hotels which

are usually built in winter and operate until January/April.

With spring warming, these facilities melt and the next

year they are erected again. Such facilities are constructed

all over the Scandinavian Peninsula (e.g., Sweden – Juk-

kasjäroi, Finland – Kemi, Arctic Resort Kakslauttanen,

Snow Village, Norway – Kirkenes Snøhotel, Sorrisniva Ig-

loo Hotel in Alta, Bjorli Snøhotel, Hunderfossen Snøhotel)

and also in other places (e.g., Canada – Ice Hotel de Glace

in Quebec, Spain – Igloo Hotel in Granvalira). The cycli-

cal existence of these architectural forms means that every

year a slightly dierent structure is created, which varies

from its predecessor and has a dierent artistic expression

[5, pp. 121–125].

Summary and conclusions

Our research on color is part of the framework consid-

erations on the transformation of the urban landscape into

environmentally friendly eco-structures of various scales

and colours [29], [30]. Analyses of ecological implementa-

tions show that the idea of an organic city and introducing

nature to cities in various forms of eco-architecture are part

of a long-term deep ecology movement initiated in Nor-

way, which is becoming a means of ghting the climate

crisis [29], [31]. This study proves a high value and great

importance of these applications for achieving diverse and

rich color ranges in architecture, while signicantly reduc-

ing the negative impact of these practices on the natural

environment, compared to, e.g., synthetic building materi-

als. Such practices should be particularly promoted in the

context of the advancing climate crisis, and research into

materials of organic origin should be given priority.

Summarizing these considerations, it should be empha-

sized that:

1. The color appearing on the façades of eco-facilities

constitutes a changing element which evolves over time,

making up the image of an architectural object.

2. This image may be a complementary component of

an artistically shaped, often revitalized public space, inte-

grating the community (e.g., green vertical gardens as part

of pocket parks) or become a brand of investments and

cities (e.g., roofs and vertical gardens on external and in-

ternal barriers signicant for culture). objects, panels with

algae, Vertical Forest).

3. Changes in the color of an object’s image, result-

ing from the organic materials used and the natural cycles

connected with them, are referred to as new forms of art,

reecting the link between architecture and biology. As

a result of this fusion, processes such as plant vegetation

cycles, photosynthesis, biodegradation and absorption of

rainwater are behind the variable, colorful image of the

object. These processes can additionally aect the favor-

able energy balance of facilities, electricity and heat pro-

duction, as well as food production.

4. The creation of unique and unrepeatable in terms of

color solutions of images of objects may result from the

construction and nishing materials used, which come

from recycling (e.g., brick, copper) or are new experimen-

tal technologies (e.g., hempcrete). Due to the progressive

overpopulation of cities, such spatial recycling is very de-

sirable and valuable [32], [33].

5. The use of non-durable, biodegradable nishing ma-

terials that change color under the inuence of light and

environmental conditions introduces the narrative of the

place, making the image of the object closer to life and

nature, a part of a larger and higher order [34].

Translated by

Bogusław Setkowicz

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Abstract

Color in eco-architecture as a representation of natural processes

The article aims to analyze the relationships between natural processes of organic materials which are used in eco-architecture and the resulting

color eects. It was indicated that images of objects may undergo irreversible changes, when the material used undergoes natural biodegradation over

time, as well as cyclical changes – then the applied living matter is periodically reborn in colors consistent with year-round natural rhythms. These

solutions, which are implemented on various scales, are dened as new forms of art forming a combination of architecture and biology. Our research

on color is part of the framework considerations on the transformation of the urban landscape into environmentally friendly eco-structures of various

scales. Analyses of ecological implementations show that the idea of an organic city and introducing nature to cities in various forms of eco-architec-

ture are part of a long-term deep ecology movement initiated in Norway, which is becoming a means of ghting the climate crisis. This study proves

a high value and great importance of these applications for achieving diverse and rich color ranges in architecture, while signicantly reducing the

negative impact of these practices on the natural environment, compared to, e.g., synthetic building materials. Such practices should be particularly

promoted in the context of the advancing climate crisis, and research into materials of organic origin should be given priority.

Key words: eco-color, eco-architecture, renewable energies, ecology, colors of earth

Streszczenie

Kolor w ekoarchitekturze jako odwzorowanie procesów zachodzących w naturze

Artykuł poświęcony jest badaniom nad relacjami, jakie zachodzą pomiędzy naturalnymi procesami, którym podlegają materiały pochodzenia

organicznego stosowane w ekoarchitekturze, a uzyskiwanymi, będącymi ich następstwem efektami kolorystycznymi. Wskazano, że wizerunki obiek-

tów mogą ulegać zmianom zarówno nieodwracalnym, gdy użyty materiał ulega z czasem naturalnej biodegradacji, jak i cyklicznym – wówczas

zastosowana żywa materia odradza się okresowo w kolorach zgodnych z całorocznymi rytmami przyrodniczymi. Takie rozwiązania realizowane

w różnych skalach deniowane są jako nowe formy sztuki, będące sprzężeniem architektury z biologią. Przedmiotowe badania nad kolorem wpisują

się w ramowe rozważania nad transformacją pejzażu miejskiego w przyjazne środowisku ekostruktury o różnych skalach i kolorach. Analizy eko-

logicznych realizacji pokazują, że idea miasta organicznego oraz wprowadzanie do miast natury w różnorodnych formach barwnej ekoarchitektury

wpisują się w długofalowy ruch ekologii głębokiej, zapoczątkowanej w Norwegii, stając się środkiem do walki z kryzysem klimatycznym. Niniejsza

praca pozwala podkreślić wysoką wartość i ważność tych zastosowań dla osiągania różnorodnych i bogatych zakresów kolorystycznych w architek-

turze, przy istotnej redukcji jej negatywnego oddziaływania na środowisko naturalne, w porównaniu np. z architekturą wykorzystującą syntetyczne

materiały budowlane. Takie praktyki powinny być szczególnie promowane w kontekście postępującego kryzysu klimatycznego, a badania nad ma-

teriałami pochodzenia organicznego traktowane priorytetowo.

Słowa kluczowe: ekokolor, ekoarchitektura, energia odnawialna, ekologia, kolory ziemi