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new research areas. In addition to the specific studies, there
is an ongoing discussion on the relationship between the
so far separate research fields dealing with colour and light
respectively. There are also discussions about the relationship
between spatially oriented colour research and the results of
”flat” colour studies. Important aspects of these discussions
deal with education on colour and light and with the role of
colour and light in design and planning processes.
Starting from applications such as architecture and design,
several researchers have pointed out the need for interdisci-
plinary collaboration. They have also discussed the difficulties
and mistakes that can arise if you try to directly transfer results
from one field to another (Hutchings & Luo 2009; Fridell Anter
& Billger 2010; Van Wilgenburg 2009). One important aim of the
project
SYN-TES: Human colour and light synthesis
was to de-
velop and test methods for interaction between colour and light
specialists from different academic disciplines and industrial
branches, including the interaction between design experience
and scientific analysis (Fridell Anter 2011; Fridell Anter et al.
2012a; Fridell Anter et al. 2012b; Fridell Anter et al. 2012c).
One important problem in this context deals with concepts
and terminology. There are numerous examples showing how
one and the same word is used in different meanings (Green-
Armytage 2006; Arnkil et al. 2012). At the same time, there is
often a lack of established concepts for experienced qualities
of light and colour. The SYN-TES research group has published
the PERCIFAL method for visual analysis of light in rooms,
based on concepts developed by professor Anders Liljefors
(Liljefors 2005; Liljefors 2006; Arnkil et al. 2011; Klarén 2011;
Matusiak et al. 2011). Other researchers analyse buildings and
other architectural work as a basis for formulation of concepts
regarding the use and experience of light and colour (Piscitelli
2010; Arrarte-Grau 2008).
There is also some discussion on ethical aspects of the use of
colour and light (Hutchings 2006; Schanda 2007) and on the
role of colour and light issues in the process of planning and
building design (Barrett 2010; Reisinger 2011; Fridell Anter
2012). The possibilities and limitations of digital technique to
visualise colour and light is discussed from the viewpoints
of different applications, such as architecture and computer
games (Tonn & Donath 2006; Heldal et al. 2008; Stahre 2009;
Ashdown. 2011)
Education on issues regarding colour and light is, of course,
central for professional understanding. In Sweden there is no
established education that treats colour and light as one coher-
ent field of knowledge (Fridell Anter 2008b app. 1), and as far
as we can see the same is true in most other countries. There
are a number of internationally well renowned educations in
lighting design, but their curriculums include very little about
colour. See for example KTH Lighting Laboratory, Stockholm,
Sweden: http://www.kth.se/sth/haninge/ljus and Lighting Re-
search Centre, Troy, USA: http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/.
To what extent, and in that case how, colour and light are in-
cluded in regular education of designers and architects varies
much between different places, and seems to depend largely
on the interest and driving force of individuals. In international
conferences and other contexts we have met several architects
and teachers of architecture from different countries, who
have, in different ways, expressed their frustration over the fact
that this field of knowledge, so important for architecture, is
not enough considered in the education of architects. See e.g.
García Gil et al. 2006; Green-Armytage 2006; Mikellides 2006;
Minah 2008 for reports from engaged colour pedagogues.
On the post-graduate level, a number of initiatives have been
taken on Nordic and international level. One example is CRE-
ATE (Colour Research for European Advanced Technology
Employment), which with support from the European Union has
built a network with focus on colour education (www.create.
uwe.ac.uk/, Parraman & Rizzi 2008). Another example is the
doctorate course
Nordic Light and Colours,
which was initiated
within the SYN-TES project and given at NTNU, Trondheim, in
April 2012, with support from NordForsk (http://www.ntnu.edu/
bff/lightandcolour). Both these initiatives must, however, so
far be considered temporary, in the absence of economic and
organisational stability.
Conclusions: Existing knowledge and required research
The survey of international research literature shows that
relatively little research has dealt with the spatial interaction
between colour and light, but also that the interest for this field
of research has increased during the last few years. In spite
of the fact that two large conferences in 2010-2011 explicitly
addressed
colour and light
, most contributions there still dealt
with either colour or light (Zennaro 2010; Schindler & Cuber
2011). When it comes to research that explicitly deals with both
these aspects of visual experience, Nordic researchers have a
strong standing within the international research community.
Thus we can conclude that the inter-disciplinary collaboration
that characterises the SYN-TES research project is very rare,
seen in an international context.
There is a great need for further research on the spatial
interaction between light and colour. Initially this requires a
development of methods that can include several aspects of