Working with Brightly Colored Metal

Color is a visual language. “Brightly colored metal panels can be used in many ways; to tie in with a corporate or school identity, to add a pop of color as an accent, to add visual interest to a building, or to add some fun and whimsy into an otherwise neutral palette,” says Lee Ann M. Slattery, sales support manager, ATAS International Inc., Allentown, Pa. “Let brightly colored metal panels help make a building interesting, exciting and thought provoking to its occupants and to the public at large.”

BRIGHT COLOR DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Brightly colored metal panels can add new dimension to great architectural design. “They create visual interest, enhance beauty and promote a sense of balance,” explains Shawn Crouthamel, national sales manager at Laminators Inc., Hatfield, Pa. “When selecting colors, it’s a good idea to consider the type of building or business, the overall brand and corporate identity, as well as the local environment.”

Gary Edgar, national coil and extrusion specification manager at Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries Inc., explains that when considering bright metal panel colors, it’s important to consider exposure. “Panels used closer to the equator will experience more color fade. When it comes to color, organic pigments tend to be exotic and bright, but tend to fade more quickly. On the contrary, inorganic colors are more stable and will still provide the same bright effect over time due to their anti-corrosive properties.”

Erik Verboon, principal and national director: enclosure engineering at New York City-based Walter P. Moore, agrees that color fading is an unavoidable consideration. “The design considerations we are often confronted with are bright colors’ appearance over time with environment effects and damage. Will the panels retain their brilliance and color intensity, and how will they look when touch-up is required or panels are replaced?”

Edgar says another consideration is limiting liability. “Instead of painting an entire roof bright yellow, it might be wise to use a bright color on every third or fourth panel as an accent to a neutral color to decrease liability. In 15 years, when it’s time to repaint, coaters will only need to paint a fraction of the panels, instead of the whole structure. My suggestion to architects is that instead of painting 100,000 square feet in a specific bright color, to cut it down to 50,000 square feet and use as an accent.”

UNDERSTAND THE COLOR

The decisions architects make are deliberate and purposeful, explains Elizabeth Hurd, AIA, principal/architect at RVK Architecture, San Antonio. “It’s always important to understand the why behind brightly colored metal panels. Will they represent an organization’s branded colors? Will they help a project become high profile and be highly visible within a community? Do they represent an important facet of a region’s cultural, historical or architectural context?”

For example, RVK Architecture designed a parking garage for Bexar County located adjacent to a creek. Since one of the project goals was to create community space and a strong sense of place, it was important to reference the creek in the design. The exterior features bright blue perforated and bent custom metal wall panels that mimic the water flow of the creek.

Hurd adds, “It’s also important to understand cost and lead times, especially with today’s market conditions. Brightly colored metal panels may be a custom order. Many metal panel manufacturers don’t stock bright colors. If they do, they may cost more or take longer to deliver. I also can’t stress this enough: always order a sample. What you see online or in a catalog may not reflect how the color will mesh with your overall design.”

A PANEL’S FINISH AND COLOR

Can a panel’s finish (smooth, stucco-embossed, anodized, matte/metallic) affect a panel’s brightness and color? A panel’s finish can have a major impact on brightness and color. The finish affects how we see color as a result of reflecting the light in different ways.

“The finish affects the light reflectance value (LRV) as light is absorbed into a painted surface,” says Kiki Redhead, trend manager for DesignHouse at Sherwin-Williams, Minneapolis. “Matte, flat or textured finishes will appear duller and softer compared to a glossier surface, which will reflect the light and appear shinier and brighter. Adding metallics or micas will increase these reflections and make a solid color look more intense. Bright colors in small quantities can create architectural accents with bright finishes that can enhance the features of the design. Mixing and matching finishes in the same hue creates a cohesive monochromatic palette.”

COLOR AND WAYFINDING

Brightly colored metal panels assist people every day, even though they may not realize it. To assist in wayfinding, varying bright colors can help people more easily identify a particular building, especially on a larger campus with multiple buildings. On projects with multiple buildings, colored metal panels can give each building a unique identity to represent a specific function. On large projects with a singular building, colored panels are often used to highlight specific points of interest or distinguish between the unique uses in a mixed-use building. Brightly colored metal panels can also draw attention to wayfinding signage and maps. Bright colors on signs make them easier to locate and read.

“Architects can use brightly colored metal panels to designate a facility’s entrance and exits,” Hurd says. “They can also help visitors find specific departments or services within a building. For example, a medical facility may offer urgent care and family care clinics under one roof, each with its own entrance. The architect and owner could decide to use a different colored metal panel for each entrance to help patients easily identify the appropriate clinic.”

COLORS COMMUNICATE FOR COMPANIES

Bright- and/or custom-colored metal panels make it easier for companies to maintain consistency with their corporate identity and brand standards. Crouthamel believes the use of brightly colored metal panels is one of the more important means for a company to tie their image to the goods and services that they provide.

“Many organizations have a brand identity with a set number of colors that establish a mental association with their followers or customers,” explains Verboon. “We have seen projects that utilize these colors on their façade at a large scale to make a bold impact, as well as those that use the brand colors more sparingly as a highlight to an otherwise muted backdrop.” Slattery too has seen bright colors tie into a corporate logo and branding, especially in the hospitality and retail industries. “Using these colors on a building envelope, interiors and signage help reinforce a brand’s image and recognizability,” she says.

BRIGHT COLORS AS A FAD

Can certain bright colors on metal panels fall out of style over time? Hurd says yes because, “Colored panels can add a lot of visual interest to a building, but they can also date your project quickly. The key is subtlety. Colored panels work exceptionally well as accents when paired with neutral building materials, and this can help the design feel fresh for years to come.”

Yes, certain bright, fad-oriented colors will fall out of style over time; Edgar cites the hot pink trend in the 1980s as an example. “Once ubiquitous, you rarely see hot pink utilized today; color choices change for companies in response to color trends. However, the retail sector isn’t as reactive to color trends as other markets. These companies invest many resources into colors in places where the aesthetics rarely change over time, so the colors they leverage tend to have more staying power, regardless of changing trends.”

While colors will certainly go out of fashion, Verboon believes they will never be obsolete. “To quote two fashion icons: ‘Fashion is made to become unfashionable’– Coco Channel, and ‘Fashion is over quickly; style lasts forever’–Ralph Lauren. While certain colors will inevitably go out of fashion, their application on a particular design can still make the work timeless. However, some colors are timeless.”