Analysis of Façade Color and Cost to Improve Visual Integration of Buildings in the Rural Environment

María Jesús Montero-Parejo, Lorenzo García Moruno, Antonio Manuel Reyes Rodríguez, Julio Hernández Blanco and Jacinto Garrido Velarde
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María Jesús Montero-Parejo: Department of Graphical Expression, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Lorenzo García Moruno: Department of Graphical Expression, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Antonio Manuel Reyes Rodríguez: Department of Graphical Expression, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Julio Hernández Blanco: Department of Graphical Expression, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Jacinto Garrido Velarde: University Research Institute for Sustainable Territorial Development (INTERRA), University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: In recent decades, rural buildings have proliferated in the rural environment, in many cases clashing with the surroundings. One of the main objectives in rural areas must be to maintain a balance between economic and sustainable development. In the exterior design of buildings, it is necessary to follow technical and scientific criteria that respect the natural environment, and one of the most important parameters in this scenario is façade color. This article analyzes the costs of using different colors on façades and how color variations affect the integration of buildings in the rural landscape. It addresses the context of rural buildings in the Extremadura region of Spain, where large areas of undeveloped land are available to drive economic development. Ten technical projects and photos of buildings were used for the study. A palette of suitable colors developed and proposed in previous studies was used to improve the external finishes of the façades. The variation in cost was calculated between the current designs and improved alternatives simulated using infographs, and a survey was conducted to determine how the rating of the landscape integration changed. The analysis shows that a building façade in a suitable color is always a significantly better rated solution than a finish in white (by 9%–14%). The results obtained are important because they show that a small variation in the cost of a building can significantly increase the rating of its integration and, therefore, give value added to the intervention because it respects the natural environment.

Keywords: visual impact assessment; indirect valuation methods; landscape planning; landscape disturbance; landscape architecture; building design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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