Color is one of the main tools in any designer’s arsenal. A project’s palette will affect the end-users’ experience, influencing what they do and don’t notice; how they feel; how they orient themselves; and what ideas they associate with the project. Colors can surprise, warn, delight, guide, or even create a sense of wellness. Their use varies according to local tradition and climate, design objectives, and the story we want to convey. As such an important vector of experience, it is essential for designers to understand the impact of their color selections on the finished project.
Serving as the “skin” of landscape architecture projects, pavers and other hardscape elements offer us the opportunity to develop a multitude of color strategies with which to achieve our design goals. At Techo-Bloc, we are always mindful of our four design pillars — Texture, Scale, Shape, and Color — when designing new products. By analyzing what each of our pavers brings to these four categories, we have been able to create a diverse library of products to help you bring your creative vision to life. In this article, we will be exploring various color strategies, and how each of these can be used to support your design intent.
Colors have the power to trick the eye. They can attract attention or render something virtually invisible. They also alter our perception in more subtle ways. Warm colors, for example, draw awareness to themselves and tend to invigorate the viewer. They are synonymous with activity and states of alertness. Cool colors do just the opposite — they soothe and relax.
Warm and cool colors can also be used to mimic the effects of atmospheric perspective. Atmospheric perspective is the name of the phenomenon by which we see what is further away from us with less clarity, less color saturation, and a “cooler” hue. Because of this, our brains tend to read cool colors as being further away. Inversely, warmer colors can appear closer than they are. This is a useful trick when trying to give large spaces a more intimate feel. Using the Squadra or Westmount pavers in Burgundy, for example, could help you turn a large, exposed plaza into a series of smaller, human-scaled spaces. In this example, the strategy is twofold: the color would shrink the space, while the small scale of these pavers would create a cozy, carpet-like effect.
Emulating atmospheric perspective can also be used to make spaces seem larger. By layering darker or warmer pavers in the foreground and lighter or cooler pavers in the background, the designer can visually “stretch” space. This works particularly well when creating color gradients using analogous colors on the Techo-Bloc Color Wheel, such as the gradient from Onyx Black to Grey, with Carbon and Shale Grey as intermediary tones.
There is one last color illusion we would like to mention, one that we are particularly fond of — Trompe-l’oeils. When combined with the right paver shape, three tones can be used to create the illusion of a three-dimensional pattern. These patterns are high in character and memorable, perfect for projects where differentiation is key. The Diamond paver’s angles make it the ideal choice for such motifs: Combining Onyx Black, Carbon, and Greyed Nickel will let you create isometric cubes and other, more complex custom three-dimensional patterns.
There is an art to creating seemingly-random paving motifs. Without proper planning, testing, and on-site supervision, “random” patterns can quickly get out of hand, creating hard-edged “blotches” of color and unexpected lines.
If you’re not working with a new build project, portable, propane-powered heat lamps can extend the life of your commercial space, warming whenever and wherever they’re needed. Additionally, portable fire pits can be included in existing projects or spaces that need more flexibility after, of course, taking safety and local codes into consideration.
Choosing a single paver shape is a key ingredient in making these irregular patterns work. The size of these shapes can vary, but keep in mind that we are trying to establish a basic “grid” that we can then color in. This “grid” creates order within the random color distribution, tying the different colors into one harmonious surface.
For those seeking to create smooth color gradients, we recommend using three or more analogous colors. Not all Techo-Bloc colors are solid colors; many of them offer a combination of different hues and tones within the same paver. These details can help you link different colors together. For the pedestrianization of two streets in downtown Montreal, landscape architecture firm Civiliti asked Techo-Bloc to develop two custom colors that could be combined with Onyx Black to fit their exact vision and create a harmonious randomized blend. In response to this, we created Salt & Pepper and Granite Grey, both of which are “peppered” with black aggregates to tie all three colors together. The result: a light, coherent streetscape with just enough variation to please the eye, without becoming overbearing.
Smooth color transitions aren’t easy to master. As mentioned above, sticking to a single paver shape and using at least three analogous colors is key. Making use of a product’s different textures is also a good strategy to bridge high contrasting colors. The Industria collection, for example, is available in three textures. Because of the different techniques used to achieve each texture, the same color will vary just enough across textures to smooth over transitions.
When it comes to color gradients, bigger is better. The more space you have to work with, the smoother you can make your transition. Don’t be afraid to spread it out over the entire hardscape area. To ensure a uniform transition, start by identifying where you want your lightest color and darkest color to be. These are the extreme ends of your gradients. Then, divide the space between these extremes into equal parts, and specify color proportions for each section. You can do this in percentages (For example, 40% Onyx Black Smooth, 30% Shale Grey Smooth, 20% Onyx Black Granitex, 10% Greyed Nickel Smooth) or, better yet, with the exact paver quantities (counted in individual units or pallet rows). No area should be comprised of just one color. Once these quantities are laid out next to the site, they must be installed with a watchful eye, to ensure each section blends into the next. It is likely that adjustments will have to be made as you go, unless the proportions have been tested beforehand. Sending someone from your specifier team on the first day of installation to overview the color blend on a small section of the project will guarantee that you get the result you’re looking for. This initial swatch will then serve to guide the installation team for the rest of the project, and must include the entire color variation, from lightest to darkest.
As storytelling animals , we imbue places, patterns, and objects with meaning. Paving patterns are no exception. Many landscape architects draw on local tradition, as well as the site’s history and geography to inform the colors and patterns of pavement they choose.
The use of contrasting colors allows designers to highlight specific areas, such as pedestrian and vehicular zones; to reference the previous use of the site, by marking the outlines of previous buildings and infrastructure; to draw upon cultural identity, by integrating local patterns; or to give a project a brand new personality through the creation of a custom geometric pattern.
For something to be noticeable, iconic, and easily recognizable, it must stand out. This usually means using highly contrasting colors. Onyx Black, for example, will create sharp lines when combined with Greyed Nickel. The same is true in the brown shades when blending Chocolate Brown and Beige Cream. That being said, when it comes to creating elaborate mosaics, not all pavers are created equal. The Industria collection offers 18 different compatible formats to mix and match into any pattern imaginable. When used with highly contrasting colors, its slim joints and new triangular format help to create sharp lines and complex shapes that are sure to give any project a distinct personality.
Sometimes, the color itself, not the shapes you draw with it, carries meaning. For the complete redesign of the Steamship Authority’s ferry terminal in Woods Hole, BIA.studio asked Techo-Bloc to create three completely new shades of blue for our Hexa paver. Mixed in a random pattern, these analogous colors reflect the ever-changing movement and glimmer of the nearby waves and seafoam, giving a distinct personality to the entrance to Martha’s Vineyard. The new ferry terminal is an excellent example of a randomized color gradient done right, but also of a hardscape project that carries meaning and highlights local identity.
Monochromatic color schemes tend to be elegant and harmonious. Creating a neutral, muted hardscape surface is a great way to reduce visual noise within your project, highlighting a park’s planting schemes, urban furniture, and building façades. If you do decide to go all-in with one color, selecting a lighter tone with a higher solar reflectance index (such a Beige Cream, Ivory, or Greyed Nickel) will help you reduce the heat island effect. In cases where people will be walking barefoot on your hardscape (like around a pool or water play area), light colors will also help keep the ground cool underfoot. Choosing to use the same color across collections and products also enables you to easily mix and match a wall block, a step unit, and paved surfaces, tying together various textures, joint patterns, and scales.
Mixing pavers with different textures but with the same shape and color is an excellent way to add visual interest without overloading a design. The Diamond paver, the Industria collection, and the Blu collection are all available in different textures and are great for creating subtle contrasts. The Blu Grande Smooth slab and Ocean Grande slab also share the same color scheme and size.
In any work of landscape architecture, context matters. The colors of the context are no exception. As a designer, you may choose for your project to blend into its surroundings or to actively stand out from them. Both options are valid, as long as they are done with intent.
To do this properly, the context must be studied. Northern cities champion the darker reds, browns, and greys. The Westmount paver in Burgundy, for example, is a good contender for projects seeking to blend into the historic red-brick architecture of the North East. Smoked pine, one of the darker color options for the Borealis slab, would look great in one of Quebec’s winter spas, or ski resorts, set against a backdrop of birch and spruce trees. Both these colors stand out against the snow, whereas Beige Cream or Ivory may be too close to white and create a dissonant effect. These lighter colors, however, are likely to feel at home in sunnier, warmer climates, such as in the Carolinas and California, where they can help keep surfaces cooler (higher SRI) and would complement desert or tropical plantings nicely. Techo-Bloc’s bluish greys, such as Riviera and Azzurro, create a dynamic contrast when paired with complementary colors — think of bright orange maple leaves strewn across a dark blue park walkway, or of that same walkway framed by the yellows of Golden Sedge and Honey Locust trees.
The appropriate hardscape color can also help you tie together different conflicting elements of the context. Champlain Grey, for example, is composed of both brown and grey hues, making it ideal to bridge the gap between a brown building and an adjacent grey retaining wall, for example. Sandlewood offers the same hues, but in a different proportion, enabling you to tweak the balance between the browns and greys depending on your needs.
For more inspiration, you can check out our commercial catalog or the Designer’s Toolbox on our website, where you’ll find technical resources as well as our mosaics guide. We’ve created a paver for every project — now the rest is yours to create.