Colour direction

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Colour is used at the Kimi Ora school to enliven both the exterior and interior – it is also used to help the special needs students orient themselves within the facility.

The students at Kimi Ora, aged from 5 to 20 years, have a wide range of physical and/or mental disabilities. All students require assistance with mobility and most have moderate to severe visual impairment. Consequently, the colour and tonal contrast of paints and other finishes play an important role in helping the students locate familiar rooms, clearly distinguish doorways and find circulation routes between spaces.

Resene environmental choice paints were used throughout the project to help achieve these objectives. The exterior features eight shades and a number of different Resene paint types, including Resene Lumbersider, Resene Sonyx 101 and Resene Aquapoxy with Resene Industrial SRG Grit, which creates a non-slip surface on concrete floors and paths.

On the interior, paints include Resene Lustacryl and Resene Spacecote low sheen, a waterborne paint that is easy to wipe clean. More than 12 colours were specified for the interior, including Resene Bluegrass, shown here. Light shades were specified for upper levels to help maximise natural light.

Colour fandecks can be obtained from any Resene Colorshop or by contacting Resene directly, as below.

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