An Office’s Color Isn’t Chosen from a Paint Sample

Delivered in shell condition, white, or with neutral finishes, many corporate office spaces come to market as a blank canvas for their next occupant. The logic is straightforward: the less defined the space, the easier it is to adapt to a company's brand, layout, and operational needs. But that neutrality raises a less obvious question: once a company moves in, does an office's color really matter?

The short answer is yes. The complete answer is considerably more complicated. For decades, designers, environmental psychologists, and architects have sought to understand whether certain colors can improve mood, concentration, or productivity. The available evidence suggests that color does influence the workplace experience, but its effects are generally more limited and context-dependent than is often claimed.

Various studies¹ have identified relatively consistent associations between certain colors and specific psychological responses. Predominantly blue environments are commonly associated with feelings of calm and openness, while red environments tend to increase alertness and physiological arousal. Green is frequently linked to nature and stress recovery. Even predominantly white office environments have been associated in some studies with a higher number of workplace errors, although subsequent research suggests that this effect may be more closely related to the environment's lower visual complexity than to the color white itself.

Translating those psychological responses into measurable improvements in workplace performance, however, has proven far more difficult. Evidence shows that the effect of color depends simultaneously on the length of exposure, the type and complexity of the task, an individual's ability to filter irrelevant stimuli, and the broader visual environment, including contrast, saturation, and the amount of visual information within the space. As a result, current research does not support the existence of a universally optimal color for offices. Instead, it suggests that the same color scheme may enhance or hinder performance depending on the task, the individual performing it, and the surrounding environment.

This means office design functions as an integrated system in which lighting, materials, vegetation, layout, exterior views, acoustics, and color interact to shape the workplace experience. Changing one of these elements may alter how a space is perceived, but it is unlikely to compensate for deficiencies in the others.

In practice, this implies color should rarely be the first design decision. Before selecting a color palette, organizations should determine the activities the space will support, how long people will occupy it, and the type of workplace experience they want to create. Only then can color be used to reinforce those objectives.

The same principle applies to corporate brand colors. Evidence suggests they are most effective when incorporated into a broader design strategy. Rather than dominating an entire office, they can reinforce corporate identity, distinguish different areas, or highlight specific elements, while the remainder of the environment is designed around the activities taking place within it.

Perhaps the most important conclusion is that an office is no longer viewed as merely a container for work. If people account for roughly 90% of an organization's operating costs, as estimated by the World Green Building Council, it is logical that decisions that influence employee well-being and performance—including workplace design—have acquired economic significance in addition to architectural value.

The next time a company searches among the 1.7 million square meters of office space currently available across Mexico's leading corporate markets, the question may not simply be how much space it needs, but what kind of workplace it wants to create within it.

To learn more about office availability in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, explore SiiLA Market Analytics or contact us at contacto@siila.com.mx.

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¹ See Kwallek et al. (1997), Impact of Three Interior Color Schemes on Worker Mood and Performance Relative to Individual Environmental Sensitivity (mood and performance in offices with different color schemes); Kwallek et al. (2007), Work Week Productivity, Visual Complexity, and Individual Environmental Sensitivity in Three Offices of Different Color Interiors (productivity, visual complexity, and individual differences); Ulrich et al. (1991), Stress Recovery During Exposure to Natural and Urban Environments (stress recovery in natural and urban environments); Ohly et al. (2016), Attention Restoration Theory: A Systematic Review of the Attention Restoration Potential of Exposure to Natural Environments (systematic review of attention restoration in natural environments); and Xia et al. (2016), Exploring the Effect of Red and Blue on Cognitive Task Performances (effects of red and blue on cognitive task performance).