Department of Architecture and Planning, BIT Mesra, Ranchi

AR 111 Architectural Design I

1ST SEM B. ARCH- Introduction to Basic Design [MO/2025]

Assignment 6: Collage on Climate Change, to explore Colour Theory

application and Textures.
Climate Change: A Visual Narrative through Colour and Texture

Climate change represents one of the most pressing challenges of our time. As future architects and
designers, understanding how to communicate complex environmental issues through visual
language is essential. This assignment explores the power of colour theory and texture to create
compelling narratives about climate change, helping you develop skills in visual communication
while engaging with critical environmental themes.

Assignment Objective:

Create a comprehensive collage on an A2 size sheet that visually communicates the narrative of
climate change by integrating principles of colour theory and texture exploration. The collage
should tell a story from the causes of climate change through its impacts to potential solutions or
hope for the future. Explore what is a Collage.

PART 1: UNDERSTANDING THE THEME & COLOUR THEORY APPLICATION

Understanding the Theme

Before beginning your collage, research and understand the various aspects of climate change:

 Causes: Industrialization, deforestation, carbon emissions, pollution

 Impacts: Rising temperatures, melting ice caps, extreme weather events, habitat loss, ocean
acidification
 Solutions: Renewable energy, sustainable architecture, reforestation, climate action

Your collage should communicate at least two of these dimensions through visual elements.

Colour Theory Application:

Colour will be the primary tool to convey emotion, urgency, and narrative in your climate change
collage.

Requirements:

1. Colour Value Exploration: Use colour values (lightness to darkness) to create depth and
hierarchy in your composition. Darker values can represent severity or loss, while lighter values
might suggest hope or recovery.
2. Colour Scheme Selection: Choose ONE of the following colour harmonies to structure your
collage:

 Complementary Harmony: Use contrasting colours to show the conflict between

destruction and preservation (e.g., warm oranges/reds for heat and destruction vs. cool
blues/greens for nature and healing)
 Analogous Harmony: Use neighbouring colours to create a cohesive mood that progresses
through your narrative (e.g., yellows to oranges to reds showing escalating heat, or blues to
greens to teals showing natural ecosystems)
 Monochromatic with Accent: Explore values of one colour family with a single contrasting
accent colour to create focus

3. Emotional Impact: Consider how your colour choices evoke emotions:

 Warm colours (reds, oranges, yellows) can represent heat, urgency, danger, or energy
 Cool colours (blues, greens) can represent nature, water, ice, calmness, or hope
 Greys and muted tones can represent pollution, destruction, or loss
 Vibrant colours can represent life, biodiversity, or positive action

Technique: Create your collage by sourcing and placing paper cut-outs from magazines,
newspapers, packaging materials, printed images, and other found materials that match your
chosen colour scheme and values.

PART 2: TEXTURE INTEGRATION, COMPOSITION & PROJECT SUBMISSION

Texture Integration

Texture will add depth, tactile quality, and symbolic meaning to your climate change narrative.

Requirements:

4. Three Texture Techniques: Incorporate all three methods of texture reproduction learned.

 Rubbed Textures: Minimum 3 different textures (e.g., tree bark representing forests,
concrete representing urbanization, fabric representing human impact)
 Stamped/Printed Textures: Minimum 3 different textures (e.g., leaf prints, industrial
patterns, water ripples)
  Drawn Textures: Minimum 3 different textures (e.g., cross-hatching for storms, stippling
for erosion, flowing lines for wind or water)

5. Symbolic Texture Use: Each texture should have symbolic meaning related to climate change:

 Natural textures (bark, leaves, stone) can represent the natural world
 Industrial textures (metal, concrete, plastic) can represent human development
 Organic textures can represent growth and regeneration
 Rough or distressed textures can represent damage or degradation
 Smooth or flowing textures can represent water, air, or harmony

6. Texture Placement: Strategically place textures to enhance your narrative and create visual
interest. Consider using contrasting textures adjacent to each other to emphasize conflict or
transition.

Composition and Narrative

Compositional Requirements:

7. Visual Hierarchy: Use colour value and texture density to create focal points and guide the
viewer's eye through your climate change story
8. Balance and Movement: Your composition should have visual balance while creating
movement that suggests progression or narrative flow (e.g., from problem to solution, or past to
future)
9. Unity and Variety: While using diverse colours and textures, maintain unity through your
chosen colour scheme and thoughtful arrangement
10. Negative Space: Use negative space effectively to give breathing room to your composition and
enhance readability.

Narrative Structure Suggestions:

 Linear Narrative: Left to right or top to bottom progression showing cause → effect → solution
 Radial Narrative: Central crisis radiating outward, or solutions converging toward center
 Divided Narrative: Split composition showing contrast (e.g., "before and after" or "destruction
vs. preservation")
 Layered Narrative: Overlapping elements showing complexity and interconnection of climate
issues.

Documentation and Reflection

On another A2 sheet provide:

11. Colour Scheme Justification (100-150 words): Explain which colour harmony you chose and
why it effectively communicates your climate change narrative
12. Texture Symbolism (100-150 words): Describe the symbolic meaning behind your texture
choices and how they enhance the message
13. Narrative Statement (150-200 words): Articulate the story your collage tells about climate
change what message do you want viewers to take away?
14. Process Reflection (50-100 words): Reflect on your creative process, challenges faced, and
what you learned about using colour and texture as communication tools

Deliverables:

15. One A2 size sheet with completed climate change collage

16. Documentation/reflection on A2 sheet.
17. All materials should be securely adhered; collage should be clean and professionally presented

Date of Introduction- 4/11/25

Course Coordinators: Dr. Smriti Mishra

Ar. Apurv Ashish

Ar. Anjali Pathak