The language of walls

“What is it like to be inside of it”?

Professor William Firebrace (architect and author), asked us at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart in the first year of study “Fundamentals of Design” for every design the question: “What is it like to be inside of it?” What seemed alienating at first has developed into one of the most essential questions of all for Dr. Ines Klemm and in the work of Latrace. After all, every coaching, design scheme and project is about clarifying the relationship between people and their environment – in built and designed space as well as in natural space. To be determined and to decide in a determined way means to involve oneself and to take responsibility. The more space we give ourselves for self-determination, the more coherent our life is and becomes. This demands from us to consciously and wisely design and choose the space that surrounds us.

Turquoise: Of acoustics, inner peace and the self-encounter

Visual restlessness as well as visual overstimulation and pollution create a higher sensitivity for acoustic perception. The more we lose our inner balance, the greater the need for quiet and acoustic security. Longing for time-out, relaxation and holidays manifest themselves in the (unconscious) search for turquoise. Depending on the type of person, these longing manifests itself in preferences for icy glacier worlds, winter sports activities or relaxation in a yoga retreat as well as in immersion in the deep turquoise tones of Caribbean islands and tropical paradises. Turquoise stands for wanderlust and the desire for time to turn inwards. Digital radiation also finds a balance in turquoise. For example, if you work frequently at a computer screen, it is recommended to place turquoise in the environment, as a wall colour, colour surface, gemstone or holiday photo. Turquoise purifies digital impurities in the air in the same way that UV light can remove stains on clothing, thus bringing the room climate back into balance. When working, turquoise creates the feeling of a holiday because it contains colour components of blue summer skies, green meadows and nourishing sunshine yellow. On the one hand, turquoise promotes communication, concentration, inner perception and the ability to listen. However, it should be used with caution with people who are at risk of addiction, as well as wherever the aim is to promote interactive exchange.

Precious cobalt turquoise

Together with gold and white, cobalt turquoise forms the triad of Latrace corporate colours. The pigment cobalt turquoise (not the semi-precious stone) is absolutely durable and very precious. It is used in a very targeted manner and ensures a clearly noticeable effect in each case. Maya blue was used for the original latrace turquoise colour, which proved to be too unstable and was therefore unsuitable for use as a paint. In the Arab world, turquoise is often found in the mosaics of cookware and buildings because it is associated with purification. Particularly high occurrences of the turquoise semi-precious stone are found in Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, China, Israel and Mexico.