ARCHIVE: Category Archive for: Architectural Signage

Where is my car? Examining wayfinding behavior in a parking lot

Shopping malls are one of the most ubiquitous spaces of modern capitalist cities. It is calculated that in the United States alone, more than 2,000 shopping malls exist, accounting for nearly 75% of all non-automotive sales in this country. You’d think that navigating a parking lot doesn’t require an advanced degree, right? And yet many parking areas — whether lots, decks, or garages — lack clearly legible signs, have few entrances to help people orient, and generally complicate a driver’s ability to navigate. A study of a parking lot owned by one of the latest shopping malls in Santiago, Chile, mapped and analyzed the trajectories of about 500 people. The study concluded that despite their apparent simplicity, parking lots aren’t

In early spring of 2020, Manzo Freeman Development (MFD) — a privately-owned commercial real estate firm — reached out to Metro Sign and Awning with an idea for a new signage project. Metro had previously designed and installed a curved canopy for The Landing at Hudson Mills. Pleased with that design, creativity, and quality fabrication of the canopy at the Hudson Mills’ entrance, MFD had a new project in mind: a free-standing sign at the parking lot entrance. A Cost-Effective Solar Solution MFD wanted its new sign to reflect the company’s updated branding. The project, however, faced a pretty significant challenge: powering the LED lights in the new parking lot sign. This sign stood quite a distance from the Hudson Mills

Facing a signage project that requires designing a sign package for an existing historic building presents its own unique challenges. You can fit sign programs to the building while still maintaining the business owner’s aesthetic.

Signs That Define a Building, and Sometimes a City – The New York Times

Building signs have grown into a $37.5 billion industry. Some have become so iconic they are permanent parts of the landscape, often standing in for their hometowns.

A New Look for Worcester Cultural Coalition’s JMAC Popup and BrickBox Theater

Worcester’s Cultural Coalition Popup’s mission is simple: to support active creative engagement and foster a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester. The Jean McDonough Arts Center offers space for local and visiting artists, organizations, and creatives to produce art shows, open mics, classes, and much more. In 2019, philanthropist Jean McDonough donated $2 million to support the completion of the BrickBox Theater, one of the Worcester Cultural Coalition programs. To honor her gift, the Coalition teamed with a local graphic designer, Travis Duda of Hunchback Graphics, to create a new logo. Incorporating the colors of the “Worcester Cube,” the JMAC sign embraces bright neon and pop art aesthetics to welcome everyone who visits the permanent popup, part of a public-private

Suffolk University might also share UMass Boston’s philosophy: Go big, or go home. Although Suffolk wasn’t working on a Renovations to Existing Academic Buildings (REAB) project when they called Metro Sign, they did have an unusual project in mind. Among its requirements for new architectural signage, the university wanted to add a 21 panel, 20-foot high wall mural. This high-pressure laminate (HDP) exterior wall mural required considerable engineering expertise and clear communication and coordination to ensure the seal on the curtain wall and panels would fit into the Z-Clip system. Have you ever arrived at a new location and you’re not quite sure where to go? Or you look at the map — often a freestanding sign — and it

Mixed use developments are designed to incorporate and complement various types of real estate together. Learn more about their benefits.

Six String Grill & Stage

The Briar Group, one of our long-term customers, was looking to open a new restaurant and bar featuring live music at Patriot’s Place in Foxborough, Massachusetts. We were thrilled to be called on for this challenging new venture, Six String Grill & Stage. They requested production, design and installation services from us based on conceptual layouts. One wrinkle was that the original as-built building drawings were no longer available. However, we were able to collaborate with several of the original stakeholders to fully grasp the desired look and design specs. With a few engineering challenges and a short lead time, this ended up being an exciting project we won’t soon forget. Creating the “Wow” Factor The Briar Group’s design firm,

The competition was stiff, but Metro Sign & Awning won the job. The challenge was to design and engineer a very high-end architectural sign package for the new $68 million, state-of-the-art athletics complex at Deerfield Academy in northwestern Massachusetts. Partnering with project development giant Skanska USA-New England, our team embarked on a major upgrade to the existing facility situated on the bucolic campus. A new, three-story facility was to be added to an existing building to provide 130,000 square feet of additional space. The centerpiece of the plan was a new 20,000-square-foot structure where every sport could be played including football, field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, baseball and softball. The building would also have a jogging track, batting cages, exercise/yoga

Signs and the Downtown Experience Throughout cities and downtowns, signs play a vital role in how residents and visitors interact with the space around them. Whether it’s a directional wayfinding sign, a storefront, or a sign identifying a building, signs contribute greatly to the downtown experience, playing an important role in the brand identity of cities, retailers, and institutions. Because of this the quality of signage has greatly improved over the last decade including design innovations (many intended to improve pedestrian safety). quality materials, and architectural integrations into buildings and landscapes. At Metro Sign and Awning, we design signage to create a unified, practical, and aesthetically pleasing downtown experience. Keep reading to learn more about how signs create a community