ARCHIVE: Category Archive for: Metro Sign

Hanging Signs Isn’t Always a Straightforward Task

You’d think a parking garage would be a fairly cut and dry project, with color-coded signs for each level, arrows to direct traffic flow, ADA signage, elevator occupancy signs, and indications pointing out stairwells, right? Well, like the posted 5 mph speed limit, not so fast. A lot more planning and coordination goes into designing, manufacturing, and installing signs for a parking deck than it first appears. Metro began work on the Hamilton Canal Innovation District Parking Structure in collaboration with general contractor Shawmut Design and Construction of Boston, MA. In addition to providing signage for the brand new parking structure, future plans for this project include creating and installing signs for the office building yet to come. Collaboration and

Whenever a client requests a sign that’s a little different from the norm, the Metro Sign team gets excited. We love a good challenge! Workers Credit Union, in Littleton, MA, needed interior and exterior signs for its new headquarters and office. We partnered with general contractor Nauset Construction Corporation to create the signage package, which included a unique canopy sign. The first challenge: The canopy sign had to sit on top of a custom steel and glass canopy, which certainly limited how we could safely attach it. The second challenge: It had to look great not just from the front, but from the back, too, because it was clearly visible from a second floor conference room whose windows overlooked the

Lights! Camera! Action! In 2019, the family-owned and operated Majestic Cinemas began a major build-out at the Arsenal Yards shopping center. It included an exciting signage package to draw the attention of prospective visitors to the new movie theater. The signs complement this eclectic collection of retail, restaurant, and entertainment spaces in Watertown, MA’s historic Arsenal Yards. Metro incorporated color-changing LEDs into the canopy and blade signs. This approach allows the theater to adjust the colors to highlight seasons, events, holidays, and featured new releases. Edits on the Cutting Room Floor The space that houses the theater was once an old tank armory and factory. Boylston Properties and The Wilder Companies collaborated to convert this old brick building into an upscale

Well-designed signage allows companies — including financial institutions like banks and credit unions — to increase brand awareness and build trust among their customers. Static and dynamic signage can become powerful communications tools that help to: Build your brand and create a presence on the street Promote competitive differentiators including rates and unique services Highlight a bank’s mission and driving ideals Present information in more easily understandable chunks Offer wayfinding for people navigating by car or foot People expect to see wayfinding signs on college and business campuses, in museums and hospitals, or in retail shopping centers. Financial institutions also benefit from wayfinding, however, including exterior directional signage, parking signs, or property protection signs and interior signs that help control foot

Creating ADA compliant signs involves understanding the ADA’s rules plus following best practices for signage based on the needs of people with disabilities.

Using Design-Build Contracts

A design-build contract is defined by a single point of contact and can offer time savings and other efficiencies, but it comes with potential drawbacks.

5 Ways Digital Signs Improve the Customer Experience at Bank Branches

Video displays can make financial institutions more attractive and approachable.

A Solar Solution for Manzo Freeman

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

When you’re faced with a mammoth project that spans three years and involves many stakeholders, collaboration and communication are critical keys to a successful outcome. Equally as complex as the UMass Boston signage project, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Kendall Square project has required a massive amount of coordination among the stakeholders. As a designer-builder, Metro Sign knows that when they’re involved early in the planning process, they can help to control the budget. Elena Berry, Director of Business Development at Metro says, “Developers don’t always think about bringing in fabricators — like signage manufacturers — during the early planning stages of a project. Metro has the experience to proactively identify potential issues earlier in the planning process. Then when it

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.