Interior Signage for World’s First LEED® Platinum Hospital

I have long been interested in doing a seriers of case studies that highlight the signage that goes in LEED certfied facilites and how these packages get built.  Below is a case study from ASI that highlights the sign package they build for the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas.

Interior Signage for World’s First LEED® Platinum Hospital
Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, a member of the Seton Family of Hospitals, is the first LEED® Platinum hospital in the world. The hospital is the only dedicated, freestanding children’s hospital in the Central Texas region and offers a wide range of pediatric services.

Because the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas was seeking to attain LEED Platinum certification through the USGBC, it took meticulous care throughout the project to ensure that every element and material fit in with its green building philosophy. This outlook applied to the interior signage system as well - regardless of the fact that wayfinding signage does not contribute to LEED points.

About the Solution
ASI was selected by Karlsberger based on a previous relationship and project experience. Karlsberger was impressed with the flexibility and updateability of the InfinityTM modular line of signage and specified it for this green project. Additionally, the Infinity line incorporates recyclable materials and is produced with a low VOC, polyester, water- based paint system and a chrome-free priming process.

Each sign type throughout the facility was designed around the Infinity system’s modular components. The hospital started with Infinity’s patented, powder coated chassis, then selected additional components to create each sign type. The result was a signage system that is easily updated and expanded with minimal contribution to the waste cycle. The comprehensive system includes room IDs, suspended directional signage and regulatory signage.

ASI also supplied dimensional letters throughout the facility to identify key areas such as the information desk. Additionally, ASI created unique custom patient tower wing IDs. These IDs reflect the materials of the Infinity signs while providing clear wayfinding for visitors and staff.

segdDESIGN Sustainability Issue

Open publication - Free publishing - More graphic

The May issue of segdDESIGN No. 28/2010 — the Sustainability Issue — is now available.  If you haven't seen this yet, please take a look as you will notice something a little different about this issue.

The focus of this issue is on sustainability and environmental graphic design. The issue is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled-content paper (both cover and text). Processed chlorine-free and made with BioGas energy, the paper is certified by EcoLogo, the Forest Stewardship Council, and Permanent Paper. Also, it was printed using vegetable-based inks and zero-VOC aqueous coatings.  

The issue’s focus is on sustainability, including Guest Editor Naomi Pearson’s foundation article on Life Cycle Assessment and feature stories on model “green” EGD projects such as the Green Depot store, The Nature Conservancy’s Design for a Living World exhibition, and Portland’s TriMet transit system, among others. 

In tandem with the issue’s publication, the SEGD Sustainability Forum has launched its new SEGD Green Resource Ghttp://greenresourceguide.segd.org/, a site focused on sustainability and EGD. It outlines SEGD’s Green Audit approach, focuses on strategies geared toward sustainability, and provides a wealth of resources for EGD practitioners striving to minimize the environmental impacts of their work.

This issues is a true success and provides information, stories and content specifically related to EGD. 

Inspiring,Green Donor Recognition Sign

The Yawley Family Inn, a home-away-from-home for patient families of the Children’s Hospital Boston, is about hope. So when ASI, New England provided a signage system and donor recognition elements for the inn, they selected “Ithemba,” part of 3form’s Varia line of ecoresins (40% recycled content, GreenGuard Certified) and one of its “Full Circle” products that encapsulates handcrafted materials made by indigenous peoples.

Ithemba features a copper and beaded pattern produced by HIV-impacted African women, giving them a source of income, and means “hope” in the Xosi language. The donor elements also incorporate tempered-glass panels that are updated annually and reinstalled. (Photo: John Gillooly)

United States' First Zero Net Energy Community

You may have already heard about the University of California, Davis' ambitious quest to build the United States' first Zero Net Energy community. West Village, a 220-acre campus development that will integrate student, faculty, and staff housing, will also incorporate sustainable design features including aggressive energy-savings measures and a smart grid to generate, store, and distribute energy.

The $280 million project also provides a perfect learning laboratory for students in Tim McNeil's environmental graphic design course at UC Davis. McNeil, associate professor of design and director of the UC Davis Design Museum (and a member of SEGD), includes a component on communicating energy efficiency, green building, and sustainable landscape features. His students recently completed a project to develop a wayfinding and signage system that would inform people about the zero net energy features of the new community.

The class developed a self-guided visitor tour for the center of West Village to interpret the community's energy efficiency features and goal of zero net energy. This was expressed through the design of a family of six markers to interpret the information, and a wayfinding strategy connecting the signs to a system of logical locations on the site plan. We share some of the (impressive) results here. -- Contributed by Pat Knapp, SEGD

Green Sign Project in Virginia

Acorn Sign Graphics, Richmond, VA recently did a signage project for a building re-model which achieve LEED Gold certification. The client was the Virginia Association of Countries. Everything about this projects relates to the methodology of being green and showcases how signage can have a positive impact on LEED projects.

According to Beth Gillispie, President of Acorn Sign Graphics, " The architecture of the impressive four story structure, circa 1866, is ornate style reminiscent of Venetian Renaissance palaces. Fast forward one hundred fifty years....the new owner completes a major renovation of the building for his association headquarters and achieves LEED Gold certification.

Our Challenge: Create a cohesive system of signs using sustainable materials which might contribute to an Innovation in Design credit in the quest for LEED certification. Speak to both the old and the new, while being as "green" as possible.

Deliverable: Design, produce and install a prominent lobby installation to orient visitors to the green features of the renovation, as well as LEED educational signs throughout the building and on the roof garden to highlight sustainable practices. Also include room identification, wayfinding and historic and LEED plaques.

Something we think is cool: How green it is! Gorgeous 300 year old heart pine was reclaimed for the old beams of the building and used to create the sign faces. The lobby signage repeats the double arch shape of the original windows, with dimensional letters also made from wood. The text and design elements were printed to the substrate with UV-cured inks which emit no VOC's. Mechanical fasteners decreased the use of solvents and adhesives. The aluminum pucks and clamps add a contemporary touch - and are recyclable. Since the heart pine would not survive long in the exposed conditions of the rooftop garden, we scanned the wood and created a graphic printed on a long lasting dHPL panel. The sign looks like the interior signs, and the durability of the material (25 years) is another sustainable asset."

Getting with the Green Program

Ashley Bray wrote a great article in the October issue of Sign Builder Illustrated, Getting with the Green Program. The article highlights several projects and programs that Poblocki Sign Company has been working on.

Poblocki has done some fascinating working re-purposing sign components by turning old signs from one location into new signs for a completely different client. This concept really work in the path toward environmental consciousness as re-using and re-purposing products is as important as any other green process.

Follow this link to read the entire article - SBI Oct. 09

Tampa Riverwalk Solar Signs Case Study

The Tampa River Walk Solar Signs is an excellent project that demonstrates how solar technology can be used for signage. This project will also be featured in an upcoming issue of segdDESIGN.

Project: Solar Map Kiosks
Location: Tampa, Fla.
Client: City of Tampa
Project Team: MERJE (design), EDAW Inc. (landscape design), Urban Sign & Crane (fabrication), Power Up (solar components)
Photos: MERJE

The City of Tampa completed a comprehensive downtown wayfinding project in February 2009 in time for its hosting of Super Bowl XLII. The wayfinding system continues on Riverwalk, the city’s new 2.4-mile waterfront pathway along the Hillsborough River. A pilot phase of seven pedestrian directional signs and eight map kiosks was installed along the first completed stretch of Riverwalk this year.

In addition to static interpretive and directional signs, MERJE (Philadelphia) designed a series of illuminated map kiosks to guide visitors along the pathway and highlight important destinations and amenities. The kiosks needed to be accessible during day and nighttime hours, requiring illumination. They also needed to provide some shade from the intense Florida sun. Seeing an opportunity to support Tampa’s ongoing sustainability initiatives—and also to address the practical challenges of delivering power to relatively inaccessible kiosks—MERJE elected to explore solar options.

The first design consideration was determining the size of the solar panel needed to support dusk-to-dawn illumination, says Amy Rees, MERJE senior associate. A 20x28 panel was identified as large enough to power LEDs to edgelight the maps during the required hours. The team then had to decide whether the solar array would be located remotely or integrally. Remote location was ruled out to avoid ripping up new hardscaping around the units.

But integrating the solar panel in a way that wouldn’t visually overpower the structure was tricky. To work it out, MERJE and project fabricator Urban Sign & Crane (Vineland, N.J.) worked closely during several rounds of 3D rendering and animation.

“Using just 2D drawings, it was very difficult to get a feel for the shape of the canopy and how it would reveal the solar array,” says Seth Davis, Urban Sign vice president. So his team used Sketchup to create multiple 3D iterations and simulations. “It’s a great tool for visually working out how shapes can be made and fit together.”

The kiosks are 8.5-ft. tall, consisting of a 5-in.-deep aluminum cabinet flag-mounted to a steel pole. Atop the pole, a perforated-aluminum canopy reveals a 3-in. recess in which the 1-in.-thick solar array sits, with room for air circulation around the panel, a fan, and a battery pack.

Davis estimates that each of the solar-powered units consumes only 2.05 kilowatt- hours (kWh) per month, at a cost of just 20 cents—in comparison to $72 per month if the units were powered with traditional fluorescents.

Lee Hoffman, Tampa’s Riverwalk development manager, says it’s difficult to quantify the energy savings that will result when the program is in full operation. “But we’re trying to integrate sustainable elements wherever possible. It’s a principle we’re trying to instill in everything we do.”

APCO Invenergy Project

APCO, Atlanta, GA, recently created exterior identification signage for six Invenergy wind farms in Texas and New York. Invenergy is the largest independent wind energy developer in the United States.

According to APCO's recent news release "Sign designer Steve Kismohr of Harley Ellis Devereaux in Chicago was looking for an exterior sign solution that was modular and long lasting and APCO's PolySign system was a perfect fit. With a 7-year warranty and an even longer expected life span, the signs will withstand the elements to provide a lasting solution. When and if changes to the signs are needed, the removable panels are easily refurbished.For the Camp Springs Energy Center in Scurry County Texas, Invenergy elected to install its main identification sign on a large granite boulder (above right) which was already on site, an eco friendly solution eliminating the need for custom fabrication and providing a unique look. The Camp Springs Energy Center itself consists of 87 GE 1.5 SLE wind turbines and generates 130.5 MW of electricity, enough to power 50,000 homes."

NovAcryl-ECR Ithemba

The photo below is a picture of a sign plaque created by Nova Polymers using the NovAcryl-ECR-Ithemba photopolymer material. The base material is made from 3form's Varia Ithemba which is part of the 3form Full Circle line of materials.

The goal of creating this sign was to show different ways incorporate environmentally conscious elements and methodologies into a sign.

Key Green Elements:

- NovAcryl-ECR photopolymer for tactile lettering - low energy water etching process where the effluent is 100% bio-degradable
- 3form Varia Ithemba base substrate as part of the NovAcryl-ECR. Ithemba is 3form's most well-know Full Circle product where HIV-impacted women in Africa weave copper and traditional beeds while recieving business skills training, job skills training, marketing support and mentorship.

- Incorporates recyclable aluminum stand offs

- No adhesives

- ABS back plate with Brushed Aluminum Foil finish for easy fabrication, light weight material

3form Signage Portfolio

Below are a few pictures of sign project taken from 3form's website that show some different ways the Varia Ecoresin panels have been incorporated into signage.

PROJECT INFO: University of California, San Diego
Application: Signage
Industry: Education
Designer: Carrier Johnson
Location: San Diego, CaliforniaUSA

PROJECT INFO: Little Rock National Airport
Application: Signage
Industry: Public Space
Designer: Ryan Biles (designer Fred Moseley)
Location: Little Rock, ARUSA

PROJECT INFO: University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics
Application: Signage
Industry: Healthcare
Designer: RHO Designs
Location: South Jordan, UtahUSA

PROJECT INFO: St. Andrews Club and Conference Center
Application: Signage
Industry: Corporate
Designer: Patricia Rynkun, GIO TAN Design

PROJECT INFO: Cannon Wright Blount
Application: Signage
Industry: Corporate
Designer: Helen Balch/The Crump Firm
Location: Memphis, TNUSA

PROJECT INFO: Ogden Nature Center
Application: Signage
Industry: Public Space
Location: Ogden, UTUSA

PROJECT INFO: Chiao Tung Bank
Application: Signage
Industry: Corporate
Designer: RTKL, LIGHT ENGINEERING & DESIGN CO
Location:Taiwan

Green Signage in Produce

Incorporating recycled materials along with materials that can serve another purpose at the of their life cycle is a growing phenomenon. The concept of re-purposing materials fits with building environmentally conscious systems and reducing the amount of overall waste in a project. Most of us only think of recycling in terms of recycled content or if the material can be sent to a recycling center. The concept of re-purposing materials has many unique advantages.

Acorn Sign Graphics in Richmond, VA has embraced the methodologies behind sustainable design and has worked on several green project. Below are a few pictures of signage Acorn developed for a natural food grocery store.

According to Acorn’s President Beth Gillispie, “Ellwood Thompson’s, a natural foods grocery store whose philosophy is to be as sustainable as possible throughout the business—their products and their built environment. The design challenge is to make a modern store feel like a farmer’s market. We have worked with the owner/architect to redesign all their interior and exterior signage. Notice the frame system holding the point of purchase produce signs running along the walls and in the center displays. The structure is fabricated from steel rebar reclaimed from a large construction site. We had the rebar powder coated (more green friendly than paint) clear to contain the rusting and prevent rust from contaminating the produce or the hanging signage—but still allow the natural rust coloration to show through as a design element. Almost all steel is made of recycled material; this steel rebar is reclaimed as well—in its third life if you will. The system uses mechanical fastenings: see screws in center console assembly as well as the clips for the sign holders. The hanging clips are anodized aluminum carabiners, making it possible for the market to easily add to or reduce the number of signs. The sign holders are custom fabricated from clear PETG (recyclable material), heat bent to form the sandwich to hold each sign insert. This gives the store complete flexibility to make their own changeable 8.5x11 (recycled) paper inserts. So, reclaimed material, recyclable material (all parts), mechanical fasteners, durable, modular and changeable. Also notice the larger signs: direct to substrate printed on board panels (all eco-friendly materials and processes)."

3form's Donor Wall Portfolio

Below are a few photos taken from the Portfolio section of 3form's website.The examples shown here are of creative Donor Walls using 3form's unique, environmentally conscious materials.

Moran Eye Center Donor Wall

PROJECT INFO:
Application: Donor Wall
Industry: Healthcare
Designer: Infinite Scale / FFKR
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA

Hopkins HS

PROJECT INFO: Standard Tiles. Standard Frame
Application: Donor Wall
Industry: Corporate
Designer: Sara Olm
Location: Minneapolis, MN USA