Solingen, called the “City of Blades,” renowned for the manufacturing of fine swords, knives, scissors, and razors is the location for one of RSM’s international mixed-use projects.
Finding inspiration through the cultural landscape and industries of Solingen (heavy machinery, precision products, the colors of iron ore glow), RSM is scratching the surface to uncover the wealth of textures, patterns, and materials that make up this environment. This inspiration and research has strongly influenced a comprehensive sign program for this dynamic mixed use retail and entertainment center.
RSM has been selected as the architectural graphics consultant for the new Aztec Student Center on the San Diego State University campus.
Projected to open in late 2013, this new student union building will feature many on campus amenities for the students including a market, fitness center, food court, theater, retail spaces, bowling alley, and individual meeting spaces for the many student clubs and organization. RSM will be working with the student organizations, administration, and facilities group at SDSU to create a comprehensive and state of the art digital wayfinding, identity, and specialty graphics program that will integrate with the historic Spanish Mission architecture and invite students campus wide to congregate, study, eat, and play.
The graphics program to be designed by RSM will include exterior and interior identity and wayfinding signage, a unique flexible electronic signage program throughout, as well as specialty graphics for the entertainment venues.
Continuing their many projects on college campuses, the design team at RSM is creating an architectural signage and graphics package for the new conference center located on the University of California at Davis campus. Situated adjacent to the cultural complex on campus and across from the renowned Mondavi Center, this new UC Davis Marketplace will be an exciting new destination for the students, faculty, and visitors. RSM is designing the branding and graphics for such amenities as the bookstore, market, café bistro, private dining areas, and study area.
Dynamic original wall murals and integrated architectural signage are being woven into the architecture to define the different functional spaces and create a welcoming place unlike anything on campus, to linger after the theater, relax with a cup of coffee, sip a glass of wine, or browse the bookstore.
The South Berkeley Public Library is quite a unique environment – there aren’t too many places one can check out Jane Austen and a jackhammer in the same location. RSM is excited to be designing the wayfinding and identity program for this public library. Tools from the lending library are used both literally and figuratively to create a whimsical yet functional approach to the sign family. Ladders, hammers, and Pride and Prejudice – all in one location.
Have you ever wondered how traffic engineers know how tall to make the letters on a freeway sign so that you still won’t miss the exit? Or how far away a person walking in a downtown street will see the entrance to that awesome new sushi restaurant? Or why you can see the Las Vegas strip signs from a mile away? These are questions we know keep you up late at night pondering the wonders of signage and letter heights.
So, no need to worry, we’ve got your answers, and you can sleep soundly – the always popular and sought after RSM Letter Visibility Chart has been re-designed is now on line for you to download and give to all in your office.
Download a printable copy here…
Download a printable copy in metric here…
RSM principals Harry Mark and Martin Schwartz have just returned from a two week trip to China, having visited six cities and meeting on five exciting on going graphics projects. The meetings consisted of project presentations, coordination meetings, signage mock-up reviews, and marketing meetings, along with a bit of free time to take in the exciting sites of China.
Nanjing Taiwan Trade Mart: Construction of the project is progressing at super sonic speeds, with opening scheduled for mid September 2010. Harry and Martin were on site to review signage mock-ups and coordinate with the local sign fabricator to ensure the design intent is carried through all of the details of this comprehensive identity and wayfinding program.
Yantai One: Concept design presentations of the branding, logo, and wayfinding family were enthusiastically received by the group of stakeholders in this dynamic growing city in northern China. Coordination with a local sign fabricator at this early stage was arranged to facilitate a seamless integration of the graphics with the architecture and marketing initiatives.
One City: The city of Ma’an Shan in central China is the site for this family focused urban retail and entertainment center. The RSM designed graphics family was carefully crafted to work well within tight budget constraints and unique cultural and language parameters.
Check back soon for more project updates from China….
On their most recent trip to China, Harry and Martin actually stopped working for a day, set the computers aside, put on their most comfortable shoes, and headed out to one of the most exciting Expo events to come along in years. On what ended up being one of the busiest days of the Expo to date, the two self-proclaimed “architectural junkies” met up with 499,998 of their now close friends to join the masses and see some incredible new and innovative architectural wonders. Not wanting to wait in what was close to 6 hour long lines to get inside some of the pavilions, the two wandered the never ending exhibit areas from country to country, snapping multiple Megabytes of photos, searching for the ultimate regional cuisines and beer, discussing and debating which were their favorite pavilions and most innovative use of materials, and finally searching for an open bench to rest their weary jet lagged feet.
Advice to all who plan on attending the Expo before it ends in October – give yourself more then one day to see it all, and have plenty of patience with the long lines… but be sure to go!
Rising in the rapidly growing city of Nanjing, China, this complex mixed-use project required a very simple, clean, and flexible wayfinding and identity approach. To link the many different components of the project (multiple high rise office towers, hotel, conference center, six story retail base, and entertainment facilities), RSM has designed a family of signs that will not only work to identify and enhance each unique district, but also unify the entire large development.
The sign family has been designed for maximum flexibility and clarity. The signage uses a system of custom pictograms and icons to identify the many uses and create a clear messaging system, with a dual language system complementing this simple approach. The material palette adds clarity to the system as well with different complementary materials being used to enhance each of the district’s characterstics.
The graphics family of signs is rapidly moving forward into schematics and design development and the RSM team continues to hone and refine the designs, while coordinating with the US and China based consultant team.
The designers at RSM wanted to share with you a few ADA signage guidelines that we know will be helpful in your next project. Did you know that signage plaques using correct ADA standards must have…
• Letters that are all uppercase and be sans serif
• Letters measured vertically from the baseline that are 5/8″ minimum and 2″ maximum in height
• Raised letters with a minimum of 1/32″ depth and accompanied with Grade 2 Braille
• Letters that are selected from fonts where the width of the uppercase “O” is 55% minimum and 110% maximum of the height of the letter “I”
• Pictograms that have a field height of 6″ minimum
To learn more about ADA guidelines and signage, please download the following additional guidelines…
Working with the City of Rancho Cucamonga, RSM is enhancing the existing cultural plaza and public parking experience by designing a fun and energetic graphics program to engage the visitor and bring them to the many amenities of this Cultural Center – the events plaza, public library, theater, and conference facility.
A new wayfinding program using over scaled silhouettes of local citizens becomes a fun way to engage the local community. The designs serve many purposes: sculptural elements are added to enliven the plaza, functional wayfinding to guide the visitor to the many uses, and a fund raising opportunity to have local citizens donate for the chance to be a part of this unique enhancement.
