Communities Archives | Page 4 of 5

Novato

In its continuing efforts to transform Downtown Novato into the cultural heart of the community, with a distinctive shopping, dining, and entertainment area, the City of Novato has engaged MERJE to develop a comprehensive wayfinding signage program that can be modified or expanded as the downtown develops, and new destinations are added.

The wayfinding signage program will meet the needs of the residents as well as visitors. All transportation modes within the City, and along major access thoroughfares, are being considered. Street level vitality, legibility, safety, maintenance, and replacement costs are all major concerns in creating an informational, user-friendly, wayfinding signage program.

New Haven

New Haven, Connecticut may be home to a historic and prestigious university, but the city itself wanted a fresh, modern look to the gateways announcing entry into the city, and the wayfinding signage throughout. New Haven is not characterized by Yale University alone, and the wayfinding program celebrates that fact.

MERJE was given the task of designing 3 unique gateway features for three entry points to the city. Using clean, modern shapes and materials, as well as sculptural light poles that change color, we were able to provide a memorable gateway experience for visitors entering the City of New Haven. This modern look is carried through to the wayfinding signage. Unique finials and posts with different pops of color are placed throughout the city. The bright colors assure that the signs are visible in an urban landscape, while the sign panels themselves are clean and simple.

Missoula

Dubbed the Garden City for its mild winters, Missoula is a bustling university community surrounded by national forests, mighty rivers and idyllic wilderness. To support the City’s continued growth, MERJE was engaged in developing a community wayfinding program that would celebrate Missoula’s cultural, recreational and educational assets.

The program divides the glacier lake City into unique districts: North and South Reserves, Airport Business, Downtown, Midtown and Fort Missoula, each with color-coded signs made of natural materials in a design that emphasizes the active outdoors. lnner city bike routes and surrounding hiking trails are marked, along with the local arts scene and connections to the University. The program eliminates the visual clutter of signage and provides a long-term plan for adaptation.

Miami Beach

Follow the fashionistas and you’ll find Miami Beach’s white sandy shores and round-the-clock South Beach dance clubs, but you may miss the art museums, botanical garden and galleries. Tourism is big business in Miami Beach and a new signage system designed by MERJE will help you find your way on your next visit.

Working with City officials, stakeholders and the community, MERJE created a wayfinding program and brand identity influenced by Miami Beach style. The polished, ellipse-shaped post provides a modern elegance to the spine of the sign structure. The guide sign face is simple, meeting Florida Department of Transportation criteria, but the back of the sign, the panel shape and brackets take on curved forms that turn a seemingly simple sign into a distinctive element on the street. Every aspect of this inspired design helps it to integrate into an environment that has an overwhelming architectural context and visual presence.

Mammoth Lakes

The primary economy of Mammoth Lakes is recreational-based tourism. Activities include skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, hiking, mountain and road biking, golfing, etc. Shopping and arts/cultural events are also an important part of Mammoth Lakes’ economy, bringing thousands of visitors each year.

The Town of Mammoth Lakes General Plan includes several goals, policies and actions related to establishing a signage and wayfinding program, as well as a community messaging program, including the construction of a distinct and attractive gateway monument at the entrance to town. The design takes cues from the local Mountain Modern architecture. Natural, durable and sustainable materials are incorporated into the design,
as well as recreational icons.

Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas, is a thriving capital city with exceptional dining, miles of scenic riverfront, and top of the line attractions which make this city a popular visit for tourists and the like. MERJE has designed a signage and wayfinding system that emphasizes the Little Rock brand, increases the sense of direction and address the needs of visitors and residents using all methods of transportation. Each district has been assigned a color that appears on signage and is reinforced on maps and other printed materials. MERJE worked with the Little Rock CVB and AHTD to plan signs along AHTD Row and through the city streets.

Johnson City

Downtown Johnson City in Northeastern Tennessee is a place of uniqueness shaped by a sense of history, but not bound by the past. It offers a mixture of arts, cultures and faiths; education, entertainment, and tastes; business, government and emerging technologies; and opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship.

MERJE is developing a signage plan, which will provide unified gateways that welcome visitors, directional signs that lead to downtown, assist navigation to parking opportunities and create landmarks that provide orientation and express the character and culture of Johnson City. The project fosters a greater sense of connectivity, publicizes information about downtown amenities and events, and provides direction to attractions and activities throughout the community.

Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach California offers 10 miles of uninterrupted beach, the most consistent waves on the West Coast, exceptional shopping and dining and a culture that is the quintessential SOCAL lifestyle.

MERJE has been hired by the HB Convention and Visitors Bureau to develop a comprehensive citywide wayfinding program. In addition to signage, MERJE recommendations include a mobile app for self-guided walking tours, landmark public art murals, and custom crosswalks, all of which reinforce the Surf City USA brand experience.

Design options for the wayfinding system are inspired by the classic surf culture, the natural environment and the soul and creative forces that enliven your HB experience. Translucency, light reflection, bold graphic patterns, natural materials and digital structures all have a place in the design concepts.

Fredericksburg, TX

Fredericksburg is known as the home of “Texas German”, a German dialect spoken by the first generations of settlers who did not learn English. The settlers of Fredericksburg, Texas, entered into a peace treaty with the Comanche Indians of the region. This treaty has been honored for over a century and a half, making it one of the few treaties with Native Americans that was never broken.

MERJE has developed a comprehensive Wayfinding Master Plan that incudes gateways, vehicular and pedestrian signage, parking directional signage and information kiosks. German designs influence the buildings and the crafts found in Fredericksburg, specifically gingerbread and scherenschnitte (scissor cuts) so it was only natural to bring those influences into the wayfinding design as well.

Frederick

Downtown Frederick’s greatest strength is the variety of shopping, dining and entertainment experiences that complement the rich history found among the well-preserved buildings. This “Great American Main Street”—the first in the State of Maryland—lives up to its national billing with more than 230 retailers, restaurants and art galleries, events nearly every weekend of the year, a daytime workforce of 5,000 people and more than 13,000 downtown residents. Downtown Frederick is the heart of the City of Frederick, a municipality of approximately 58,000 residents and serves as the County seat for Frederick County. MERJE is working with the Downtown Frederick Partnership to design a wayfinding program that reflects the historic character of its downtown. Gateways, directional signage for vehicles and pedestrians, as well as parking garage identification, maps, and kiosks are all essential parts of this wayfinding plan. This program will welcome, orient, direct and inform visitors and residents.