Happy Holidays from Anderson Krygier!

Out and About: University of Idaho - Kibbie Dome

 

Happy Project Managers

Last week Elizabeth and Abby traveled to Moscow, Idaho to review the recently installed signs at University of Idaho's remodeled Kibbie Dome. We kicked off this project in October 2010 by reviewing existing site conditions with Alec Holser and Chris Roberts of Opsis Architecture; a year later, lots of collaboration with Opsis and the University, and what a difference!

 

After

Words to the alma mater line the glass entry to the club level. 

Before

After

A complete graphics overhaul transformed dark corridors into hip and vibrant spaces featuring university colors and bold historical photos.

 Before

After

Donor and Booster recognition were redesigned and organized in a centralized location.

 

Before

 

After

Wayfinding was updated to be clear, concise and bold!

On the Boards: Lane Community College Downtown Campus

After 30 years in downtown Eugene, Lane Community College's Downtown Campus will have a new state of the art facility combining academic programs and student housing with community spaces. We met with SRG Architects yesterday to kick off our participation in the design process for "the building that teaches." Targeted for LEED platinum, the building design is intended to both demonstrate and teach sustainable building strategies.

Karen, Mike and Elizabeth met with Kent Duffy, Louise Foster, Tim Grinstead and Jon Wiener at SRG to review drawings, renderings and floorplans as we brainstormed wayfinding and interpretive graphics for the new building.

We also brought lots of sign samples and a slide show of relevant projects to stimulate discussion.

Tim is demonstrating the metal cladding panels for the building exterior. We spent a lot of time visualizing building identification signage and its relationship to street trees and sight lines.

We were especially taken with the stainless cabling for the stair railings - surely it could be jewelry for more than a building!

On the Boards: Chemeketa Specialty Recognition

Scott Myers of Center Pointe Signs stopped by our office with proofs of digitally printed headers for specialty recognition signage at Chemeketa Community College's new Health Sciences Building in Salem. Printed on clear vinyl, the graphics are subsurface laminated to acrylic and then backed with opaque vinyl. We had specified white opaque backers for photographic clarity but when we saw the proofs, the images were not "singing" to us. We asked Scott to peel off the white vinyl (photo below) so we could try some different backing materials. Pulling materials from our resource room, Mike, Karen and Abby began experimenting immediately (above).


Silver vinyl, shown on the left half of samples above and below, provided the needed sparkle to the images.

In the Mail: Anacostia Library

DC Public Library's bold vision for neighborhood libraries is clearly communicated in the design of six new buildings by three internationally acclaimed architects. To serve this vision, Anderson Krygier developed sign standards for implementation in all the libraries - new and newly renovated, including the historic Georgetown Library. As part of the standards, the dramatic word "Library" becomes a unifying icon throughout the system. It's on the canopy at Anacostia, where the new building provides a learning oasis and a vibrant gathering place, open and welcoming to all.

Work with the architecture... it's our brand of environmental graphic design.

On the Boards: University of California San Diego

We met with ZGF this week to kick off our work on UC San Diego's School of Medicine. Above, ZGF project designer John Carhart shares building exterior details with Mike and Abby. The new Health Sciences Biomedical Research Facility is a brilliant composition of terracotta, glass and metal in a light palette of sand and silver.

Abby and John review materials and finishes as we visualize how graphics and signage will support the project vision and at the same time, provide clear wayfinding and information for users and visitors.

Out & About: Oregon State Hospital - Salem OR

We stopped at Oregon State Hospital today to check out recently installed site ID (above) and also to "retake" a photo we made over two years ago for a Cafe Retail sign layout featuring the historic Kirkbride Hospital. Then, Kirkbride was cream in color and surrounded by scaffolding. Today the building, now a beautiful brick color, is magnificent against the Oregon summer sky - and ready for her close-up!

Mike holds our layout while Abby focuses on the subject.

Out & About: Field Trip to Speedpro Imaging

After a visit from Carolyn Miye in May, yesterday AK accepted her offer to visit their new Speedpro Imaging office in Beaverton to learn more about their printing capabilities and process. We were very impressed with their printing quality and their willingness to work collaboratively.

Checking out the Roland printer in action

Not content to just discuss theoretical applications, we brought an actual project to discuss with the Speedpro team. Nick, Mike and Carolyn were very helpful in trouble-shooting our project and we left with a viable solution!

On the Boards: UO Lewis Integrative Science Building - Eugene, OR

Lewis Integrative Science Building will conjoin three adjacent buildings into an integrated complex beautifully expressing the very paradigm of Integrative Science: bringing together content experts from varied fields to study complex problems in collaborative ways. The results are multifaceted, complex and beautiful, as is THA & HDR Architecture's collaborative design for the new building.

We were onsite last week for a design workshop and site walk with Amanda Petretti and Laurie Canup of THA Architects, shown above with Abby Alway from AK. It's always exciting to be in the building after knowing it only from architectural drawings!

With construction in full swing, we were able to visualize locations and sight lines for signage and graphics and then study adjacencies within the volume of the newly conjoined buildings.

On the Boards: OHSU Student Center

In 2009 we began collaborating with Opsis Architecture on graphics for the OHSU Student Center, currently undergoing renovation. It's been a long time coming, but today we received
this photo from Center Pointe Signs:

The signs in fabrication!

These powder coated steel panels will wrap the corners of three columns in the Student Center lounge. Combined with graphics integrated into the information desk and glass storefront, these column wraps will add identity and rhythm to a very lively space!

Design concept photo simulation

Out & About: Contemporary Montreal

Montreal exploded when Expo 67 came to town. It brought the world to Montreal and contemporary architecture too. Above, Moshe Safdie's Habitat 67 heralded a new era for Montreal and most of the newer buildings in the city today date from that period. Above, the site glows from the setting sun's reflected light.

The 1976 Summer Olympics brought more lasting architecture to Montreal and a beautiful Olympic Park which today welcomes visitors to the Biodome (above left), an observation tower (right) and many beautiful gardens, including Japanese and Classical Chinese.

Montreal's classical Chinese Garden has many of the classical forms we recognize in our Portland garden only they are much larger and more spread out. It was a thrill to see it after visiting very similar, much older gardens in Suzhou, China last year.

Bixi Bikes! The zip cars of Montreal. Slide your credit card, get 40 free minutes, then pay by the hour. These line ups are all over the city, often with few bikes - everyone's riding!

Montreal's newest design excitement is the "Quartier des Spectacles" in the center of the city. Created by closing streets to vehicular traffic, a large event plaza is still in construction. The most significant design feature, however, is illumination that changes nightly to spotlight the cultural activities within the quarter. Venues are illuminated only when something's happening. Above, an LED light display changes colors on the facade of the art museum.

Out & About: Vieux Montreal - The Old City

Settled by the French in the mid-seventeenth century, Montreal expanded when the British won the city in 1759 and English, Irish and Scottish settlers followed. At the summit of Mont Royal, a crest represents all countries equally: fleur de lis for France; rose for Britain, thistle for Scotland and shamrock for Ireland. At the bottom, Montreal's motto: "concordia salus" - well-being through harmony.

British presence in Montreal is illustrated at the waterfront, where the country's maritime influence is reflected in the architecture.

In the center of Vieux Montreal (the old city), Place des Armes is anchored by Notre Dame of Montreal, spiritual home to the City's French Catholics.

Delightful hand crafted shop signs in the traditional French style.

Layers of architectural history outline the facades of Old Montreal where stone walls of earlier buildings are part of later buildings.

Out & About: SEGD climbs Mont Royal in Montreal CANADA

SEGD's Montreal Conference broke into "workshops on wheels" Thursday afternoon when participants from all corners of the globe explored Montreal. EA joined the group hike on Mont Royal (Mont Real), after which the city is named and where we enjoyed panoramic views in all directions.

Begun in 1874, Mont Royal features a lookout and park design by Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of New York City's Central Park.

The city of Montreal is an island located at the confluence of the St. Lawrence (shown above) and Ottawa Rivers.


Parlez vous francais? In Montreal, as in all Quebec province, French is the official language - and that means no bilingual signs!

Happy 20th Anniversary AK!! - Montreal CANADA

Elizabeth and Lynn toast AK's 20th Anniversary in Montreal where we are attending the SEGD (Society for Environmental Graphic Design) international design conference. It's hard to believe it's been that long since EA and John Krygier combined their talents to form Anderson Krygier, Inc. and even more astounding that six years have passed since we lost John to cancer and continued his legacy
of innovation and reinvention to become the firm we are today.

Happy Anniversary AK and thank you to all who join us in this wonderful adventure!

Out & About and On the Boards: University of Idaho

Abby travelled to Moscow, Idaho on Wednesday to present our 85% CD submittal for the University of Idaho's sports arena, Kibbie Dome. Scale is everything in a big arena, as you can see from our mock-ups of 24" and 36" letters (see inset) inside the dome.

We go a long way back with the Vandals. The guy on the right is Chace Anderson (EA's dad) on the field with his football buddies in the late 40s.