Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 81

Many ARTfx designs begin on my drafting table,
which I keep well organized. For Habitat, once I had
my idea, I belted out little more than a scribble for
the art department, where the idea was translated
into presentation format using CorelDRAW software,
our program of choice. To prepare files for production,
we eliminate unnecessary information and convert
the file to .EPS. We use Gerber's Omega and Composer
software and equipment to prepare files for plotter
cutting, inkjet printing and CNC routing.
Hassett & George, a law firm in our area, came to
ARTfx with no logo and a reasonable budget, but the
sign would be installed in a town that tightly regulates
signage square footage. The client requested a sign
be installed on a brownstone pedestal because they
admired others in town. I thought it was a good idea;
brownstone has been quarried in this area for approximately 200 years, and I like using local materials.
However, the mason quoted the pedestal at $8,500,
which threatened to bust our budget; we had to
regroup.
In municipalities where square-footage constraints
stifle sign sizes, I often accentuate the visual impact
by emphasizing peripheral elements. For instance, I'll
thicken a sign's support legs, create pedestals, incorporate detached crown moldings and place greater
attention on address panels. I call this technique
"flying above zoning radar." For Hassett & George,
we had to split 32 sq. ft. between two signs, and the
other sign comprises an 18-sq.-ft. directory.
With the brownstone pedestal removed from consideration, I needed another mounting solution to
enhance the overall stature. Stretching unique design
elements beyond the expected is often my sure-fire
means to defy the faddish use of shape and structure. With the Hassett & George project, I felt that
exchanging traditional legs for ornamental metal
work could work successfully.
Surprisingly, the town's design-review committee
confronted us because our original layout depicted
fairly wide rail work. They said the plan was a bit
ostentatious, and that we were trying to trick them

with elements that augmented the sign's mass. It's
difficult battling a design committee in a posh New
England town; they often comprise sophisticated professionals, such as Ivy League-educated architects and
MIT engineers, who have strong opinions. We eventually compromised on a reduced railing, as shown in
the sketch and photo.
Another local project, Mallory Ridge, required a
freestanding main monument that created a real
design hassle. First, the project's logo was difficult
to interpret into signage because of the inordinately
large "M". Additionally, the client requested we
introduce cultured stone from the apartment-building
fascias into our design. The particular product brand
was a mediocre grade only available in unusually
awkward and clumsy sizes. Beyond that, there was no
logical location on the site to erect a horizontal sign.
The only piece of suitable road frontage was immediately backed by a steeply descending grade into the
gulley of a retention pond.
Out of necessity, we designed a single-column
structure, and designed the sign panel to sit cantilevered, away from the road, over the banks of the
pond. The configuration turned out quite nicely, and,
in my opinion, without a trendy design. In that sense,
the challenges were successfully solved with a style
that should survive well into the future. In other
words, it has a long architectural shelf life.
ARTfx has begun to experiment with 3-D extrusions
using SketchUp, an architecturally based program that
spins a shape's elevation in virtual space while the
designer enhances any elevation or component as it
spins. Although the lines are somewhat unrefined,
and the program is not entirely typography-friendly,
the drawings, once extruded and detailed, can be brought
back into programs such as Corel for refinement. This
allows us the advantage of showing the client their
future sign as it will appear in three dimensions, and
it serves as a great visual reference for production in
fabrication drawings.
Lawrin Rosen is president of ARTfx Signs
(Bloomfield, CT).
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Signs of the Times - June 2015

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