What this system is for
The problem is not decorating a building. It is helping a person who does not know where they are understand where they are, where they need to go, and how to get there.
Everything that follows is subordinate to that. The design work runs in a fixed order, and the order matters: spatial diagnosis and numerical checking come before visual design, not after it.
- 1Read the building
Understand the plan, the levels, the circulation and the arrival points before proposing anything.
- 2Diagnose the problems
Identify where and why a visitor will lose the thread. Six specific conditions in this building drive the whole system.
- 3Lock the foundations
Level nomenclature, room numbering and zoning are settled first. Nothing downstream can be drawn until they are.
- 4Develop the sign system
Five families, nineteen types, one common language shared by the drawings, the register and the fabricator.
- 5Verify numerically
Contrast, cap height, text fit and message load are calculated, not judged by eye.
- 6Show what changed
Publish the revisions that verification forced. The audit trail is part of the deliverable.
This is concept design, issued for direction and approval. Three visual directions are still to be developed (see Next phase). Quantities here are indicative, measured from Revision 02 — final room-sign quantity cannot be established until a complete door and GA package is issued (Q10).
Four zones around a courtyard
Approximately 9,631 m² across five operational levels, in a four-quadrant layout around a central courtyard. Eight architectural blocks are simplified into four visitor-facing zones.
The eight architectural blocks — A, A1, B, B1, C, C1, D, D1 — remain in the register and on the plans. Visitors see only the four zones unless detailed block data is deliberately turned on.
Every zone treatment carries the zone letter, the zone label and the zone color together. Slate and Chocolate sit relatively close in luminance, so hue alone cannot be trusted to separate them.
Rajah has insufficient contrast against a white wall to work as an unbounded plate. Zone B signage requires a dark edge, backer or border wherever it meets a very light wall.
The floor plate changes as you go up
This is not an identical stack. The building loses and gains zones with height, so signage logic can never be copied from one level to the next.
| Level | Architectural terminology | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| 0Level 0 | Basement | Service accommodation only |
| 1Level 1 | Lower Ground | Zones A, B and C |
| 2Level 2 | Ground | All four zones |
| 3Level 3 | First Floor | All four zones |
| 4Level 4 | Mezzanine / Upper Library / Second Floor | Zone C only — Upper Library |
Architectural terminology is recorded for coordination only. It is never shown to end users.
Level 4 exists only in Zone C, as the Upper Library, and is reached through the library rather than from general circulation.
Six problems this building sets
These are specific to the STEM Center. A generic rectangular-office approach would fail on every one of them.
Repeated architecture
Zones A, B, C and D use closely related architectural forms. A visitor can move between them without receiving any strong visual cue that they have changed location. Zone identity therefore has to be unusually strong.
Loop circulation
Levels 2 and 3 form circulation loops around the courtyard. A wrong turn still appears plausible, because both directions continue. Orient strongly, sign the decision points, and add nothing in between.
Changing floor footprint
The full zone arrangement does not exist on every floor. One level’s signage logic must never be copied onto another.
Multiple arrival elevations
The slope lets a visitor enter the building at more than one vertical datum. Every significant entrance must therefore state the level.
Cores that do different jobs
Not every stair or lift performs the same function. The Zone C library lift is distinct — it connects the Quad, Main Library and Upper Library sequence. Every core marker states exactly which levels and destinations it serves.
Public and restricted overlap
Teaching, laboratories, research, library, senior administration, the President’s Office and technical spaces share the same circulation. Destinations are tagged so signage can distinguish them.
Orient → Direct → Confirm → Name
Signs go where decisions happen, not where wall happens to be available. Naming is deliberately held to last.
Orient
At building thresholds, major entry points, lift arrivals, stair arrivals and major level transitions. Because there is no single arrival level, every entrance does work a main entrance would normally do alone.
Direct
Only where a visitor must make a choice. Straight corridors with no decision get nothing — reassurance signage between decisions is what makes a loop feel like a maze.
Confirm
Every destination confirms itself, with a permanent room number that does not change when the name does.
Name
Honorific and donor naming is added only after the visitor has successfully identified the functional destination. Naming stays subordinate to navigation.
Directional message rules
Do
- No more than five destinations on any directional sign
- Keep the order consistent from sign to sign
- Zone or principal destination, then destination name, then room number if useful, then arrow
- Normal upper and lowercase — not all-caps running text
Do not
- Paragraphs or explanatory prose
- Repeated building names
- Long lists
- Redundant destinations
- Signs in straight corridors where no choice exists
Level naming and room numbering
Two conventions have to be fixed before anything can be drawn, priced or fabricated. Neither requires a name to be chosen.
Neutral level numbering
Architectural terminology is not shown to end users. The building sits on a slope, so visitors enter from exterior grade at different architectural floors — neutral numbering prevents someone entering at a higher datum from being confused by a label such as “Ground Floor.” The operational numbering must be used identically on signage, lift call panels and fire plans.
| Level | Architectural terminology | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| 0Level 0 | Basement | Service accommodation only |
| 1Level 1 | Lower Ground | Zones A, B and C |
| 2Level 2 | Ground | All four zones |
| 3Level 3 | First Floor | All four zones |
| 4Level 4 | Mezzanine / Upper Library / Second Floor | Zone C only — Upper Library |
Architectural terminology is recorded for coordination only. It is never shown to end users.
Room numbering
Ashesi’s existing convention is retained: level, then sequence. The zone is deliberately not encoded into the permanent room number — zone and room number are separate systems doing separate jobs.
Zone
- Spatial orientation
- Tells a visitor where they are
- May be restated, recolored or renamed as the building evolves
Room number
- Permanent estate identifier
- Survives every naming and zoning change
- Never re-encoded
| Reference | Space | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1-01 | Biochemistry Lab | Level 1 |
| 2-01 | CSIS Computing Lab | Level 2 |
| 3-14 | Lecturers’ Open Plan Office | Level 3 |
| 4-03 | Upper Library | Level 4 |
Sequence runs A → A1 → B → B1 → C → C1 → D → D1 around each level, counting only the blocks present on that level.
- Reception
- Large Classrooms 1 and 2
- Research & Innovation Collaborative
- Biochemistry Lab
E02 · 800 × 380 mm, wall-mounted. Cap height 40 mm for the level, assumed 8 m viewing distance.
360 × 160 mm, wall-mounted on the latch side. Room name in EB Garamond at 12 mm cap; room number in Poppins. The zone cue carries the letter, not the color alone.
- Zone cue — letter and color together, never color alone
- Room name, EB Garamond, 12 mm cap, on the replaceable insert
- Room number, Poppins, permanent on the carrier
Five families, nineteen types
Five persistent families give the design, the drawing references, the sign register and the eventual fabrication schedule one common language.
Exterior & Site
3 types · 21 indicativeRead before entering, or when moving between campus destinations.
Wayfinding
5 types · 89 indicativeOrients and directs people through the building. Wall-mounted throughout.
Identification
3 types · 142 indicativeRead on arrival at a destination.
Regulatory & Safety
4 types · 217 indicativeEmergency routes, fire, laboratory hazard, PPE, restricted access and accessibility information. Brand colors never override safety standards.
Naming & Recognition
4 types · 56 indicativeNamed spaces, donor recognition, dedications and interpretive content. Always subordinate to navigation.
All internal wayfinding is conceived as architectural wall graphics and wall-mounted panels. Do not develop suspended wayfinding, ceiling-hung directional signs, freestanding interior pylons or projecting corridor blades unless this is specifically enabled later. Wall mounting is the default, and wall condition is part of every sign record.
Wall treatments available
Panel
Fabricated plate mounted flat or slightly proud of the wall.
Layered panel
Neutral structural plate with a zone-color insert or edge.
Color field
Large architectural zone-color field applied directly to the wall, with typography over it.
Oversized typography
Large zone letter or level number applied directly to the wall.
Modular strip
Horizontal or vertical wall-mounted directional modules.
Full specification, by family
EExterior & Site
Building identification
3 indicativeIdentifies the building at the vehicular approach and on the pedestrian frontage.
- Size
- Road ~2.7–3.0 m overall text installation · Pedestrian ~1.4–1.6 m
- Mounting
- Wall-fixed to the elevation
- Read from
- 30 m (road)
- Cap height
- 150 mm
Entrance + level identification
10 indicativeNames the building and states the level being entered. Every significant entrance carries one, because the slope lets visitors arrive at more than one datum.
- Size
- 800 × 380 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 8 m
- Cap height
- 40 mm
Campus directional / handoff
8 indicativeHands the visitor off to wider campus destinations at each link.
- Size
- ~600 × 110 mm per destination line
- Mounting
- Wall or post at campus thresholds
- Read from
- 5 m
- Cap height
- 25 mm
Vehicular directional
4 indicativeRev 02 carried vehicular routing at the car park entry, exit and accessible bays. The new exterior type list has no vehicular type, so these four locations keep a provisional code pending a decision on whether vehicular routing stays in this package.
- Size
- To be confirmed
- Mounting
- Post-mounted (Rev 02)
- Read from
- 12 m
- Cap height
- 60 mm (Rev 02)
WWayfinding
Arrival orientation
0 indicativeThe first orientation surface inside a threshold — states where you are, which zone, and what is reachable on this level.
- Size
- ~900 × 1200 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 3 m (destination copy)
- Cap height
- 15 mm
Directional
34 indicativePlaced only where a visitor must make a decision. Maximum five destinations, consistent order.
- Size
- 1000 × 320–350 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 5 m
- Cap height
- 25 mm
Zone gateway
15 indicativeMarks entry into a zone. Carries the zone letter, the zone label and the zone color together — never color alone.
- Size
- 500–600 mm field
- Mounting
- Wall or applied color field
- Read from
- 8 m (label)
- Cap height
- 40 mm label · 180 mm zone letter
Core / level marker
26 indicativeAt every stair and lift landing. States which levels and major destinations that core actually serves — the cores do not all do the same job.
- Size
- ~500 × 700 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 6 m (supporting label)
- Cap height
- 30 mm
Floor directory
14 indicativeFull level listing at arrival points and cores. Shows the accessible route as a distinct line.
- Size
- 800 × 1100–1200 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 2 m (listing)
- Cap height
- 12 mm
IIdentification
Standard room identification
128 indicativeRoom name, permanent room number and zone cue at every enclosed destination.
- Size
- 360 × 160 mm
- Mounting
- Wall, latch side
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
- Cap height
- 12 mm
Department / open-plan identification
14 indicativeIdentifies departments and open-plan areas that have no single door.
- Size
- 600 × 180 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 4 m
- Cap height
- 20 mm
Service-room identification
0 indicativePlant, store, riser and technical spaces.
- Size
- 260 × 120 mm
- Mounting
- Wall or door leaf
- Read from
- 1.5 m
- Cap height
- 10 mm
Nook, pod and interactive
22 indicativeRev 02 identified courtyard pods, foyer nooks and interactive points. The new identification list covers standard rooms, departments and service rooms only, so these twenty-two locations keep a provisional code pending a decision on whether pods are separately identified.
- Size
- To be confirmed
- Mounting
- Wall or furniture (Rev 02)
- Read from
- 1.5 m
- Cap height
- 16 mm (Rev 02)
RRegulatory & Safety
Emergency routes & fire
120 indicativeEscape route directional, final exit identification, fire action notices and equipment identification.
- Size
- Per ISO 7010 / ISO 16069
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- Per viewing distance
- Cap height
- Per standard
- Standard
- Safety color and geometry system governs — brand colors never override it
Laboratory hazard & PPE
45 indicativeHazard identification, mandatory PPE, emergency equipment location and out-of-hours restriction.
- Size
- Per ISO 7010 · GHS pictograms where chemicals are stored
- Mounting
- Wall, beside door
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
- Cap height
- Per standard
- Standard
- ISO 7010 · GHS
Restricted access
32 indicativeAuthorized access only at plant, server, tank, store and technical spaces, with statutory notices.
- Size
- Per ISO 7010
- Mounting
- Wall or door leaf
- Read from
- 1.5 m
- Cap height
- Per standard
- Standard
- ISO 7010
Accessibility information
20 indicativeAccessible route marking, accessible WC identification, assistance instructions and refuge information.
- Size
- Per ISO 21542
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
- Cap height
- Per standard
- Standard
- Act 715 · ISO 21542 · ISO 7010
NNaming & Recognition
Named spaces
40 indicativeReplaceable insert to the I01 carrier. Added only after the functional destination reads correctly.
- Size
- Insert to the I01 carrier
- Mounting
- Wall — no separate fixing
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
- Cap height
- 12 mm
Donor recognition
2 indicativeModular panels on a fixed rail, so contributors are added without refabricating the wall.
- Size
- Modular
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 2–3 m
- Cap height
- Varies
Dedications
2 indicativeCast or etched, permanent, single-issue.
- Size
- Single-issue
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 1.5 m
- Cap height
- Varies
Interpretive content
12 indicativeStory and interpretive graphics — the work of the center and the people in it.
- Size
- Varies
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 1.5–3 m
- Cap height
- Varies
Every sign is checked numerically
Cap heights are calculated, not chosen. Text width is measured in the real font, not estimated from character counts. Both rules exist because guessing has already been shown to invalidate a plate size.
Viewing-distance calculator
Minimum cap height is viewing distance ÷ 250. Preferred is ÷ 200. Enter the distance a sign is actually read from:
Current cap-height standards
| Sign type | Assumed distance | Minimum | Preferred | Design cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E01 Road building ID | 30 m | 120 mm | 150 mm | 150 mm |
| E02 Entrance ID | 8 m | 32 mm | 40 mm | 40 mm |
| E03 Campus directional | 5 m | 20 mm | 25 mm | 25 mm |
| W01 Destination copy | 3 m | 12 mm | 15 mm | 15 mm |
| W02 Directional | 5 m | 20 mm | 25 mm | 25 mm |
| W03 Zone label | 8 m | 32 mm | 40 mm | 40 mm |
| W03 Zone letter | Architectural | — | — | 180 mm |
| W04 Supporting label | 6 m | 24 mm | 30 mm | 30 mm |
| W05 Directory listing | 2 m | 8 mm | 10 mm | 12 mm |
| I01 Room name | 1.5–2 m | 6 mm | 8 mm | 12 mm |
| I02 Department | 4 m | 16 mm | 20 mm | 20 mm |
| I03 Service room | 1.5 m | 6 mm | 8 mm | 10 mm |
Minimum and preferred columns are computed from the assumed distance, not transcribed. Where the design cap exceeds the preferred value the sign is deliberately generous — zone letters and building identification are read as architecture, not as text.
Text fit, measured in EB Garamond
Character-width approximations are explicitly prohibited — they can invalidate a plate size. These strings were measured at 12 mm cap height in the real typeface, and the longest of them is why the standard room plate grew to 360 mm.
| String, set in EB Garamond at 12 mm cap | Measured width | Fits 360 mm plate |
|---|---|---|
| Research & Innovation Collaborative | 263.7 mm | Yes |
| Engineering Program Classroom | 249.5 mm | Yes |
| MSc. Computer Science Lab | 200.1 mm | Yes |
| Lecturers’ Open Plan Office | 198.3 mm | Yes |
| Anatomy & Physiology Lab | 197.6 mm | Yes |
| Administrative Offices | 160.3 mm | Yes |
| Biochemistry Lab | 124.2 mm | Yes |
Allowing 10 mm margin each side. “Engineering Program Classroom” was measured on the British spelling; the American spelling is two characters shorter, so the measured width is conservative.
What gets checked
Contrast
Text-to-background ratio and sign-to-wall ratio, against the WCAG minimum and the preferred 7:1 threshold.
Viewing distance
Distance, minimum cap height, preferred cap height and actual cap height, with a pass or warning.
Text fit
Available width against calculated glyph width, and the margin remaining.
Message load
Number of destinations on a directional sign. Maximum five.
Color dependency
Every zone-color cue must also carry a textual zone cue.
Mounting
The location must be a valid, available wall surface.
Environment
Material system compared against the exposure classification.
What checking changed
Verification is only worth doing if it is allowed to overturn the design. These five revisions were forced by the numbers, not by preference.
This audit trail is maintained as the design develops. Any later change to a module, color or cap height records what was assumed, what the check found, and what the design became.
Where the signs go
Positions below are the Revision 02 measured layout, remapped to the new type codes. They are indicative pending a complete door and GA package.
Open the interactive plans All 551 Revision 02 positions, remapped to the new type codes. Filter by family or type, and select any marker for its specification.Of 551 Revision 02 positions, 525 remap cleanly to the new type list. The remaining 26 — Vehicular directional (4) and Nook, pod and interactive (22) — have no equivalent in the new taxonomy and are held rather than force-fitted. Two new types, W01 Arrival orientation and I03 Service-room identification, have no Revision 02 positions and are not yet placed.
Level 1
Lower Ground · Zones A, B and CReached from the car park walkway. The ring is incomplete at this level and the route dead-ends south of Zone C.
| Zone | Principal spaces | Sign types |
|---|---|---|
| A | Large Classroom 1 · 77 seats · foyer 162 m² | E02W02W03I01R01 |
| A | Reception & Waiting Lobby · Meeting Room, 25 seats · Open Plan Office · washrooms | E02W05W02I01I02R01R04 |
| B | Large Classroom 2 · 77 seats · foyer 162 m² | E02W02W03I01R01 |
| B | Research & Innovation Collaborative, 276 m² · Cubicles 01–04 · lift and stair core · accessible WC | E02W05W02W04I01I02R01R04 |
| C | Biochemistry Lab · 64 seats · two stores | W02W03I01R01R02 |
- Main visitor arrival is here, in Zone A. It carries the primary W05 directory and the N02 donor wall.
- Zone A has no accessible WC on this or any level. W02 and R04 must route to the accessible WC in Zone B.
- South of Zone C the level ends. A W02 at the Zone C foyer states clearly that Zones C1, D and D1 are reached via Level 2.
Level 2
Ground · All four zonesThe only level present in all four zones, and the one most visitors will treat as the front door. Entered from the Quad, from Engineering and via the ramps.
| Zone | Principal spaces | Sign types |
|---|---|---|
| A | Large Classroom 3 · Open Plan Office, 44 faculty interns · Academic HOD 01 and 02 | E02W05W02W03I01I02R01 |
| B | Large Classroom 4 · Anatomy & Physiology Lab · Additional Classroom/Lab · lift core | E02W05W02W03W04I01R01R02R04 |
| C | CSIS Computing Lab · Robot Testing Area · Server Room · steps to the Incubator | E03E02W02W03I01R01R02R03 |
| C | Large Tiered Classroom, 120 seats · Quad frontage · covered walkway to The Hive | E01E03E02W05W02I01R01R04 |
| D | MSc. Computer Science Lab · two Engineering Program classrooms · Engineering link | E03E02W05W02W03W04I01R01R02R04 |
| Quad | Five pods, 5–11 m² · access-controlled lift · sculptural columns | E03R03R04 |
- The circulation loop is continuous here. W03 zone gateways on each courtyard elevation are what stop people circling.
- The access-controlled lift in the Quad needs R03 access signage and R04 assistance information at both stops.
- Classroom walls carrying the board and projector screen are unavailable for mounting — plates go on the corridor side.
Level 3
First Floor · All four zonesThe densest level for room identification: 61 named spaces, mixing teaching, research, senior administration and the Main Library.
| Zone | Principal spaces | Sign types |
|---|---|---|
| A | Large Classroom 5 · Lecturers’ Open Plan Office, 211 m², with twelve individual offices · lounge | W05W02W03I01I02R01 |
| B | Large Classroom 6 · President’s Office and Assistant · Waiting Lobby · Conference Room, 25 seats | W05W02W03W04I01R01R04 |
| C | Research Space, 183 m² · Laboratories 01–04 · store | W02W03I01R01R02 |
| C | Main Library, 492 m² · e-Library · Librarian’s Office · Interactive Zone, 174 m² | W05W02W04I01I02R01R04N01 |
| D | Engineering Lab · Open Plan Office · COO · General Counsel · Chief of Staff · Comms | W05W02W03W04I01I02R01R02R04 |
- Visitors to the President’s Office arrive at Level 1 reception and travel two levels. That journey needs a continuous named thread from the front door to the waiting lobby.
- Library signage is its own subsystem spanning Levels 3 and 4 — collections, quiet zones, bag store and the e-Library.
- Twelve lecturers’ offices in one open-plan suite need I02 department identification as well as individual I01 plates.
Levels 0 and 4
Basement · Mezzanine · Service, and Zone C onlyTwo restricted or specialized levels at either end of the section. Neither carries general wayfinding; both carry regulatory and access signage.
| Zone | Principal spaces | Sign types |
|---|---|---|
| Level 0 | Mechanical Plant · Electrical Plant · I.T. Room · Store, 85 m² · two water tanks | W04I01R01R03 |
| Level 4 | Upper Library · washrooms · Attic Storage, 270 m² · lift | W05W04I01I02R01R03 |
- Level 0 is authorized access only. R03 at every door, with statutory electrical and mechanical plant notices.
- Attic Storage at 270 m² is a significant volume with a single access point — confirm its escape strategy before finalizing R01 (see Q09).
- Level 4 is reached only through the library, so its directory is a library directory, not a building one. Accessible provision here is unresolved (Q12).
Thirteen technical spaces, each with its own hazard set
Hazard signage is specified per space, not per building — a computing lab and a biochemistry lab share almost nothing. Safety color and geometry govern throughout; brand colors never override them.
| Space | Level · Zone | Entry hazard panel | Mandatory PPE | Emergency equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry Lab, 64 | 1 · C | Biological and chemical, GHS pictograms per inventory | Lab coat, eye protection, gloves | Shower, eyewash, spill kit, first aid |
| Anatomy & Physiology Lab, 50 | 2 · B | Biological, specimen handling, no food or drink | Lab coat, gloves | Eyewash, sharps disposal, first aid |
| Additional Classroom / Lab, 50 | 2 · B | To be confirmed once the final use is fixed | To be confirmed | Eyewash, first aid |
| CSIS Computing Lab, 64 | 2 · C | Electrical, at the distribution point only | None | CO₂ extinguisher, first aid |
| Server Room | 2 · C | Restricted access, electrical, suppression system | None | Suppression notice, isolation point |
| Robot Testing Area, 146 m² | 2 · C | Moving machinery, entanglement, keep clear in use | Eye protection, closed footwear | Emergency stop, first aid |
| MSc. Computer Science Lab, 64 | 2 · D | Electrical, at the distribution point only | None | CO₂ extinguisher, first aid |
| Engineering Lab, 64 | 3 · D | Machinery, noise, hot work, eye hazard | Eye and hearing protection, closed footwear | Emergency stop, extinguisher, eyewash |
| Research Laboratories 01–04 | 3 · C | Changeable insert, set by the principal investigator | Per laboratory | Eyewash, spill kit, first aid |
| Research Space, 183 m² | 3 · C | Laboratory discipline, no lone working out of hours | As posted at each bench | First aid, nearest eyewash |
| Mechanical & Electrical Plant | 0 | Authorized access, electrical, mechanical, confined space | As posted | Isolation points, first aid |
| I.T. Room | 0 | Restricted access, electrical | None | Isolation point |
| Water Tanks, 2 no. | 0 | Confined space, permit to work required | As posted | Isolation and permit board |
Research Laboratories 01–04 use a changeable hazard insert so the panel tracks the work actually being done rather than the work anticipated at design stage. All sets to be confirmed against departmental risk assessments before artwork. Robot Testing Area access control is unresolved — see Q07 and the open queries.
Designing for names that do not exist yet
Every plate that may later carry a donor or honorific name is modular, so a future naming decision never requires a complete sign replacement.
Permanent carrier
- Room number, permanently applied
- Permanent identification
- Zone cue
- A machined slot sized for the insert
Replaceable insert
- Current functional name
- Later donor or honorific name
- Naming content
- Replaceable without tools that damage the carrier
Nothing waits on a name
Carriers are priced and fabricated against a fixed schedule. No sign depends on a naming decision being made first.
A name change costs an insert
Not a sign. No wall is redrilled, and the permanent room number is untouched.
Recognition can grow
Named-space inserts are added as gifts are confirmed, over years, without a new procurement.
Naming stays subordinate
A donor name sits below the room number and the functional name, never above. The visitor identifies the destination first.
Typography, color, material, environment
Typography
Two typefaces, with a clear division of labor. EB Garamond gives the system its institutional character; Poppins carries the fast, functional information. Garamond is not used for dense microcopy.
The critical color rule
Every zone treatment combines at least the zone letter, the zone label and the zone color. This matters particularly because Slate and Chocolate sit relatively close in luminance, so anyone relying on hue alone — under color vision deficiency, poor light, or a dirty plate — loses the distinction entirely.
On the floor plans in this proposal, markers are colored by sign family as a drawing convention, and always carry their type code as text. Zone colors appear only where zones are being described. The two systems are never asked to share a surface.
Finish
The building has extensive glazing and a courtyard that throws light into circulation. Gloss is the fastest way to make a correctly sized sign unreadable.
Material direction
The current visual language assumes powder-coated aluminum, white and dark Slate powder-coated finishes, brushed metal edges and reveals, replaceable colored inserts, and applied vinyl or printed graphics where appropriate. Final materials respond to whether a location is enclosed or exposed.
Visual appearance and technical material specification are kept separate, so the same visual design can be tested against more than one fabrication method without redrawing it.
Environment
The building uses natural ventilation and extensive Low-E glazing and curtain walling. A sign that is nominally interior may still meet UV, humidity, heat, dust, wind-driven moisture and glare. Every location carries an exposure classification, and the material system answers to it.
Enclosed, conditioned. Standard interior substrates.
Open to air movement and humidity. Sealed edges, UV-stable inks.
Courtyard ring and covered thresholds. Full exterior build-up.
Unprotected. Marine-grade substrate, stainless fixings.
Wall condition
Wall mounting is the default, which makes wall availability a design input rather than an installation detail. Every placement records its surface, and unavailable surfaces are flagged before a sign is assigned.
Whiteboards, projector and screen areas, cabinetry and curtain walling are checked before a wall-mounted sign is assigned. Unavailable surfaces are flagged, not worked around silently.
Accessibility
The accessible route is stored separately
Where ramps and lifts diverge from stairs, the system generates a direct route and an accessible route as different path options. Floor directories show the accessible route as a distinct line.
Unresolved issues stay attached
Architectural queries are attached to a floor, route or sign rather than silently resolved. They remain visible until explicitly closed.
Level 4 provision is unresolved
There is no clearly identified accessible WC on the Upper Library level. This is carried as an open query (Q12), not designed around.
Access control needs an alternative
The Quad lift is access-controlled. Its signage must state how someone without a credential obtains assistance, and where the alternative accessible route runs.
Open architectural queries
These remain visible until explicitly closed. Several of them govern quantities, so none of them can be quietly resolved in favor of a tidier schedule.
Areas may not reconcile between the accommodation schedule and the plans.
Areas differ between the schedule and the detailed plans.
Schedule area and drawing area differ.
Administrative office area and the separate Communications Office require reconciliation.
Schedule and detail area differ by approximately 1 m².
Two Academic Pods appear on the drawings in addition to the five scheduled pods.
Washroom area does not map cleanly between the labels and the accommodation schedule.
270 m² appears in the schedule but is not clearly identified on the detailed plan.
Cannot be established without a complete door and GA package. Quantities in this proposal are indicative.
Need confirmation — some exterior thresholds may be egress-only.
Needs confirmation. No clearly identified accessible WC on the Upper Library level.
Sign register and output
Indicative quantity, by type and level
Measured from Revision 02 and remapped to the new type codes. This is not a tender schedule — final room-sign quantity cannot be established without a complete door and GA package (Q10).
| Set | Type | Description | Site | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | E01 | Building identification | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
| E02 | Entrance + level identification | — | — | 4 | 6 | — | — | 10 | |
| E03 | Campus directional / handoff | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | |
| E2* | Vehicular directional | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | |
| W | W01 | Arrival orientation | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| W02 | Directional | — | 1 | 8 | 13 | 12 | — | 34 | |
| W03 | Zone gateway | — | — | 3 | 6 | 6 | — | 15 | |
| W04 | Core / level marker | — | 2 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 26 | |
| W05 | Floor directory | — | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 | |
| I | I01 | Standard room identification | — | 5 | 21 | 37 | 61 | 4 | 128 |
| I02 | Department / open-plan identification | — | — | 3 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 14 | |
| I03 | Service-room identification | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| I3* | Nook, pod and interactive | — | — | 4 | 10 | 8 | — | 22 | |
| R | R01 | Emergency routes & fire | — | 6 | 24 | 44 | 42 | 4 | 120 |
| R02 | Laboratory hazard & PPE | — | 6 | 6 | 18 | 15 | — | 45 | |
| R03 | Restricted access | — | 9 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 32 | |
| R04 | Accessibility information | — | — | 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 20 | |
| N | N01 | Named spaces | — | — | 6 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 40 |
| N02 | Donor recognition | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | |
| N03 | Dedications | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | |
| N04 | Interpretive content | — | — | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 12 | |
| Indicative total, Revision 02 measurement | 15 | 29 | 102 | 190 | 196 | 19 | 551 | ||
Generated from the same marker data that drives the plans, so the schedule and the drawings cannot disagree. Rows in a lighter tone carry a provisional type code. Not a tender schedule — see Q10.
What the register carries
Every sign holds a full record, so the same data serves approval, verification and fabrication without being re-entered.
Two kinds of output
Approval output — for the client
- Visual concept boards
- Individual sign mockups
- Wall-context mockups
- Material options
- Sign-family comparisons
- Design rationale
- Verification summaries
Production output — for fabrication
- Vector artwork
- Dimensions
- Color values
- Font specifications
- Material callouts
- Sign schedule and register
- Revision number
- Print and fabrication geometry
After concept selection, fully editable Adobe Illustrator-compatible vector artwork, with all elements remaining individually editable wherever possible.
Three visual directions
The concept established so far — restrained dark neutral base, strong zone accents, EB Garamond as the dominant voice, large level numerals and zone letters, an aluminum and powder-coated visual language — is Option 1 territory, not the final design.
The next phase develops roughly three clearly differentiated visual directions, not minor variations of one system. The distinction between them comes from the visual system, never from changing the wayfinding logic.
Fixed across all three
- EB Garamond + Poppins
- Zones A / B / C / D
- The agreed HEX values
- Wall-mounted internal wayfinding
- Neutral Level 0–4 nomenclature
- Ashesi room numbering
- The numerical design constraints
- Institutional fabrication
- Editable vector artwork
Free to vary
- Amount of color
- Panel geometry
- Edge treatment
- Typography scale
- Background material
- Dimensionality
- Direct-to-wall vs fabricated panel
Once one direction is selected, the complete family is developed consistently and prepared as production-ready editable artwork.