What this system does
The signage system helps a person in the building understand where they are, where they need to go, and how to get there.
This proposed design runs in a fixed order: spatial diagnosis and numerical checking, then visual design.
This proposal brings together five decisions for review
A five-level numbering system
Use neutral level numbers throughout the building.
This replaces public-facing terms such as Basement, Lower Ground, Ground Floor, First Floor and Mezzanine.
Because the site slopes, a visitor can enter the building at different architectural floors. Neutral numbering gives every entrance a clear and consistent reference.
The same level names will ultimately be used on
| Level | Replaces | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| 0Level 0 | Basement | Service accommodation |
| 1Level 1 | Lower Ground | Zones A, B and C |
| 2Level 2 | Ground Floor | Zones A, B, C and D |
| 3Level 3 | First Floor | Zones A, B, C and D |
| 4Level 4 | Mezzanine | Zone C only |
Four visitor-facing zones
The eight architectural blocks are simplified into four zones.
The architectural block references can remain available for facilities and technical coordination. Visitors only need to understand four zones.
Every zone is identified by letter + name + color. Since several wings have similar geometry, the aim is for someone to know, at a glance: I am in Zone C on Level 3.
A campus-wide room reference
The existing estate room number can remain 3-12 in internal records if required. The public-facing reference gives the same room a location that works at campus scale.
Wall-mounted internal wayfinding
All internal wayfinding is proposed as wall-mounted.
The proposal does not rely on suspended corridor signs, ceiling-mounted signs or freestanding interior pylons.
Whiteboards, projector areas, glazing, curtain walling, cabinetry and other unavailable surfaces need to be identified before final positions are approved.
One visual system, applied at different scales
Pesaro, shown at display size
The system combines a restrained neutral base with the four zone colors. Large level numbers and zone letters do the orientation work. Detailed information remains quieter.
The goal is a system that feels part of Ashesi’s brand style.
How the building design informs this system
The building repeats itself
Zones A, B, C and D use closely related architectural forms. A visitor can move from one part of the building to another without receiving a strong architectural signal that their location has changed.
The main circulation is a loop
Levels 2 and 3 wrap around the central courtyard. This makes movement easy, but orientation harder. If someone turns the wrong way, the route can still look correct because the corridor continues.
The building changes shape between levels
The four-zone arrangement does not exist on every floor. A visitor cannot assume that a route available on one floor continues on the next.
- Level 0 — service accommodation
- Level 1 — Zones A, B and C
- Level 2 — Zones A, B, C and D
- Level 3 — Zones A, B, C and D
- Level 4 — Zone C only
There is no single arrival level
The building sits on a slope. Someone entering from one side can arrive on a different level from someone entering elsewhere, even though both have entered directly from outside.
The vertical cores do different jobs
Not every stair and lift serves the same destinations. The Zone C library lift, for example, forms part of a specific route between the Quad, Main Library and Upper Library.
Public and restricted uses overlap
Teaching spaces, research laboratories, the library, administrative offices, the President’s Office and technical areas share the same building. A visitor can move from a highly public area toward a restricted one without a strong threshold.
Orient → Direct → Confirm → Name
The signage follows one consistent sequence.
Orient
Where am I?At entrances, lift arrivals, stair arrivals and major thresholds. A visitor should establish Building · Level · Zone before being asked to find an individual room.
Direct
Which way do I go?Only at places where someone has to make a choice. Directional signs should not fill straight corridors where no decision is required. No directional sign should carry more than five destinations.
Confirm
Have I arrived?Every destination receives a clear room or department identifier.
Name
What is this place called?Donor, honorary and named-space recognition comes after the functional identity. A future name should not make a room harder to find.
Proposed sign system
The system is organized into five families.
Exterior & Site
Everything before the door or between campus destinations.- Building identification
- Entrance and level identification
- Campus directional signs
Wayfinding
Everything that helps someone move through the building.- Arrival orientation
- Directional signs
- Zone gateways
- Lift and stair markers
- Floor directories
Identification
Confirms that someone has reached the right destination.- Room identification
- Department and open-plan identification
- Technical and service room identification
Regulatory & Safety
Statutory information, to the relevant safety standards.- Fire and escape information
- Laboratory hazard and PPE signage
- Restricted-access signage
- Accessibility information
Naming & Recognition
Added after the functional identity is working.- Named spaces
- Donor recognition
- Dedications
- Interpretive content
Design direction
The visual studies explore a system built around:
What should remain consistent across every visual option
The visual expression may change. The underlying wayfinding logic should not. Every option should retain:
Color and legibility
The four proposed zone colors have been checked for text contrast.
Slate
#2C3846
Ashesi Red
#A93C40
Turquoise
#017597
Turquoise works well for large zone letters and short labels. Longer or smaller text should generally sit on a neutral field.
Chocolate
#603913
The zone letter always remains visible. Color is reinforcement, not the only locator.
Readability is measured, not assumed
The proposed dimensions respond to how far away each sign is expected to be read.
| Sign | Typical reading distance | Working cap height |
|---|---|---|
| Road building identification | 30 m | 150 mm |
| Entrance identification | 8 m | 40 mm |
| Directional | 5 m | 25 mm |
| Zone label | 8 m | 40 mm |
| Floor directory | 2 m | 12 mm |
| Room identification | 1.5–2 m | 12 mm |
Text is also measured against the actual typeface before plate dimensions are fixed.
Current working widths
Accessibility
Accessible wayfinding should not be treated as a variation of the standard route.
Where a ramp or lift route differs from the most direct stair route, the signage system should identify both.
Naming should be designed to change
Room functions and donor names will change over the life of the building.
Where a sign may later carry a name, it should be designed as two parts if possible:
Permanent carrier
- Room reference
- Zone information
- Permanent system elements
Replaceable insert
- Room or space name
- Future donor or honorary naming
This allows a naming decision to change an insert rather than require a new sign and new wall fixings.
If this is not possible, we should maintain the existing screw-on plates that can be swapped without needing new wall drilling.
Sign mockups
The same five signs, drawn for each of the four zones. Dimensions and cap heights are the proposed working modules; type is Pesaro for lead information and Poppins for supporting.
#2C3846
#A93C40
#017597
#603913What changes between zones, and what does not
Fixed
- Sign dimensions and cap heights
- Layout and information order
- White ACM panel with a painted zone edge
- Pesaro for lead information, Poppins for supporting
- Letter + label + color on every zone cue
Varies
- The zone color and letter
- The levels each zone actually reaches
- Destinations and room references
The five types
| Type | Sign | Size | Cap height | Read from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E02 | Entrance and level sign | 600 × 400 mm | 40 mm level · 24 mm zone | 8 m |
| W03 | Zone gateway sign | 400 × 500 mm | 180 mm letter · 40 mm label | 8 m label |
| W02 | Directional sign | 800 × 620 mm | 25 mm destinations · 11 mm references | 5 m |
| R04 | Accessible route sign | 700 × 520 mm | 25 mm heading · 20 mm destinations | 5 m |
| I01 | Standard room sign | 360 × 240 mm | 24 mm number · 12 mm name | 1.5–2 m |
| I02 | Department sign | 480 × 300 mm | 30 mm number · 20 mm name | 4 m |
Material and finish
These are design intent, not production artwork. Both dimensions and cap heights are re-checked against the real longest strings before any plate size is fixed.
Zone A — the full set
Slate is the darkest of the four and the strongest against the panel at 10.84:1. Zone A has no lift of its own — only Zones B, C and D and the Quad carry one — so its directional signs route to the nearest core.
- Size
- 600 × 400 mm
- Cap height
- 40 mm level · 24 mm zone
- Read from
- 8 m
Names the building, the level being entered and the zone you are standing in. Because the site slopes, a visitor can enter directly from outside onto different levels, so every entrance carries one.
- Size
- 400 × 500 mm
- Cap height
- 180 mm letter · 40 mm label
- Read from
- 8 m label
Letter, label and color together — never color alone. This is what tells someone they have moved between four wings that otherwise look alike.
- Size
- 800 × 620 mm
- Cap height
- 25 mm destinations · 11 mm references
- Read from
- 5 m
Opens with the zone banner and the level, then lists what is actually on that floor in that zone, drawn from the Revision 02 accommodation schedule. Four destinations plus the vertical core, never more than five.
- Size
- 700 × 520 mm
- Cap height
- 25 mm heading · 20 mm destinations
- Read from
- 5 m
The accessible route is stored and signed separately from the direct one. Where a zone cannot provide step-free access itself, the sign says so and routes out of the zone rather than leaving someone to discover it.
- Size
- 360 × 240 mm
- Cap height
- 24 mm number · 12 mm name
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
The number leads, because it is the permanent estate identifier; the name sits beneath it on the replaceable insert. Renaming a room costs an insert rather than a sign and new wall fixings.
- Size
- 480 × 300 mm
- Cap height
- 30 mm number · 20 mm name
- Read from
- 4 m
The same plate family at a larger module, for departments and open-plan areas that have no single door and are read from further away.
Zone B — the full set
Ashesi Red is the brand colour doing double duty as a zone cue. It reads clearly at 5.6:1, but it is worth confirming that a red edge is understood as “Zone B” rather than simply as Ashesi branding.
- Size
- 600 × 400 mm
- Cap height
- 40 mm level · 24 mm zone
- Read from
- 8 m
Names the building, the level being entered and the zone you are standing in. Because the site slopes, a visitor can enter directly from outside onto different levels, so every entrance carries one.
- Size
- 400 × 500 mm
- Cap height
- 180 mm letter · 40 mm label
- Read from
- 8 m label
Letter, label and color together — never color alone. This is what tells someone they have moved between four wings that otherwise look alike.
- Size
- 800 × 620 mm
- Cap height
- 25 mm destinations · 11 mm references
- Read from
- 5 m
Opens with the zone banner and the level, then lists what is actually on that floor in that zone, drawn from the Revision 02 accommodation schedule. Four destinations plus the vertical core, never more than five.
- Size
- 700 × 520 mm
- Cap height
- 25 mm heading · 20 mm destinations
- Read from
- 5 m
The accessible route is stored and signed separately from the direct one. Where a zone cannot provide step-free access itself, the sign says so and routes out of the zone rather than leaving someone to discover it.
- Size
- 360 × 240 mm
- Cap height
- 24 mm number · 12 mm name
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
The number leads, because it is the permanent estate identifier; the name sits beneath it on the replaceable insert. Renaming a room costs an insert rather than a sign and new wall fixings.
- Size
- 480 × 300 mm
- Cap height
- 30 mm number · 20 mm name
- Read from
- 4 m
The same plate family at a larger module, for departments and open-plan areas that have no single door and are read from further away.
Zone C — the full set
Turquoise is the lightest of the four at 4.78:1 — comfortably above the minimum, but the narrowest margin in the set, which is why it carries short labels and large letters rather than dense copy.
- Size
- 600 × 400 mm
- Cap height
- 40 mm level · 24 mm zone
- Read from
- 8 m
Names the building, the level being entered and the zone you are standing in. Because the site slopes, a visitor can enter directly from outside onto different levels, so every entrance carries one.
- Size
- 400 × 500 mm
- Cap height
- 180 mm letter · 40 mm label
- Read from
- 8 m label
Letter, label and color together — never color alone. This is what tells someone they have moved between four wings that otherwise look alike.
- Size
- 800 × 620 mm
- Cap height
- 25 mm destinations · 11 mm references
- Read from
- 5 m
Opens with the zone banner and the level, then lists what is actually on that floor in that zone, drawn from the Revision 02 accommodation schedule. Four destinations plus the vertical core, never more than five.
- Size
- 700 × 520 mm
- Cap height
- 25 mm heading · 20 mm destinations
- Read from
- 5 m
The accessible route is stored and signed separately from the direct one. Where a zone cannot provide step-free access itself, the sign says so and routes out of the zone rather than leaving someone to discover it.
- Size
- 360 × 240 mm
- Cap height
- 24 mm number · 12 mm name
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
The number leads, because it is the permanent estate identifier; the name sits beneath it on the replaceable insert. Renaming a room costs an insert rather than a sign and new wall fixings.
- Size
- 480 × 300 mm
- Cap height
- 30 mm number · 20 mm name
- Read from
- 4 m
The same plate family at a larger module, for departments and open-plan areas that have no single door and are read from further away.
Zone D — the full set
Chocolate sits close to Slate in luminance, at 9.13:1. Hue alone does not separate the two, which is exactly why every zone cue carries its letter and label as well as its colour.
- Size
- 600 × 400 mm
- Cap height
- 40 mm level · 24 mm zone
- Read from
- 8 m
Names the building, the level being entered and the zone you are standing in. Because the site slopes, a visitor can enter directly from outside onto different levels, so every entrance carries one.
- Size
- 400 × 500 mm
- Cap height
- 180 mm letter · 40 mm label
- Read from
- 8 m label
Letter, label and color together — never color alone. This is what tells someone they have moved between four wings that otherwise look alike.
- Size
- 800 × 620 mm
- Cap height
- 25 mm destinations · 11 mm references
- Read from
- 5 m
Opens with the zone banner and the level, then lists what is actually on that floor in that zone, drawn from the Revision 02 accommodation schedule. Four destinations plus the vertical core, never more than five.
- Size
- 700 × 520 mm
- Cap height
- 25 mm heading · 20 mm destinations
- Read from
- 5 m
The accessible route is stored and signed separately from the direct one. Where a zone cannot provide step-free access itself, the sign says so and routes out of the zone rather than leaving someone to discover it.
- Size
- 360 × 240 mm
- Cap height
- 24 mm number · 12 mm name
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
The number leads, because it is the permanent estate identifier; the name sits beneath it on the replaceable insert. Renaming a room costs an insert rather than a sign and new wall fixings.
- Size
- 480 × 300 mm
- Cap height
- 30 mm number · 20 mm name
- Read from
- 4 m
The same plate family at a larger module, for departments and open-plan areas that have no single door and are read from further away.
Sign schedule and plans
The measured positions behind the proposal. Indicative — final quantities need a complete door and GA package.
Open the interactive plans 522 measured positions across the site and Levels 1–4. Identification, regulatory and naming signs group one marker per space; filter by family or type and select any marker for its specification.The tender covers the exterior, wayfinding and identification families — 270 signs. Regulatory and naming signage is held to phase 2 and may be produced in-house, so it is subtotalled separately below and switched off by default on the plans.
522 measured positions, of which 496 map to the proposed type list. The remaining 26 — Vehicular directional (4) and Nook, pod and interactive (22) — have no equivalent in it, and are held rather than reassigned.
| Set | Type | Description | Site | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | E01 | Building identification | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 |
| E02 | Entrance and level sign | — | 4 | 6 | — | — | 10 | |
| E03 | Campus directional | 8 | — | — | — | — | 8 | |
| E2* | Vehicular directional | 4 | — | — | — | — | 4 | |
| W | W01 | Arrival orientation | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| W02 | Directional sign | — | 8 | 13 | 12 | — | 33 | |
| W03 | Zone gateway sign | — | 3 | 6 | 6 | — | 15 | |
| W04 | Lift and stair marker | — | 6 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 24 | |
| W05 | Floor directory | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 | |
| I | I01 | Standard room sign | — | 21 | 37 | 61 | 4 | 123 |
| I02 | Department sign | — | 3 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 14 | |
| I03 | Technical and service room identification | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| I3* | Nook, pod and interactive | — | 4 | 10 | 8 | — | 22 | |
| For tender — exterior, wayfinding and identification | 15 | 53 | 88 | 105 | 9 | 270 | ||
| R | R01 | Fire and escape information | — | 24 | 44 | 42 | 4 | 114 |
| R02 | Laboratory hazard and PPE | — | 6 | 18 | 15 | — | 39 | |
| R03 | Restricted access | — | 5 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 23 | |
| 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 | |
| Phase 2 — regulatory and naming | — | 49 | 102 | 91 | 10 | 252 | ||
| Total measured | 15 | 102 | 190 | 196 | 19 | 522 | ||
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 code.
Type specification
EExterior & Site
Building identification
3 indicativeIdentifies the building at the vehicular approach and on the pedestrian frontage.
- Size
- Road ~2.7–3.0 m · Pedestrian ~1.4–1.6 m
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 30 m
- Cap height
- 150 mm
Entrance and level sign
10 indicativeNames the building, states the level being entered and the zone you are standing in. Every significant entrance carries one.
- Size
- 600 × 400 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 8 m
- Cap height
- 40 mm level · 24 mm zone
Campus directional
8 indicativeHands the visitor off to wider campus destinations.
- Size
- ~600 × 110 mm per line
- Mounting
- Wall or post
- Read from
- 5 m
- Cap height
- 25 mm
Vehicular directional
4 indicativeFour Revision 02 positions with no equivalent in the proposed exterior list. Held 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 — building, level and zone.
- Size
- ~900 × 1200 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 3 m
- Cap height
- 15 mm
Directional sign
33 indicativeOnly where a visitor must make a choice. Maximum five destinations, each with its campus reference; lifts take a pictogram.
- Size
- 800 × 420 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 5 m
- Cap height
- 25 mm · 11 mm references
Zone gateway sign
15 indicativeMarks entry into a zone, carrying letter, label and color together.
- Size
- 400 × 500 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 8 m label
- Cap height
- 180 mm letter · 40 mm label
Lift and stair marker
24 indicativeStates which levels and destinations that core actually serves. Not yet redrawn in the current visual direction — lifts presently appear as a row on the directional sign.
- Size
- ~500 × 700 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 6 m
- Cap height
- 30 mm
Floor directory
14 indicativeFull level listing, showing the accessible route as a distinct line.
- Size
- 800 × 1100–1200 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 2 m
- Cap height
- 12 mm
IIdentification
Standard room sign
123 indicativeThe permanent number leads; the name sits beneath it on the replaceable insert, with the campus reference below.
- Size
- 360 × 220 mm
- Mounting
- Wall, latch side
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
- Cap height
- 24 mm number · 12 mm name
Department sign
14 indicativeThe same plate family at a larger module, for departments and open-plan areas with no single door.
- Size
- 480 × 260 mm
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 4 m
- Cap height
- 30 mm number · 20 mm name
Technical and 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 indicativeTwenty-two Revision 02 positions with no equivalent in the proposed identification list. Held 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
Fire and escape information
114 indicativeEscape routes, final exits, fire action notices and equipment.
- Size
- Per ISO 7010 / ISO 16069
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- Per standard
- Cap height
- Per standard
- Standard
- Statutory safety colors and symbols govern
Laboratory hazard and PPE
39 indicativeHazard identification, mandatory PPE and emergency equipment.
- Size
- Per ISO 7010 · GHS
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
- Cap height
- Per standard
- Standard
- ISO 7010 · GHS
Restricted access
23 indicativeAuthorized access only at plant, server, tank and technical spaces.
- 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 and assistance instructions.
- Size
- Per ISO 21542
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
- Cap height
- Per standard
- Standard
- Act 715 · ISO 21542
NNaming & Recognition
Named spaces
40 indicativeReplaceable insert to the room identification carrier.
- Size
- Insert
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 1.5–2 m
- Cap height
- 12 mm
Donor recognition
2 indicativeModular panels on a fixed rail.
- Size
- Modular
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 2–3 m
- Cap height
- Varies
Dedications
2 indicativePermanent, single-issue.
- Size
- Single-issue
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 1.5 m
- Cap height
- Varies
Interpretive content
12 indicativeStory and interpretive graphics.
- Size
- Varies
- Mounting
- Wall
- Read from
- 1.5–3 m
- Cap height
- Varies
Decisions for this review
Please confirm:
Approve Level 0–4 as the public level nomenclature.
Approve A, B, C and D as the four visitor-facing zones, and approve the proposed zone colors.
Approve STEM C312 as the standard campus-facing location format — Building + Zone + Level + Room.
Approve wall-mounted internal wayfinding as the design basis.
Select the visual direction to take forward into detailed design.