Western Springs College - Auckland, New Zealand

The challenge Western Springs College Ngā Puna O Waiōrea set for Jasmax Brand Design, was to develop a cost effective signage system which is sympathetic to the architecture and designed to be easily updated within a building designed for new ways of learning.

In a campus where traditional classrooms have been exchanged for open interactive learning and meeting places, some creative thinking was required.

Added to this, the everchanging learning spaces required a flexible signage system to enable names and addresses within the buildings to change. The other core element of the signage family is their alignment with the schools architecture and visual identity.

Where the exterior signs feature a poutama pattern adapted from tukutuku panels (to express the story of consistent learning and intellectual achievement), the interior signs showcase a clever use of Abodo’s exterior Vulcan timber cladding.

Each of the timber profiles used is a standard exterior cladding profile from Abodo. And each has been painted and laser etched to reveal the required directional information and the natural timber finish.

The use of these timber profiles which are specifically designed to nest within each other allows a hierarchy of information to be ‘stacked’ on top of each other.

Sandwiched between the timber profiles is a powder coated steel panel to which low-cost digitally printed magnetic sheets are attached. These magnets will enable easy change out of content as spaces change over time.