Big on campus
Takeform helps a university upgrade its graphic experience with wow factor, inside and out.
Capabilities
INSTALL & BEYOND
Towson University—a public university in Towson, Maryland—features eight colleges with more than 20,000 students on its 329-acre campus just north of Baltimore.
Towson’s Facilities Department began working with Takeform in 2019, drawn to our design+build approach to creating signage. Having previously worked with multiple signage and graphics companies, Towson liked the idea of working with a single partner who could provide them with all the expertise and capabilities they needed under one roof. From revamping interior signage systems in existing buildings to handling big exterior jobs on new construction, Takeform has helped Towson establish a fresh, consistent look with dozens of graphics projects across campus—including powerful ways to celebrate their 150th anniversary.
Where:
Towson, MD
CAPABILITIES
Site Surveys
Studying the lay of the land and building layouts first-hand is critical to executing the complex sign and graphic systems on a sprawling campus. From the first assignment Takeform took on with Towson, each project has entailed a site survey with the client. Takeform representatives visit the campus to understand the context of the physical space, note important nuances and challenges such as traffic flow and installation, and incorporate those learnings into the plan.
Project Management
Whether Towson is providing initial design direction or looking for design services from Takeform, each project is managed through a single point of contact to ensure a smooth run. Significant projects can require months of collaboration, while simpler jobs may be completed within a few weeks. Whatever the case may be, Takeform is in continual contact with Towson’s Facilities Department, from online sign system management to daily email updates to weekly status calls. Project management also involves occasionally working with other university departments, such as athletics or internal design.
Design Support
Takeform’s design department regularly springs into action for Towson. To support the university’s multi-million-dollar capital campaign, Takeform created a donor recognition wall to thank contributors.
Fabrication
Of course, one of Takeform’s core capabilities is manufacturing the product itself. Such in-house expertise means Takeform can create all of the interior and exterior signage the university needs on a massive scale. And that capability extends to addressing intricate challenges. Sometimes, signage needs to be adapted to existing units or fixtures to match unique dimensions. Takeform’s expertise even comes into play when signage from previous manufacturers malfunctions and the client needs a partner who can step in and fix the problem quickly.
INTERIOR PRODUCTS
Interior Signage | Vivid
Takeform's Vivid product line covers a lot of territory. This highly adaptable Vivid signage serves numerous purposes throughout the Towson campus from standardized, ADA-compliant and Fire and Life Safety (FLSS) signs to large-format directories to room IDs.
Dimensional Letters | Ethos
Our Ethos dimensional letters is another highly adaptable product line. It punctuates many interior doorways such as ballroom entries and the university store while it also provides Illuminated lettering to call attention to the university’s RISE capital campaign.
Wallcoverings | Amplify
Designed for large-scale, eye-catching experiential graphics, the Amplify product family includes a range of options that can be applied to different kinds of surfaces, from Traffic—a self-adhesive wall covering material with a protective coating—to Mystical, a paste-up wallcovering option with a more refined look.
Window Films | Amplify
At Towson, window films are used to create a frosted-glass effect for privacy, provide room identification and display large-scale brand graphics.
Perforated Window Films | Eclipse
Takeform’s Eclipse allows Towson to fill large windows with graphics visible from the outside while providing people within the building a degree of privacy and views outside. Prominent Eclipse examples include the Towson “tiger-tooth” pattern featured in the reception area in Towson’s administration building as well as Burdick Hall.
Donor Recognition Display | Applaud
To support Towson’s RISE capital campaign, Takeform created a striking donor recognition wall fabricated from the Applaud product line.
Interactive Display
To engage visitors of the science center in a memorable way, Takeform fashioned an interactive display from the Moxie graphic panel product line to showcase the university’s Glen Arboretum.
EXTERIOR PRODUCTS
Dimensional Logos and Letters | Ethos
Ethos letters and logos - both illuminated and not, add polish and brilliance to on-building signage.
Donor Signage
Towson’s Yingling Field features another donor recognition display, a monument sign, and an interpretive sign—all custom designed and built. So is the Asian Garden Donor Plaque and the RISE campaign signage.
Wayfinding and Building Identification
Towson’s campus features magnificent architecture from numerous eras. Whether old or new, the university is increasingly concerned about repeatedly puncturing the exterior surfaces of buildings to apply on-building signs (and creating ghosting marks that remain when old signage is removed). The solution: where feasible, utilize custom monument and post and panel ground signage that leaves architecture untouched.
INSTALL & BEYOND
Installation
Takeform’s capacity to move quickly and competently includes taking on the installation responsibilities on behalf of the university. No matter the project scope, the client knows that the work is underway, rigorous standards are being met, and tight timelines are being managed. Plus, Takeform has the advantage of its own network of expert installers, which keeps the process simple and integrated through the same single point of contact.
Signs of Good Sports
Renovations to the university’s basketball facility and football arena infuse energy into the athletic complex.
Also installed was temporary exterior and interior signage to bridge the gap between former and future sponsors with naming rights to the school’s arena. Once a long-term venue name is determined, new signage can easily replace the current system.
Looking for a partner who hasscale power?
Towson isn’t the first university to have benefited from a Takeform relationship. Big schools turn to us because it’s both reassuring and refreshing to have a single point of contact with one partner who can manage projects spanning a vast, dynamic campus. There’s no better colleague than one who consistently brings imagination, competency, and scale to bear on every project.
