BRANDING / SIGNAGE / WAYFINDING / COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / IRRIGATION
During our 40+ years of landscape design, we’ve developed a number of support skills and services that complement our design installations. They each emerged organically, and bring us more pride in the ability to provide a better rounded project delivery.
Signage
Expressing the character, identity or “brand” of a place through signage design can be invaluable to a project. Gates and Associates offers design of signage that enhances projects by creating environments that communicate and promote the personality of the space.
The San Ramon Valley Conference Center’s Master Plan was created by Gates + Associates, and initially included the design of new courtyards, campus corridors, and a main entry plaza for PG&E, the tenant in the space. Gradually the project grew to include a Master Sign Program, where our team developed cohesive project signage across functions, including direction, security, and intra office information systems. This signage plan was so successful, that Gates +Associates is continuing design on other PG&E campuses across the state.
Way-Finding
Our wayfinding systems not only direct both pedestrian and vehicular traffic, they connect people to place. Our experiential graphic design fosters a sense of place, and helps people find their way. Most importantly, it communicates essential information.
For Cañada College in Redwood City, Gates and Associates designed the theater plaza and courtyard to unify the campus. This design, combined with our wayfinding system improved circulation throughout the campus, and led users to a variety or charming outdoor spaces. The signage program throughout the campus uses granite and steel to highlight both the rural and technological characters of the campus.
Community Engagement
Gates and Associates has become highly efficient in running community workshop sessions, individual interviews, and focus group meetings; all in order to draw out key spatial, experiential and programming elements from participants. Our process-oriented approach highlights the talents of our graphics team as well as group facilitation techniques, to effectively communicate messages, elicit feedback and work toward consensus building.
When working with the City of Windsor on their new Park and Recreation Master Plan, our team’s primary focus was on meeting the needs of the community. Gates conducted an extensive outreach program, part of which included facilitating a number of community workshops featuring interactive voting dot boards. Beyond these community meetings, we created an online presence with a branded website and social media platforms dedicated to the Master Plan process, each of which could both collect feedback, and update the community on recent events.