Wyrick Proposal:
Four Corner Sign
Improvements & Installations at
Missouri State University
Respectfully submitted by:
Erin Sullivan
and
Alex Johnson
19 February 2010
- I. Identification of Sponsors
- a. Project Sponsor
- Erin Sullivan
- a. Project Sponsor
1001 East Madison Street Shannon 800
Springfield, MO 65807
(314) 540-8525
Sullivan308@live.missouristate.edu
- Alex Johnson
1001 East Madison Street Shannon 500
Springfield, MO 65807
(417) 699-0415
Johnson08@live.missouristate.edu
- b. Project Advisors
- Krista Bassen
Assistant Project Manager— Design & Construction
Burgess House
736 S. National
Springfield, MO 65804
(417) 836-5101
KristaBassen@missouristate.edu
- c. Project Coordinator
- Erin Sullivan
II. Description of Proposed Project
- a. Research Process
Having both been students on this campus, there is a clear and apparent need for improved and expanded campus signage to address several deficiencies. Through anecdotal experiences as student workers interacting with both prospective and current students everyday we recognized that something needed to be done to make signage more effective and impactful for nearly all campus constituencies. Recognizing that, and both serving as members of the Missouri State University Student Government Association – the official voice of the student body— we requested the creation of a committee to research and gather input on ways to improve the lackluster signage found in some of the most pivotal locations on our campus. The request was approved, and committee membership was solicited in order to create a diverse group of student representatives that would be able to best voice the concerns and desires of constituencies campus-wide. The final committee included freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students, and included on-campus and off-campus students, as well as student involved in Fraternity & Sorority Life, Athletics, University Ambassadors, marketing, and many more organizations. This group gave us a balanced perspective of the entire student population, and with this balanced view we did extensive research on campus signage featured at educational and non-educational institutions. Furthermore, we researched the importance of signage and its contributions, did full assessments of our campus, solicited input from the general student body on places and areas of greatest need, and involved Missouri State University Design and Construction, Facilities, and Grounds. Missouri State University Design and Construction’s involvement in this project was extensive, providing us with designs, cost estimates, recommendations, locations and options that would best meet the current long-range and strategic plans of the university, as well as offering us general guidance. All cost estimates, examples, and “mock-ups” provided are from their office. Based on the extensive initial research, followed by the inclusion of as diverse a field of student representatives as possible that exhibited expertise and experience in the area of need, and, finally, inclusion of Design and Construction in nearly every step of the process, we have full confidence in our proposal. We believe it addresses a major need at Missouri State University, and does so in a measured and cost effective way that blends with the future visioning of campus leaders. Furthermore, we believe our estimates (in terms of cost and timing) to be as close to accurate as possible, we believe this project will have a significant positive impact on nearly all of the campus community, and we believe our project has “legs” that will allow it to be advanced, expanded, and built upon in the future (if future students seek to take it further). We appreciate your consideration and welcome all questions and inquiries on our proposal.
- b. General Description of Proposal
Missouri State University is a wonderful campus and a wonderful community for past, current and future members. This campus is something to be proud of and that should be reflected in our general signage. Signage, particularly on the perimeter of campus is our campus’s face to the world, and it is important that “our face” reflect Missouri State’s vision, purpose, pride, nature, and makeup. Note only does an attractive and well integrated signage program on the perimeter and through core corridors of campus create interest and a positive impression on members and prospective members of the campus community, but it has been found that effective signage on properties can have a significant positive impact on users’ experiences due to increased independence, ease of access, understanding, branding, and awareness. Signage that builds pride and improves the user experience is something severely lacking on our campus. This problem is particularly acute in the areas of the campus near Grand St. and National Ave., which serve as the main thoroughfares for nearly all individuals coming to and traveling through campus. This proposal seeks to take the first steps towards remedying that problem, and potentially creating a format and template for future signage improvements, by updating the four corner signs located at Grand and National, Grand and Holland, Elm and Kimbrough, and Cherry and National.
- c. Proposal Details and Justifications
The current four corner signs that serve to mark the main corners of Missouri State University and serve as an indication of pride and recognition for all those in and visiting the campus and Springfield community, are severely lacking in appearance and “wow” factor. There cast cement façade echoes some campus structures, but, as the “front-doors” of campus, they serve as cold welcoming posts. Furthermore, their individualized metal lettering is frequently stolen, giving a mixed message to all coming to campus.
We recommend the current cement facades remain, but extensive updates be made to the sign at the corner of Grand and National, since it not only is the “unofficial” main corner of campus, but also to allow it to compliment the very attractive new intersection recently installed to handle the immense amount of traffic going through. We suggest that a half-oval shaped planting bed with a base made to reflect the limestone (including the red-tinted rock) featured in many of the buildings on the main quad be installed. Recommendations from Grounds for plantings in and around these beds are included below (Photo 3). Furthermore we recommend that four pillars (also made to reflect the limestone) be erected around the new planting beds that have panels and tops that reflect architectural details seen on Carrington Hall. These pillars can’t be connected through rounded walls extending from the planting bed, and the central two columns can be connected by steel fencing that includes a plaque featuring the university’s main logo. We also recommend that the current lettering on the cement facades being removed and be replaced with a large stainless steel plate with “Missouri State” cut out of it in the current university lettering A “mock-up” (Photo 1) follows this description. This lettering should be backlit. We further recommend that the stainless steel plates with cut-out lettering and backlighting be installed at the other three secondary locations.
(We considered a scaled down version of the Grand and National corner sign at the three secondary corners. A photo example of that concept (Photo 2) is included. However, as costs became prohibitive and recognizing that other individuals on campus would have their own Wyrick Proposals, we opted to recommend only the steel plates at the other three secondary corner locations. We do hope that future Wyrick Proposals or university efforts will be made to ensure that the other three corners are fully updated as well. We have included the cost estimates for those updates which include the cost of the steel plates and backlighting, for your records and for future interested parties.)
- d. Proposed location for the object of the proposal
Four Corner Signs
- Northwest Corner of Grand and National
- Northeast Corner of Grand and Holland
- Southwest Corner of Cherry and National
- Southeast Corner of Elm and Kimbrough
- e. Alternative Uses
None
- f. Drawbacks
Due to cost limitations, we didn’t recommend a full revamping of all four corner signs. We suggested a complete remodel of the main four corner sign at the “front door” to campus at Grand and National. The others we recommend replacement of lettering with a steel plate with letters cut out to provide a sharper, more refined and personal image, while at the same time cutting back on potential theft. However, potential lack of consistency from sign to sign might lead some to want the other signs to be revamped as well. We view this as a potential positive and a future opportunity for another Wyrick Proposal.
- g. Necessary modifications to existing structures
The existing location of the signs will be the same, as will the current cast concrete base. However, all locations will require electric for the new backlighting. These costs have been considered. In addition, the lettering will be removed from all of the current concrete bases and replaced with a less mobile and easily removable form of lettering. In addition, the entire area around the concrete base at Grand and National will be reworked to provide for a much more attractive structure. This will include removal of some of the current vegetation with replacement by new forms of vegetation.
- III. Estimated Cost of the Project
(Please Note: All cost estimates unless noted were provided by Design and Construction)
Four Corner Sign Improvements Proposal Costs |
|||||
Element |
Unit Cost | Quantity | Size | Overall Costs | |
Grand and National Four Corner Sign | |||||
Remodel |
$58,320 |
||||
New Plantings (Estimates Provide By Grounds) |
$1,053 |
||||
Total |
$59,373 |
||||
Secondary Corner Signs | |||||
Stainless Steel Plates |
$5,610 |
3 |
$16,830 |
||
Backlighting |
$1,500 |
3 |
$4,500 |
||
Markup |
10% |
$2,133 |
|||
Total |
$23,463 |
||||
Total |
$82,836 |
- a. Ongoing Costs
After discussions with multiple departments and divisions within the university we recognized that there would be some on-going costs associated with this project. Those would include maintenance and upkeep on the four corner signs, electric costs for the four corner signs, plant upkeep, care and replacement for the Grand and National four corner sign.
To address these costs, we have included a memo in the Administrative Support Section from Vice President of Administrative and Information Services, Ken McClure, in which he agrees to have his division cover any on-going costs associated with this project. We very much appreciate his willingness to take on these future costs, and we very much appreciate his support.
- a. Complete Cost Estimates on Multiple Projects
As mentioned in previous sections, University Design and Construction provided us with extensive help in the designs and cost estimations on this project. We have included their full cost estimations on the Grand and National Four Corner Sign (Sheet 1), as well as their cost estimates on the other three corner signs (Sheet 2). In addition we have included the cost estimates from Grounds on initial planting costs (Chart 3).
Again, due to cost limitations we have opted to not include a complete remodel of the “Other Three Locations” for the Four Corner Signs. We have only recommended replacement of the letters with a metal plate and backlighting. However, again, we have included the cost estimates on the full remodel to encourage future students to consider Wyrick Proposals to complete these concepts.