Channelling a brand

by carly_mchugh | 11 February 2024 4:50 pm

By Carly McHugh

Face-lit channel letters can help businesses improve the visibility of their signage, both day and night. They also create an inviting glow, which extends to nearby streets or highways and helps attract potential customers.

Access Signs of Longueuil, Que., utilized these bright elements in two recent projects for one of their longtime business partners, contemporary and modern home furniture retailer Structube. The two businesses have had a strong relationship for 15 years, with the shop handling all aspects of the brand’s signage requirements across Canada.

This round of projects involved the company’s head office in Laval, Que., and a store in the Kanata suburb of Ottawa. The Laval project was completed first, and comprised one set of white face-lit channel letters on rails for the glass facade above the entry door; a second set of white face-lit channel letters for an aluminum composite material (ACM) architectural wall; one large, double-faced pylon in view of the highway; three directional monuments for the building’s large parking sections and pickup station; one set of red face-lit channel letters, also for the client pickup station; four large-format, second-surface window coverings for the warehouse; and 61 separate dock door numbers.

The Kanata store included two sets of face-lit channel letters on rails for the building, along with two additional directional signs for the parking lot.

For each project, Structube provided architectural elevations of the site. Then, Access Signs’ design department created a custom signage plan based on city restrictions and conversations with the client.

The faces and backs of the 1.5-m (5-ft) channel letters were cut on one of the shop’s computer numerical control (CNC) machines, while the letters themselves were formed on their Accu-Bend channel letter bending system and assembled by one of their fabrication technicians. The custom rail system, directional monuments, and pylon were fabricated in the metal department, and components such as the logo were also cut on the CNC machine. The signage was then painted in one of the shop’s paint booths, including multiple primer, colour, and clear topcoats.

Similar to any signage project, the permitting process for the two Structube locations proved to be the biggest challenge. Even with a dedicated, in-house permit specialist, the progress of this step was out of Access Signs’ control. The delay for a sign permit can be quite long, which often affects the fabrication timeline, as the team needs to ensure the signage is built and installed for each store opening.

However, proper planning and consistent, detailed communication with the key players of the project—including the general contractor—proved to be a valuable practice. As a result, everyone was able to work diligently in tandem to ensure the process ran as smoothly as possible, site details and sign codes were respected, and timelines were met.

For both projects, Access Signs used a bucket truck for the initial survey, as well as cranes to install the wall and pylon signage. Throughout the process, two teams were on-site to ensure everything was completed smoothly and they had additional help, in case there were any unexpected issues.

Work on the Laval head office began in March 2019 and was completed by the end of July, while the Kanata project took place from January to September 2021.   

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/channelling-a-brand/

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