An NCAA Division II school located in Manchester, New Hampshire, Southern New Hampshire University completed construction on Penmen Stadium in early 2018. Penmen Stadium is a 1,500 seat stadium that is now home to men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s track and field, and field hockey. When thinking about their facility signage needs for their new stadium prior to construction, Southern New Hampshire University didn’t hesitate to call on longtime partner, AMI Graphics.
With construction underway and initial architectural renderings that featured no signage, the team at SNHU brought AMI Graphics into the project in May 2016. Projects like this can be exciting since there are so many signage opportunities in new facilities. However, they can also be overwhelming for companies and organizations because it can feel like there are too many options to be able to choose. SNHU was unsure what they wanted for signage and branding throughout their new stadium and asked AMI to provide a few different facility signage and branding options ranging in scope from small to large. This strategy and planning phase is where we can apply decades of sports and facility signage experience to determine the best signage solutions for each application and help our clients through every step of the process. Armed with the architectural renderings, our talented graphic design team went to work on the three proposals and SNHU evaluated the various options to decide what branded signage options they wanted to display on both the interior and exterior of the stadium.
The desired facility signage proposal was chosen and as construction progressed, site visits were done to confirm measurements. Final design, printing, and production got underway with installation taking place in late fall of 2017 as each area of the stadium was completed. The signage elements chosen for Penmen Stadium covered the full range of AMI products from adhesive wall murals, dimensional lettering, mesh banners and windscreens, custom displays, and more as seen in the photos below. With the project completed, SNHU now has a first class athletic facility complemented by first class signage and branding throughout.
Dimensional signage and lettering was used on the stadium exterior as well as in the interior entryways. Dimensional signage is a great way to attract attention with additional visual appeal to what might otherwise be standard signage.
Wall murals were used in the student-athlete level to brighten blank walls in between the team locker rooms that would have otherwise just been white space. The designs were created especially for SNHU to encourage student-athletes and impress potential recruits. While this was a new construction project, wall murals are a great option for facilities that may need a facelift as they can give the appearance of a major renovation without the hassle or cost of a construction project.
Wall murals were also used to wrap elevator doors on all levels as an additional way to carry SNHU colors, branding, and pride throughout the facility.
Door wraps were also used on the exterior door of the Penmen Strength and Conditioning facility.
Also inside on the student-athlete level were custom prints highlighting each of the sports that call Penmen Stadium home. These custom prints create a sleek and stylish look along the hallways, especially in conjunction with the wall murals, and can be changed out easily as students graduate.
Wayfinding signage is a necessity in any facility. Branded wayfinding signage is a very simple and easy way to subtly spread your colors and logo across your facility.
SNHU wanted a way to display the schedules for the current season, promote upcoming events, and recognize team accomplishments. A custom display was designed and created to match the look and feel of the rest of the signage throughout the facility while also allowing them to easily update the information as needed.
Surrounding the field of play at the stadium, mesh banners were used to welcome fans and players to alternate entrances, highlight the SNHU teams that play at the stadium, and celebrate past accomplishments. Mesh banners can be safely installed to fences, are easy to swap out as needed, and are an economical way to make a big visual impact.
A large mesh windscreen was also used as a focal point at the field level that allowed SNHU to add branding and a welcome message to the blank chainlink fence across from the stadium’s seating area.
Have branded facility signage needs of your own? Get in touch; we would love to help you get started on your signage project.
