With many schools officially out for summer, institutions are taking advantage of eased safety restrictions and phased reopening plans. And although many students and faculty may have been on campus for graduation and other year-end festivities, universities are gearing up to make the transition to summer event schedules and other programming activities. Which means for many colleges and universities, this is the perfect time for construction, remodels, renovations, and any other projects that were too complicated to execute during the school year.
Here’s a closer look at our recent work with Soka University, featuring their updated reception room installation.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Based in Aliso Viejo, California, Soka University (also known as SGI University) has a deep history and prides itself on cultivating global citizens and critical thinkers. The university’s reception room is the perfect environment to not only showcase but also celebrate all that SGI has to offer. From their 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio to their large international graduate population, SGI was eager to use this space as a way to connect with on-campus visitors. This space was designed to highlight everything from financial scholarships and awards to student life, university history, and more. Multimedia displays, graphics, and print materials were used to help guide visitors through the installation.
MIXED MEDIA ACTIVATIONS
When working with SGI University, we designed a unique space that combined a number of different materials and print elements. For several of the wall signs, we opted for 1/4" Black Sintra board to ensure maximum durability over time. When it came to custom-cut words and images, we used plotter cut vinyl to get an extremely crisp, high-contrast finish. These individual elements are also laminated for protection before being mounted directly onto the wall or other accent panels. Finally, to achieve clean timeline labels, we used 20mil White Styrene and printed vinyl.
For more of the intricate pieces—like the Soka University logo—we produced custom gold vinyl decals, which were then mounted to black Gatorboard before being router cut into individual pieces. The finished product offers a clean, metallic finish that was lit from above. The university logo was designed to serve as the official centerpiece of the reception room.
Finally, the curved wall display featuring an aerial shot of campus was printed on fabric using dye-sublimation. This ensures an appealing, high-quality, finish that can be shaped and curved to fit snugly within an SEG BeMatrix frame. In total, the structure was 11’ wide and 10’ high.
CAMPUS AND UNIVERSITY INSTALLATIONS
Over the years, we have worked with campuses and universities all across the country. From designing space-specific installations like this one to property-wide pole banner campaigns, stadium sports graphics, and more, we have designed, printed, and installed thousands of branded activations for students, faculty, and guests to enjoy. And as many anticipate a full return to campus this fall, many institutions are gearing up for a warm welcome next semester.
Interested in learning more about how we can partner with your university this summer? Request a quote.
