March 5 2019

Heriot Watt University have reopened the Cameron Smail Library following completion of the first elements of a wider refurbishment by Lewis & Hickey.

This saw the ground floor area transformed through the introduction of mobile shelving and study areas. Elswehere the main reception has been given a makeover with the installation of new offices and meeting rooms, tying in with a remodelling of the entrance floor.

Statement ‘library’ signage highlighted in treated Nordic Moss defines the new look with furniture fabric designed by students from the School of Textile and Design.

In a statement the practice wrote: “This four-storey ‘re-imagining’ of the building seeks to transform the Library into an environment that caters for the needs of students today and in the future. Variety and flexibility of the study spaces allows students to choose how they study and interact with other students.”

Later phases will include the creation of open access collections and informal study areas on the third floor as well as additional study pods, IT labs and flexible studio space.

4 Comments

#1 Posted by Egbert on 6 Mar 2019 at 11:26 AM

Arial! Seriously! What is it with architects not bothering to change the default font on their big-letter signage? Just looks lazy and design-illiterate.

#2 Posted by Rem Koolbag on 6 Mar 2019 at 12:33 PM

You will find that the companies that actually make the signs only offer a restricted set of fonts so it is not a case of the lazy architect not thinking to change a font on the computer.

#3 Posted by Not a Lazy Architect on 6 Mar 2019 at 21:50 PM

Sorry #2, that would maybe have been the case 20 years ago. But it's 2019 and technology has evolved plenty. There is no excuse - laser cutting can LITERALLY be set to cut any series of fonts / shapes / styles. This is all the more apparent as most if not all signage companies use PDF files to create vector files for machining.

All roads lead to laziness...

#4 Posted by Rem Koolbag on 7 Mar 2019 at 10:29 AM

I'm not a lazy architect either, I am a hard working architect, and have tried many times to get 3dimensional letters on projects.
Let me add to last statement - budget constraints can often lead to standard/stock offerings ie the cheaper alternatives, being implemented generally. Perhaps not in this case given the investment in the moss, which is really quite nice.
Or perhaps the designers thought this font was the most fitting for the scheme after careful thought and consultation?

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