To pull this off under a stringent deadline, Sekula Signs had to work with a team of collaborators that included WTW Architects, Taylor Structural Engineers, Inc., and Mistick Construction (all out of Pittsburgh). Everyone had an important role to play in making the project go smoothly. When I say tight deadline, I'm talking only weeks to produce and install from the word go once the concepts and designs were approved.
We industry people know how much work goes into the front end of a project like this even before fabrication can begin: meetings, surveys, details.
By the time Sekula Signs entered the picture, the look of the sign and canopy was already determined by the architect and university. The part of figuring out how to actually fabricate the job was going to be up to Sekula Signs. The process would include meetings to discuss details, conducting site audits, finalizing design and engineering components and estimating and securing approvals. All of these were part of the process before production could start.
With this project, that front-end process included several detailed revisions. Once those were approved, Sekula Signs was held to a tight deadline based on a pre-scheduled Grand Opening event. Sekula, the building contractor, and the university had confidence in pulling it off. That in itself speaks volumes when it comes to building impressions.
The ability to jump in and conduct a project of this magnitude in such a short timeline takes years to develop. It requires experience and a willingness to go outside of the box to build a custom branding portfolio.
Sekula Sign Corporation is owned and operated today by Paul Sekula. The company was started by his parents, Stanley and Yolanda Sekula, 62 ago. At the time of inception, their work mostly consisted of producing show cards, banners and some truck and window lettering. Even from those modest beginnings, high standards of quality and reliability were always part of the company.
Since then, everything from billboards to neon to custom architecturally fabricated signs and structures have gone through their shop. Projects over the years include canopies, awnings, pre-fabricated metal store fronts and signs. With state of art equipment and a talented staff of 22 people, Sekula Signs has gained the reputation of being the place to go for specialized branding solutions.
"Some of our customers have been with us for over 40 years," Paul Sekula says. “We are fortunate to have been able to be part of their growth over those many years.”
One of those customers is Clarion University. As the university has undergone many upgrades, changes, enhancements, growth and expansion, so has its need for signage and custom building treatments.
Indeed, the entire campus has gone through major renovations. One of these projects was the decision by the university to build two new student housing facilities, titled “The Suites on Main,” to replace the former Wilkinson and Nair buildings. The Suites on Main - South will be open in January 2016, featuring a campus bookstore and other various retail stores. Suites on Main - North opened August 2015, featuring a new, state of the art theater.
This led to the discussions about how the exterior of the entrance and facade should look. It was then decided that the building and theatre would make an excellent location for branding and messaging with a marquee-style sign incorporated into the original canopy design. This way they would be able to create and display messages for upcoming events on campus as well as advertise movies playing in the theatre.
One of the challenges for Sekula Signs was the fact that the decision to add a marquee theatre sign came after the canopy was already installed. The sign would have to be designed and engineered to integrate into and wrap around the canopy, appear seamless and complimentary to the soffit, and look clean and nice from the sides, top and back. Once installed, the sign would be visible from all angles including from the interior of the building when viewing out through the windows. They also had to be mindful and take into consideration the roofing system of the canopy and its drainage connection.
"I have to acknowledge how helpful, cooperative and supportive the people were that were involved with this project," Paul points out. "In particular were construction manager Mike Peters and superintendent Ben Brown of Mistick Construction. They and their team understood the strict timeline involved and the complexity of the sign, and thus were very instrumental in assisting us with the project.”
Materials included the use of perforated aluminum and a lot of computerized brake-formed custom panels with routed out components that were then seam welded and assembled together to create the shapes. All fasteners used for the installation were stainless steel. Grip-Gard two-part urethane paint was used for the metallic surface finishes. Custom colors matched the university colors as well as the colors of architectural elements that the sign was being installed adjacent to.
Sekula Signs chose Watchfire for the full color LED electronic message centers using the 16mm models with a dedicated direct fiber optic line for programming displays and messages.
Installation began early in the morning on Labor Day. (There would be time enough for holiday burgers later!) To protect the ground and sidewalks from the wheels and weight of the installation equipment, plywood panels were put down on the concrete areas and tarps were spread under the crane truck to provide further protection.
Melanie Kozak has been with Sekula Signs since 2008, and was project manager for this particular project. She coordinated the sales effort and managed approvals required by the various parties involved in the project, from the architect and engineer to the university's IT department.
"Seeing a product go from paper concepts to fruition is an exciting process," Melanie says. "This one, for Clarion University, is one I'm extremely proud of. We’re so pleased to be part of the university’s impressive expansion.”
She ought to be. The university is as well. When the project was completed, the CEO of the Clarion University Foundation, Micheal R. Keefer, FACHE, sent a nice note to Sekula Signs: You continue to be our “go-to” resource and I wanted you to know that we appreciate that! The theatre marquee looks great…and on time. We appreciate your company and workmanship as well.
Sekula Signs provided more than just a sign and a canopy for Clarion University. They produced a Building Impression.