Have you seen the signs? The first two phases of a campus signage upgrade project are now complete. The multiyear undertaking of Campus Planning and Communications and Public Affairs aims to help visitors and newcomers more easily navigate the Durham campus.
A new welcome sign at the university’s easternmost gateway, where Main Street meets Quad Way, is a visible result of the project, as are enhanced signs along the Main Street corridor. The project also established the newly named Campus Crossing “neighborhood,” where the MUB, Holloway Commons and Huddleston Hall intersect.
Neighborhoods serve as landmarks that make direction-giving simpler and help those finding their way reach the right destination. Other new neighborhoods created as part of this project include the “Agricultural District,” encompassing the westerly area of campus, and the “Athletics and Recreation” area encompassing Wildcat Stadium, the Whittemore Center Arena and Hamel Recreation Center.
“We’re pleased to see the signage system evolve and expand. The university is investing resources to help visitors navigate the campus and more easily find destinations,” says Steve Pesci, special projects director in the Campus Planning office. “We know that just as ‘West Edge’ has become part of our UNH vernacular, the community will adopt these new district and neighborhood names into our lingo.”
In addition, campus maps have been installed in key areas, and banners have been integrated near Campus Crossing, Paul Creative Arts Center and the Museum of Art, all to help visitors find what they’re looking for and get from point A to point B in a logical fashion.
“We had very little pedestrian signage, so this is a big improvement that is already making the visitor experience better,” says Pesci.
The project also incorporated better building identification for a highly visited location. If you’ve passed by Smith Hall lately, you may have noticed the new granite sign bearing its name.
“It’s all part of bringing a better experience to visitors and newcomers,” says Amy Maki, project manager at Communications and Public Affairs. “And the granite signage is a great expression of both our state and our UNH brand.”