Buildings on campus will soon be identified by uniform signs placed at their entrance, rather than a name located on the exterior wall of a building.
Auburn University's Campus Planning and Space Management Department is currently placing building identification signs throughout campus.
The library, Student Center, quad dormitories and the Auburn Alumni Center are just a few places where these signs will be located.
These signs are the last step in the three-phase Exterior Building Identification and Wayfinding Signage Project, which has a goal to improve Auburn's building signage system.
Phase one, implemented in fall 2009, addressed the concern for additional parking signs, followed by a second phase which focused on street identification signs last fall.
"This phase that is going forward is specifically for building-identification signs for 911 response," said campus planner Jeffrey Dumars. "That is the priority goal for our signage system."
Ben Chapman, who works with Auburn Construction Management, said the plan is to put signs in front of each major building in the core area of campus.
A committee composed of graphic designers and University faculty members from the departments of landscape architecture and industrial design planned the signs, which are gray and orange and feature the Samford Hall logo.
According to Dumars, the initial budget for the plan was an estimated $350,000, and the cost may vary based on the final number of produced signs.
Dumars said as of now, he estimates the count to be between 100 and 200 signs.
The map of this project can be found on the University website, which gives a detailed view of the buildings which will receive new identification signs as well as accessibility signs.
This project is also being used to help incoming freshmen familiarize themselves with the campus prior to attending Auburn.
"We're giving this to OIT, as well as the Office of Communication and Marketing, so that this will be the format for the online graphics, as well as maps that the office sends out to incoming freshmen," Dumars said.
Chapman said the projected completion date for this third phase is in mid-August.
Cindy Orsenigo, senior in communication disorders, said she believes this project will be beneficial to Auburn students and visitors, as well as helpful in the recruiting process.
"Our campus is somewhat complicated if you're not familiar with it," Orsenigo said. "We do have a lot of visitors frequent our campus, and I think new signs will make it a lot more appealing for students to come here.
"These will definitely make our campus an even friendlier environment."
Chapman said he hopes the project is finished before school resumes in the fall.
"Hopefully, it will make it easier to find buildings and classrooms," Dumars said. "Ultimately, we want it to improve the overall image and character of the campus."
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