Reade Blog

This was an exciting challenge to produce and install a striking hoarding clad with large sections of illuminated text and logos The Brief To maximise the potential of site marketing, the client wanted an eye-catching site hoarding design that had large sections of illumination. A key requirement was the ability to update the signage as the development progressed. But a prominent street location meant we should take into account reducing the potential for malicious damage. The original timber hoarding had significant variances in height, had not been designed to accommodate any form of illumination and had no provision for the supply of power. The Solution A design was developed following a detailed survey of the hoarding to make sure that the rises and falls were taken into consideration. We than manufactured printed panels which were routed out to accept opal acrylic inlays for the logos and text. The acrylic was back-lit using super-bright LEDs, which provide great reliability, are low maintenance, and are far more economical to run than fluorescent tubes. Falling prices have made these more cost-effective and they are now our recommended option for most applications of this type.

This was a challenge with a difference … providing illuminated hoarding based on a client’s site on Studio Way, featuring an action movie theme to coincide with the launch of the latest Bond film. The Brief Working to a very tight time frame, the client brief included the need to enhance the visibility of the marketing suite, make full use of the limited space and the site hoarding as well as keeping their customers safe and segregated from the construction traffic. The Solution Halo-illuminated letters fitted at high level drew instant attention to the marketing suite. We adapted large sign panels to be visible above the hoarding. We then clad the hoarding with printed panels adding clear directional information to help their customers navigate safely around the development. Our on-site team established a strong relationship with the site manager and lead electrician to develop a staged installation plan. The hoarding was surveyed by our team as it was built, and our studio team worked their usual magic to ensure the design fitted and followed the incline of the hoarding seamlessly.

Standing at 560ft, and rising 50 storeys on the Southern side of Blackfriars Bridge, Berkeley Group’s One Blackfriars development dominates the Thames skyline and offers some of the highest-class apartments in London. When the site underwent a rebrand across the exclusive multi-year development, they approached Reade Signs’ expert team. The Brief Our client’s instruction was to use reflective vinyl laminated on 250m of hoarding panels. Our experienced signage consultants advised against this, having assessed potential hazards from the reflection of passing vehicles on the busy surrounding roads. The Reade Sign’s team were given a period of just three weeks to deliver the project. The Solution Reade Signs offered the solution of using pearlescent vinyl with printed visuals laminated to ACM panels, along with self-adhesive gold text and logos, fulfilling the brief of a reflective finish with stunning impact, but without dazzling drivers. Safe in the hands of a business with decades of experience, knowledge and expertise, the project was completed on time, on budget and with a happy client with a quality hoarding that reflects the prestigious development it surrounds.

Sign installation is nothing if not varied and sometimes there are access issues to overcome to ensure health and safety compliance. This installation for a new property development required some innovative thinking The Brief On the face of it, this looked like a straightforward job, erecting illuminated hoarding cladding to protect and promote a new housing development for one of our major clients. The brief called for a bright, illuminated design along a 200m perimeter around the Royal Exchange development in Kingston-upon-Thames. However, the main concern for us was the narrow pavement and busy road around the site, which was going to cause issues with how we could work safely. We had enough time before this project to plan properly and our client had given us a dedicated area for storing a limited amount of materials. However, it was halfway along the perimeter and we still had to get our equipment and hoarding cladding sheets to the specific work areas every day along the narrow pavement, with traffic rushing by. The Solution We came up with an innovative solution which we’ll be using on other jobs in the future. We designed a bespoke trolley that could be folded flat to fit into our vans but could be assembled and loaded with cladding sheets. It had ‘all terrain’ wheels to cope with curbs and it worked a treat, mainly because the whole team, especially those who would have to use it, were involved in the design. Of course we had to run the design and construction past our client for health and safety reasons, but they were so delighted with our idea they promoted it within their organisation as an example of how sub-contractors can overcome problems with a bit of inventive thinking. We also instructed a traffic management company to cordon off areas of pavement every day, on a rolling basis, for us to work in. We had to be very safety conscious working by such a lot of traffic, particularly when members of the public kept getting around the barriers and walking along the busy road behind us. As for the design, we used built-up illuminated lettering and two recessed light boxes so that it didn’t stick out over the pavement. The hoarding will be in place for a while, so the lightbox design allows us to update replaceable message panels easily and cost-effectively.

After a rigorous competitive tender exercise, Reade Signs were selected as the national partner for the roll out of Linden Homes’ next generation of marketing suites across the whole of England The Brief Bartons Rise, a Linden Homes development located in Havant, Hampshire, had an urgent need to start pre-sales from a temporary marketing suite to respond to local interest and generate further prospects before the site was ready for a full sales launch. It was to be the first installation under the new contract but the floorplans did not fit with the newly developed brand guidelines and therefore it was key that we were able to interpret these and deliver an alternative configuration to create an inviting and inspiring customer environment. The Solution Addressing the space restrictions was the first task, while prioritising both the layout and the graphics that could be used. The team at Reade Signs was able to quickly design a footprint that could be repeated in similar sized units providing the key areas for sales advisors, welcoming customers and a useful meeting area. The cleverly designed bespoke unit to house interior samples for customer selection was also included meaning visitors could get excited about selecting their home interior from day one. Added to this, plenty of storage made the interior both practical and stylish. All aspects of health and safety were considered, when designing the layout, so escape routes and all statutory signage were included as part of the package. The co-ordination of fitting with both sales and site teams meant a smooth and easy installation with handover on time to enable a positive and well received launch. Years of successfully working on site mean we understand the needs of site managers with an excellent compliance record, as well as the client needs for a successful project. This was a fantastic example of how a development can be showcased at an early stage to the local community. The space issues don’t compromise the Linden Homes brand and the overall scheme is both welcoming and professional.

Full marketing signage, sales and marketing suite and two-bedroom show apartment for a stylish new North London development The Brief Leading UK housing association and developer, L&Q, commissioned Reade Signs to create a combined marketing suite for three sales people, a two-bedroom show apartment and full external marketing signage within their new development in London NW9. We would be limited for space, time and resources and working on a busy building site with a 25-strong team of plumbers, carpenters, plasterers, decorators, furniture movers and window fitters, so health and safety would be critical. The Solution We created a two-storey, semi-permanent structure that conveys the experience of living in The Rushgroves, while delivering its sales function. On the ground level is a welcoming area with private sales meeting room, staff kitchen and facilities. Upstairs there is a boardroom and a chic show apartment, designed with the target market in mind. We built the space and installed carpets and floor coverings. The L&Q interior designers then placed furniture, window dressings and dressed the space using modern furniture to create an edgy up-to-the-minute space, with an art deco vibe. The brand is prominent throughout with attention-grabbing marketing features, including: hoarding, illuminated logos, graphics, landscaping and a water feature. The marketing suite and show apartment was designed to help customers visualise their new home and provide a supportive and comfortable environment for staff and visitors. The sales team is now enjoying working in the beautifully designed space.

A major development with hoarding, lightboxes, built-up illuminated lettering, wayfinding signage, totems and marketing suite signage The Brief Our initial brief from St George was to replace site hoarding at Beaufort Park in Hendon due to a revamp of all marketing signage, which had to be achieved prior to marketing launch. Beaufort Park is a mixed-use development providing a Mediterranean-style boulevard of shops, bars and restaurants as well as 2,800 homes. We were tasked with revamping the whole hoarding along Aerodrome Road and the perimeter of the new phase; a total of 240 linear meters. To showcase the development’s spa, gym and interiors, we needed to include lightboxes, with interchangeable faces and built-up illuminated lettering to a high-level corner section. A second phase signage project has also now been completed. The Solution The brief was to incorporate five large (over 3.3 x 2.5 m and 5.5 x 3 m), rhombus shaped light boxes into the hoarding. This was a bit of a challenge in itself because of the weight of the lightboxes. However, we also had the added complication of the proximity of the hoarding to the public footpath, meaning we couldn’t fit traditional lightboxes to the face of the hoarding. To address this, our team liaised with the site team and contractors to recess the lightboxes into the hoarding. We also ensured the hoarding would take the extra weight, without compromising its structure. This really made the development images pop-out for passers-by. The hoarding was also matt sealed, as opposed to gloss, which gives it a much more upmarket look and feel.  As the development has progressed, we have also installed a second phase of signage around the site. This was designed to showcase the heritage of the Hendon Aerodrome, which is located next to the development and is now a Museum to the army air corp. This included large illuminated lettering, wayfinding signage, totems and other building and marketing suite signage. We have since installed new branded ACM cladding and refaced the existing lightboxes. Using the initial designs from the St George technical department and after several brainstorming sessions, we agreed and created the final signage. Our challenge was to source the correct materials and work within a tight time frame. The weather was also against us, particularly as large concrete bases had to be cast in heavy downpours. At the same time, we removed old signs and installed the new ones in minimal time, working around the public and busy roads. Our team worked closely with the development management to ensure minimal disruption and collaborated well with other tradespeople.  We had to coordinate several install teams working on the hoarding at the same time to achieve the required finish date, which also meant our production team created three teams worth of work at the same time. This was achieved with a high level of planning and coordination between our production and install teams. Roy Cheesman, Senior Account Manager

A large Crest Nicholson development with a mix of one, two- and three-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom townhouses in Walton-on-Thames The Brief Regent’s Crescent in Marylebone was originally built in 1820 for the Prince Regent, later George IV. Designed by architect John Nash, it boasts grand proportions and a sweeping façade and is one of London’s great historical landmarks. The Grade I listed development consists of 67 apartment residences and nine garden villas, with interior design by Millier. Reade Signs won a competitive tender to manufacturer and install the internal and external wayfinding signs at Park Crescent, part of this high-end luxury development. The Solution The process began six months prior to installation, following acceptance of The Velvet Principle’s designs and our production costs. We worked in collaboration with the client team, which included a wayfinding consultant, architect, developer and designer. We start every large architectural project by producing a detailed schedule. This is used as a working document to reflect the changes to specification that occur during site surveys, meetings or in email dialogue. In our schedule, every sign is assigned a unique code, which can be cross-referenced with sign location plans. The document gives our clients piece of mind that we fully understand the design intent and we communicate this detail to all members of our design, manufacturing and installation teams. Alongside scheduling, we manufactured samples of each different sign type to provide a benchmark for agreed quality standards. Once samples and schedules were approved, we could commence manufacture and installation planning. The specification was for high-end materials to match those used throughout the fit-out. Each laser cut letter needed an antique brass finish to give the right patination and some of the signs were powder coated in a dark bronze. A jewellery-like quality was specified, so we hand-finished and polished each letter and number to achieve a burnished effect. During the installation process, we agreed the exact location for each sign with the architect. Some of these needed to be changed and fixings adapted due to textured wall finishing. We also sourced specialist tapes, which is an essential part of working in a listed building, since you can’t drill into the walls. We completed the installation of this permanent signage in phases to coordinate with the construction milestones. Although this was a complex project, it went very smoothly from start to finish. I found the Reade Signs team friendly and flexible. They have a well-structured approach to project management and installation. The careful attention to detail meant our marketing suite at Walton Court Gardens was completed smoothly, within a short timescale. We’re all delighted with the end result. Eileen Guihen, Head of Sales and Marketing, Crest Nicholson South

Permanent signage for the property development sector – internal and external wayfinding signage for this high-end, luxury development in Marylebone The Brief Regent’s Crescent in Marylebone was originally built in 1820 for the Prince Regent, later George IV. Designed by architect John Nash, it boasts grand proportions and a sweeping façade and is one of London’s great historical landmarks. The Grade I listed development consists of 67 apartment residences and nine garden villas, with interior design by Millier. Reade Signs won a competitive tender to manufacturer and install the internal and external wayfinding signs at Park Crescent, part of this high-end luxury development. The Solution The process began six months prior to installation, following acceptance of The Velvet Principle’s designs and our production costs. We worked in collaboration with the client team, which included a wayfinding consultant, architect, developer and designer. We start every large architectural project by producing a detailed schedule. This is used as a working document to reflect the changes to specification that occur during site surveys, meetings or in email dialogue. In our schedule, every sign is assigned a unique code, which can be cross-referenced with sign location plans. The document gives our clients piece of mind that we fully understand the design intent and we communicate this detail to all members of our design, manufacturing and installation teams. Alongside scheduling, we manufactured samples of each different sign type to provide a benchmark for agreed quality standards. Once samples and schedules were approved, we could commence manufacture and installation planning. The specification was for high-end materials to match those used throughout the fit-out. Each laser cut letter needed an antique brass finish to give the right patination and some of the signs were powder coated in a dark bronze. A jewellery-like quality was specified, so we hand-finished and polished each letter and number to achieve a burnished effect. During the installation process, we agreed the exact location for each sign with the architect. Some of these needed to be changed and fixings adapted due to textured wall finishing. We also sourced specialist tapes, which is an essential part of working in a listed building, since you can’t drill into the walls. We completed the installation of this permanent signage in phases to coordinate with the construction milestones. Although this was a complex project, it went very smoothly from start to finish. The team at Reade Signs were really easy to work with throughout and kept closely to the design intent to echo the craftsmanship and quality of the overall interior design from the outset. To match the high standards of this luxury development meant that hundreds of individual sign components had to be hand finished and polished. The internal and external wayfinding signs were manufactured and installed very efficiently, dovetailing with the main contractor’s delivery programme. Sean Brereton, Creative Director, The Velvet Principle The team has been really supportive and achieved the design intent we were aiming for. The finishes are really good which, along with the design, make the final product great! Valeria Doro, Associate Architect, Millier