Lustalux has designed and installed all the signs and graphics for the state-of-the-art Caudwell International Children’s Centre.
The Preston-based company was chosen to oversee and deliver the signage project for the new specialist autism facility near Keele in Staffordshire.
The brainchild of charity chief executive, Trudi Beswick, and part-funded personally by Phones4U entrepreneur and philanthropist, John Caudwell; the £18m building is a ground-breaking childhood neuro-developmental research centre and the very first of its kind in the UK.
Beswick, who masterminded the design and the unique approach to signage within the centre, said: “Our aim is to revolutionise the way millions of people in the UK affected by the condition can be helped and this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Lustalux and all the other businesses who have helped build and launch our new centre.”
Lustalux was initially contacted by the architects for the project, C4 Projects, in 2015 with a simple requirement for advice regarding glass manifestation.
When the brief expanded into a full signage requirement, Lustalux manufactured and installed two totem signs, plus several free-standing wall signs.
All these were produced in the distinctive Caudwell purple branding with butterfly logo, providing an eye-catching feature on approaching the centre.
Internally, the facility is designed sympathetically towards the autistic condition.
This consideration is also applied to the signage and graphics around the interior of the building, providing a calming atmosphere rather than over stimulating service users.
And images and text are subtle rather than vibrant to create a peaceful ambience.
One of the finishing touches with the project was to help create a ‘Thank You Wall’.
This entailed the installation of brushed steel flat cut letters spelling ‘Thank You’, with each letter containing small hooks.
A butterfly logo provides an eye-catching feature for all approaching the new hospital
Lustalux then manufactured a number of fret-cut acrylic butterflies to be attached to the hooks with small keyrings.
Each butterfly contains the name of someone who has made a valuable contribution to the building and the wellbeing of the centre, with the first bearing the name of John Caudwell.
The contract included the creation of all internal and external signage and wall signs
