Chris Calori, together with a group of remarkable women in the design professions, met in Washington, DC at the offices of Gallagher & Associates to brainstorm ways to increase support for a National Women's History Museum.

Among the ideas proposed was that of a portable exhibition to travel around the country providing a glimpse of a future museum.

The goal of the exhibit, together with other ideas, is to increase public, private, and financial support for the museum. It's time for the immense role women have played in the history of the United States to be recognized with a museum on the National Mall. Please visit www.nwhm.org.

Graduating students of the design program at Fordham University, together with their instructor, visited the C&VE studio and received an eye-opening introduction to the field of Environmental Graphic Design (EGD) and the collected works of C&VE.






Staff members Marissa Dessanti and Stephanie Zigomalas, far right, walked the group through the unique aspects of the EG design process after which a lively Q&A session ensued about EGD and, of course, life beyond the classroom.

We are just getting started on a terrific project in Philadelphia.

As part of a team including architects Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT) and lighting designers L'Observatoire International, we are working to transform a mid-60s parking garage from eyesore to icon and have it serve as a gateway to the Market East area of Philadelphia. It's not much to look at now, but we have big plans for this building.

Trahan Architects has designed a spectacular new convention center for the city of Owensboro, Kentucky and C&VE is delighted to be a part of the design team.

Scheduled to open in early 2014, the dramatic new facility houses exhibit halls, meeting rooms, and ballrooms. The building is sited on the banks of the Ohio River and offers panoramic views of the river from the ballrooms on the third level.

Snagged from the streets of Washington, DC. Public Image 36 is graffiti at its best. Direct and to the point, ONE LOVE is exactly the sentiment we all need to carry with us everyday.

It will be a busy Spring for checking shop drawings and project submittals. We have five projects entering production for completion later this year. These include projects for Rockefeller University, New York University, Cornell University, the New York Botanical Garden, and Ocean Financial Centre in Singapore. We will have lots of images of the completed work to share in the coming months.

Chris Calori was one of eight superior jurors for the 2013 SEGD Global Design Awards program The judging took place March 1st and 2nd at the offices of RTKL in Washington, DC. The competition attracted over 400 entries from design firms around the world. The winners will be announced at the annual SEGD Design Conference to be held this spring in San Francisco.



"All of the jurors noted the high quality of this year's entries. The judging process was rigorous, particularly with the huge quantity of submissions, and yielded solid results. I believe the design community will agree that the projects that rose to the top represent an impressive body of outstanding work."

Great job, Chris!

We are pleased to announce that three of our projects are set to be published in a soon-to-be-released book by Artpower International Publishing Co. Ltd., Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Entitled Way of the Sign IV, the fourth volume in this popular series features the best work of top environmental graphic designers from around the world.

Wiley Publishing has informed C&VE that a Chinese language edition of Chris Calori's book Signage and Wayfinding Design is scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2013. To date Chris's book has sold over 5,000 copies and retains a 5-star Amazon rating. We are pleased that her book has become a professional mainstay and is used by colleges and universities around the world. The Chinese language edition ensures that more students and professionals will have access to this valuable resource.
More good news: Chris Calori and David Vanden-Eynden are in negotiations with Wiley Publishing for a second English language edition of Signage and Wayfinding Design. The second edition will be printed in full color throughout, with updated text and photos, and Dave will join Chris as co-author of the new edition.

If you haven't already, check out Signage and Wayfinding Design at Amazon.com.

To go along with C&VE's new website, we have produced a new capabilities brochure. Actually, it is really a terrific picture book featuring two dozen C&VE projects. The four panel cover folds out to display a single image and the interior spreads show off our work using large, full bleed images. Thanks to all of our wonderful designers, clients, and photographers with whom we've had the pleasure of working over the years.

On January 16, 2013, Chris Calori represented the SEGD to provide testimony before an International Code Council committee meeting in Washington, DC. In its work on the 2015 edition of the ICC/ANSI model code on accessibility, the ICC committee is conducting meetings on proposed changes to the current ICC/ANSI A117.1-2009. Approved changes may eventually appear in state and local building codes or in a future update to the ADA's 2010 Standards for Accessible Design (SAD).
Chris testified on proposed modifications and refinements to the signage guidelines in A117.1-2009, which closely parallel the signage guidelines in the 2010 SAD. Among the modifications recommended was the use of more up-to-date versions of the International Symbol of Accessibility (ISA), also known as the wheelchair symbol. The existing ISA has not been updated in decades.

Chris Calori, along with Ken Ethridge AIA, President of Ethridge & Company and Teresa Cox, President of APCO Graphics, presented Part II of a webinar about the 2010 ADA signage standards for accessible design for the SEGD. Among many topics discussed during the 2 hour event, Chris explained the subtleties between the typographic, tactile, and raised character requirements of the 2010 ADA signage requirements. It was one of the most successful SEGD webinars conducted.
Chris, together with Ken Ethridge and Teresa Cox are the principal authors of the SEGD's 2012 white paper addressing the 2010 ADA signage guidelines.

Chris Calori, along with Ken Ethridge AIA, President of Ethridge & Company and Teresa Cox, President of APCO Graphics, conducted a webinar about the 2010 ADA signage standards for accessible design for the SEGD. Chris explained the myriad differences between the typographic and tactile requirements of the previous edition of the ADA's signage requirements and the 2010 edition.

Chris, together with Ken Ethridge and Teresa Cox are the principal authors of the SEGD's 2012 white paper addressing the 2010 ADA signage guidelines.

Two additional Tribute towers have been installed along Woodward Avenue in Detroit. C&VE designed the Tribute's program for the Woodward Avenue Action Association (WA3) to celebrate the Avenue's history, increase community pride, and help spur economic activity. The images on the solar powered towers are created by local artists and designers. There are now four towers installed with plans for an additional three. It is envisioned that eleven towers will eventually grace the length of Woodward Avenue from Detroit to Pontiac. The newest towers are in the Highland Park and Royal Oak communities. Highland Park (shown) was home to the original Ford factory.
Photo: Highland Park Tax Increment Finance Authority.

Three of C&VE's projects have been singled out for excellence in the Graphic Design USA design awards program. Our signage and graphics programs for Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, NY; Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Manhattan; and the Virginia Beach Convention Center were all cited as being best in category. We couldn't have done it without great clients and terrific contractors.

The future of design seems bright judging by the enthusiasm and curiosity of a group of third and fourth year graphic design students from Iowa State University. For the third year in a row, C&VE welcomed Iowa State students to the studio to provide a glimpse into the field of environmental graphic design.

David Vanden-Eynden will join a Technical Assistance Panel on signage for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) of Washington DC on the 5th and 6th of September 2012. The panel will review the role of signage in placemaking and in public spaces as well as new, innovative, and creative public and commercial signs being used around the world. The Urban Land Institute provides leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. ULI is an independent global nonprofit supported by members representing the entire spectrum of real estate development and land use disciplines.

David Vanden-Eynden and Chris Calori gave a two-hour presentation as part of the DDC Talks lecture series sponsored by the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC). The talk, entitled "The Public Image: Graphics in the Environment" focused on the way graphics play a critical role in the creation and enhancement of the public's perception of spaces, buildings, and environments.

An amazing e-book out of Croatia entitled Public Space Visual Communications features the work of Croatian designers, architects, planners, and photographers, as well as the work of designers and architects from around the world—C&VE among them. This stunning document was produced and published by Josip Vrancic, Professor of Visual Communication and Design at the College of Agora, Zagreb, Croatia. Professor Vrancic is also principal of Design Center Croatia. The book is available through the Scribd web site. For now, the book is only available in Croatian. Click here to be directed to the book on the Scribd website.

Bridges was the title and theme of the 2012 SEGD Conference held in New York. Taking place in Brooklyn and Manhattan, the conference focused on connections, a.k.a., bridges, between technologies, design disciplines, and business practices. During the conference Chris Calori and David Vanden-Eynden hosted round table discussions on ADA and professional liability issues respectively.

Additionally, C&VE attended the 4th annual SEGD Academic Summit held in conjunction with the SEGD's annual conference.

As part of its long commitment to design education, C&VE is partcipating in a new mentoring program sponsored by the SEGD and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). FIT students engage one-on-one with design professionals to share common design-related interests and gain insight into opportunities within the profession.

David Vanden-Eynden and colleague Cybelle Jones, of Gallagher Associates, conducted the 2nd annual SEGD Design Improv—a 90-minute team exercise in creative chaos. This year's Design Improv challenge involved the conceptualization and design of a museum dedicated to the rest stops of the New Jersey Turnpike. Here, Cybelle and David egg on design team participants.

Daryl Paz, a talented intern at C&VE and now recent graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), produced, as part of his thesis project, a terrific diagram showing the composition of the fabled 1%. While the arts, media, and sports fields comprise a very small segment of the 1%, graphic designers are not singled out specifically. Oh, well.

To download a copy of Daryl's chart, click here.

Daryl is also open to hearing about possible employment opportunities. Get in touch with C&VE for Daryl's contact information.

April 11, 2012 • C&VE's signage system for the Rockefeller University is among several notable graphics programs for NYC universities and colleges featured in the magazine. The article focuses on how C&VE, through the use of materials and typography, reinforced the traditional ambiance of the campus using a system of contemporary elements.

April 5, 2012 • Chris Calori created a visually compelling system of event graphics to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the popular architectural news website ArchNewsNow. The celebration party was held on April 5, 2012 and hosted by the AIANY Center for Architecture. Additionally, the ArchNewsNow logotype was updated to coincide with the 10th anniversary. The original ArchNewsNow logotype was designed by Chris Calori in 2002.

Public Images is an ongoing series of postcards that reveal the diversity and character of communications in the built environment. Public Image #35 is the latest in the series. Location: Alluvial City, Louisiana.

March 16, 2012 • Nassau Community College Life Sciences Building
C&VE is working with Cannon Design once again on a new project to design a signage and graphics program for the latest addition to Nassau Community College's expanding campus. The new 74,000 sq. ft. Life Sciences building will house classrooms, laboratories, and faculty offices. The interior and exterior signsystem is intended to serve as the basis for all future signage on the campus. Additionally, the project includes three floors of large wall graphics designed in collaboration with Cannon Design. The building is clad in an irregular grid of copper panels which will change color as the panels oxidize—it is currently a delightful purple-brown color.

Association of American Publishers • C&VE
is delighted to add the Association of
American Publishers to our roster of
notable clients. The AAP is the principal trade association of the book publishing industry and includes over 300 members throughout the United States. We are currently working on several exciting projects with the AAP involving recognizing the accomplishments of living American writers and the publishers that make their work available to the world.

March 14, 2012 • Sandu Publishers of Guangzhou, China has released Asia Pacific Design No. 7 (APD No. 7), a compendium of the best in design from around the world. Three C&VE signage and wayfinding projects are featured in this beautiful gilt-edged volume: Atlantic Terminal, Rockefeller University, and MF Global's Headquarters—all in New York City.

January 19, 2012 • Spread out over 150 acres, the comprehensive signage program reinforces Sanofi Pasteur's brand identity through the use of its logotype and corporate colors. Building on the company's history in the region, C&VE incorporated fieldstone into the sign bases to reinforce the rural, rustic setting. The curved sign faces provide an urban counterpoint.

November 16, 2011 • Among the most delightful outdoor spaces in New York City is the new amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem. Named after Richard Rodgers of the famed songwriting duo Rodgers and Hammerstein, the facility hosts numerous community events and stage performances.

For C&VE it is a small gem that is big on charm. It is a one act play in whichtypography and aluminum imaginatively meet at the newest performance space in New York City.

The new amphitheater, designed by Cooper Robertson & Partners, includes seating, lighting, sunscreens, landscaping, and a sound system. Material use and production costs were minimized through efficient design: the four panels comprising each sign were cut from a single sheet of aluminum.

Public Images is an ongoing series of postcards that reveal the diversity and character of communications in the built environment. Public Image #34 is the latest in the series. Location: Montreal, Quebec.

October 20, 2011 • C&VE hosted a studio visit by a group of graphic design students from Iowa State University. The visit to C&VE was part of a larger ISU-NYC tour intended to introduce the students to the professional world of design.

October 13, 2011 • For urban centers and university campuses, effective wayfinding systems play an increasingly important role in the visitor experience. This one-day workshop was led by a cast of speakers who have completed wayfinding projects for major urban centers, as well as for college and university campuses nationwide.

Chris Calori presented four projects by C&VE: the very large Washington, DC and very small Summit, NJ urban wayfinding programs; and the very large University of Pennsylvania and the very small Rockefeller University campus wayfinding programs. She explored contrasts in the scale and contexts of these projects and highlighted commonalities between urban and campus wayfinding projects. She also discussed the modernist foundation of C&VE's stylistic approach to design.

In addition to the speakers sharing bestpractices, lessons learned, and case studies, there was a walking tour of the ongoing signage and wayfinding program for Boston University. The workshop was held on the BU campus.

April 22, 2011 • Three C&VE projects are recognized as Best in Category in Environmental Graphics & Signage in the American Graphic Design & Advertising 27 Awards: Rockefeller University, Port Imperial Ferry Terminal, and Atlantic Terminal.

April 8, 2011 • Chris Calori, FSEGD, along with Michael Gericke of Pentagram, presented "Informotion: Signage and Wayfinding in Transportation" at the Center for Architecture.

Chris provided an overview of the methodology for approaching signage projects from her book, Signage and Wayfinding Design. She also discussed C&VE’s signage design work for Amtrak, the new Long Island Rail Road Concourse at Grand Central Station, the Second Avenue Subway, and the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal, among other transportation facilities.

Michael Gericke discussed Pentagram’s signage design work for their many transportation related projects including The Temporary PATH Station and the Path Transportation Hub at the World Trade Center, the AirTrain system, and the Lester Pearson International Airport in Toronto.

March 23, 2011 • For the third consecutive year C&VE hosted a studio visit by graphic, industrial, and interior design students from OSU's Design Circle.

February 15, 2011 • Chris Calori, FSEGD, delivered a presentation titled “Wayfinding My Way” as part of the Duncan Anderson Design Lecture Series at the California State University at Long Beach.

The lecture series invites top design professionals to share their knowledge and experience with design students at CSULB. ”Designers In Their Own Words” is the theme for the Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 series.

During her visit, Chris conducted a critique of current signage and branding projects by the graphic design seniors.