Esplanade | Phoenix, AZ

Esplanade Elevated | Fabricating Custom Signage for a “Social Workplace”

The Vision and the Challenge

Esplanade, located directly off East Camelback Road in the prestigious Biltmore neighborhood of Phoenix, AZ, underwent a massive transformation into a boundaryless “Social Workplace”. Partnering with the design agency Airspace, their vision was for a comprehensive signage package featuring unique dimensional letters with a warm wood-grain finish in multiple locations on the property.

Bridging Concept and Reality

Once Archetype was chosen as a creative fabrication partner, we began with prototyping and testing material solutions that fit an Arizona environment. With the ability to manage digital printing, 3D modeling, and fabrication entirely within our Minnesota facility, we were able to maintain the original design intent and turn an ambitious concept into a physical reality.

To create Airspace’s vision, we collaborated on several specific fabrication techniques across the campus:

• Simulated Wood-Grain Exterior Signage: We engineered custom halo-lit channel letters at multiple locations and sizes across the property. To capture the designer’s vision of natural wood, we inset direct digitally printed .040 aluminum faces. The direct digitally printed finish matches the “Reclaimed Oak” and features a horizontal woodgrain. This finish matches the other wood-grain architectural elements on the project. Finished with a satin clear coat, this allowed us to simulate the warmth of wood on a weather-resistant substrate built for Arizona’s desert climate.
• Seamless Interior Directories: For the interior tenant directories, we built aluminum tube mounting frames featuring precision-welded 1/8″ aluminum accent fins to honor the refined line-break patterns in the original design. By engineering a custom inner face frame, we concealed the mechanical fasteners, providing a clean, integrated finish for the high-end space.
• Dimensional Wayfinding: To ensure a cohesive journey across the campus, parking and clearance signs utilized 1/4″ waterjet-cut flat aluminum graphics elevated on 1/2″ standoffs, adding depth and shadow to the wayfinding program.

The Power of True Partnership.

Our mission is to build creative landmarks that identify spaces with style and magnify stories with depth. Esplanade is a testament to what is possible when teams trust one another to span the space between concept and completion. Following the success of the campus renovation, we have been grateful to return for additional signage phases and to continue our ongoing relationship with the Airspace design team.

Have Questions? Our team thrives on simplifying the complex and helping you bridge the gap between your imagination and physical reality. Reach out with any questions or to learn more.