Services Provided
Design, Planning & Wayfinding
Branding
ADA Consultation
Fabrication
Installation
ProductsElevate Dimensional Graphics
Background Information
The Culpeper (formerly Culpeper Baptist Retirement Community) is a continuing care retirement community located in the beautiful foothills of Culpeper, VA, with breathtaking views of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
To coincide with a rebrand, in the fall of 2016, construction of a new, 125,000 sq/ft building began, with residents moving in during the spring of 2019. The new building replaced the smaller 80,000 sq/ft facility just next door that had been in use for nearly 70 years. With 48 nursing home units (including 16 beds reserved for the short-term rehabilitation needs of residents), 54 residential living units (licensed for assisted living), 32 specialized memory-care units and a host of dining venues and amenities, the Culpeper offers not only a larger facility but a much improved one as well.
SolutionWith the rebrand and new construction comes the need for signage and wayfinding as well.
APCO was brought on board by GMK Associates out of Columbia, SC early in the construction process to provide interior design-build services for the new facility. Working closely with GMK’s interior design team and a select committee at LifeSpire of Virginia (parent company of the Culpeper), APCO developed a unique, warm and welcoming design for the new signage system.
The client wanted to somehow showcase some special elements of their local community and the surrounding countryside into the signage, so APCO’s design team developed an image-rich system to meet those needs. Our frameless Elevate product and direct-print capabilities presented the perfect solution, enabling us to incorporate vibrant imagery into the signage design, including photographs of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a landmark red barn which sits just adjacent to the new facility as well as beautiful fall foliage of the surrounding Virginia countryside. The different images not only help to add life to the interior environment, important for a senior living facility, but they also play an important role with wayfinding, helping identify various areas of the building.
The imagery was incorporated into a system of predominately neutral colors and subtle graphics that coordinate with the interior finishes of the building, so the overall design presents a well-balanced system that works perfectly within the space.
Elevate’s modularity enables it to easily adapt to ever-present change and expansion, including the ability for Culpeper staff to manage the most frequently needed sign updates in-house.
