St Catherine's Hospice

Case Study

Background

FASTSIGNS CRAWLEY have a long standing relationship with the team at St Catherine’s having worked with them since 2005. In 2023 we reached out to them following the exciting news that they were in the process of building a new £19.5 million, 41,000sq ft hospice as this was a project we knew that we would love to be involved in.

In July 2023 the St Catherine's team approached us with their tender document for both wayfinding and brand signage. Following the completion of the tender process FASTSIGNS CRAWLEY were successful in winning the project.

For 40 years St Catherine’s Hospice (StCH) have been looking after the people of West Sussex and East Surrey, offering support for those living with life-limiting and terminal conditions and their families. The team at FASTSIGNS CRAWLEY have first hand experience of the level of care given by the incredible staff at the hospice. We have all had family members and close friends that have been under the care of the hospice therefore we were determined to help make this project a success from start to finish.

Challenges

When we were awarded the contract, there was only 3 months until patients were due to be moved to the new building so it was essential that the majority of the signage was installed prior to this date, to avoid any disturbance.

The new facility was over double the size of the hospice’s existing site and a signage solution was needed that would allow staff, visitors and patients easy to use wayfinding both internally and externally.

St Catherine's also wanted parts of the project to support patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s, by providing signage that would help them orientate the building whilst maintaining some independence. In addition, the site included a memorial area in the garden that we needed to look at solutions for. This needed to recognise the many people and organisations in the community that were currently helping the hospice as well as those who have supported them over the years.

The new building provided a totally blank canvas for us to work with that could reflect St Catherine's vision and values. We would need to provide appropriate and functional products that were mindful of the environment whilst still including the brand message as well as providing a cost effective solution.

St Catherine's recognised that the key to this project would not only be a partner with sign and graphics experience but also a proven project management history. We assured them that FASTSIGNS CRAWLEY would work alongside the St Catherine’s Building and Marketing team’s to carry out the execution of this project smoothly.

Solution

FASTSIGNS Crawley were delighted to be involved in such an important local project and from the initial site visits worked closely with the St Catherine’s team to ensure we could fully deliver their vision.

Our graphic design team used their wealth of experience to produce an initial portfolio of ideas. We then developed these through a collaborative approach to ensure a solution was achieved that brought their vision to life. We completed further site visits to advise them about visibility and products that were hard wearing, functional and within their budget.

We started on the internal units using acrylic as a base for the wall mounted signage. This lent itself perfectly to the state of the art facility providing a clean finish and a fresh modern feel. We were able to use the acrylic in a variety of ways to create the various sign requirements. These included fret cut feature wall pieces and letters, recognition plaques and wayfinding signs in a variety of finishes some of which were faced in printed vinyls. We used different thicknesses of acrylic and fixing methods including standoff locators and hidden mounts. Using this versatile material throughout the facility resulted in a smart consistent finish overall. The room’s used calming colours and each had their own name and design to assist in creating a soothing environment for patients and their visitors. Raised lettering and smooth vinyl graphics added a dimensional element to the design of these.

Externally we provided aluminium trays at the entrance which when branded with St Catherine's logos provided a welcoming aspect on the approach to the building as well as being an extremely durable product. Working with the marketing team and Paul Rycroft the hospice’s New Build and Collaboration Director also led to working on a number of additional external signs following the completion of the build. These included wayfinding, parking information, electric charging points and height restriction signage.

The new hospice also included a beautiful memorial garden where we continued the internal theme using similar materials where possible to provide continuity throughout the interior and exterior signage. This part of the project included memorial plaques on toughened glass panels with standoff fixings which mirrored the internal acrylic plaques and donor feature key piece.

Some of these plaques were fixed to large rocks creating an organic feel which looked great for these exterior signs which we continued on to the other exterior feature piece of work that highlighted key supporters. For this we fabricated cut out shaped leaves in descaled stainless steel positioned as if they were growing up a wall within the gardens.

The final phase was supported with building snagging, fire regulations and safety signage where FASTSIGNS brought their wealth of knowledge in these areas to ensure that every box was ticked.

Results

The St Catherine's team were delighted with not only the products but the experience that FASTSIGNS brought to this project.

Paul Rycroft (New Build Delivery Director) commented:

“FASTSIGNS have worked with us as we’ve added the finishing touches to our new home. They have helped us consider options to add colour and identity across the building, continuing the theme from the original architect design. Always happy to assist, they have also provided those last minute additions to ensure we are able to help visitors find their way around whilst also looking our best for our many supporters and events”

We provided a solution that really showcased the building as well as St Catherine's branding. This provided the new building with an innovative and practical finish that lent itself perfectly to the new environment.

The collaboration between St Catherine's Hospice and FASTSIGNS Crawley successfully addressed the challenges of enhancing wayfinding and branding at the new facility. By providing a comprehensive signage solution, FASTSIGNS Crawley contributed to creating a welcoming, functional, and visually appealing environment for staff, visitors, and patients at St Catherine's Hospice.