Hildreth elementary school

Arrowstreet / 2019-2021

This elementary school in Harvard, MA features wayfinding environmental graphics as well as colorful illustrated graphics which tie the school to its environment.

Awards

  • SEGD 2022 Merit Award for Placemaking and Identity

  • Rethinking the Future 2022 First Award for Built Signage Design

  • American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase 2022 for Outstanding Design

  • Learning by Design Citation of Excellence Award

 

Sunscreens

The staff and our clients at Hildreth Elementary are extremely passionate about their town of Harvard. With beautiful rolling hills, Shaker architecture that dates back to the 1800s, and apple and fruit orchards littering the landscape, it was not a surprise. To bring their love of the natural landscape and native species, my Graphics team and I worked hard to bring the outside in.

The sunscreens built in around the school provide shading along the entrances and into windows while also providing a sense of pride for the people of Harvard with its depiction of the landscape and apple trees. This series of three consecutive panel sections connect across a total of 23 screens. Intricate shadows cast on to the floors of the cafeteria and across the exterior facade. The returns on the apples are painted red, creating a fun discoverable moment as visitors get closer to the building. My role was taking the initial concept into final art and production.

 

Renderings

Initial Sketches by Coworker Jessica Grant

Mural

This 82’ long mural in the heart of the school continues the theme of nature and is central to the entire signage and graphic program.

The architecture naturally divides the mural into three sections:

  1. A map of Harvard anchoring the top of the learning stairs.

  2. An apple orchard spanning the hallway behind the technology room.

  3. A world map spanning two floors in the media center.

The map of Harvard by the learning stair features illustrations of major destinations and roadways, neighboring towns, and a selection of native plant and animal species. As you continue down the hallway, you find yourself in an apple orchard—a prominent feature in the Town of Harvard—which depicts the stages of an orchard from spring to winter. Quotes from historians and authors about the importance of protecting the Earth are woven through the trees and nestled amongst the birds and other hidden animals. As you step onto the bridge, you are up close and personal with the seven continents that make up the planet. The land is color-coded to identify Earth’s biomes and features illustrations of natural landmarks and their distances from Harvard. Great care was taken to ensure an accurate representation of the globe. An Equal Earth map projection was selected as the base for the main map. Additional map projections are visible above the shelves in the media center, illustrating a small sample of the various ways the Earth can be depicted two-dimensionally.

The graphics continue the school’s branding and bring color and interest to these walls while acting as a teaching tool for the students to learn more about their town, nature’s life cycles, biomes, map projections, and some of the world’s most important natural landmarks. My role was creating ~90% of the graphics.

Process work & Elevations

Environmental Signage

This new build also required entrance and wayfinding signage to welcome visitors and students. A dedication plaque in the entrance vestibule utilizes the sunscreen graphics again. Mile markers adorn the outdoor walking track, letting walkers know how far they’ve gone. I worked on the final artwork for all wayfinding and entrance signage, and the concept to production for the dedication plaque and mile markers.

Elevations & Other Scope Items

Classroom Graphics

Each classroom and special education room received their own special vinyl graphics depicting a native species in the sidelight. The carefully selected species are grouped by grade level, i.e. fruit varieties for the 4th grade, insects for the 1st grade, etc. The graphics not only create an easy way for the students to identify their classrooms, but also allow them to learn the names of species they may see outside their doors. My role in the classroom graphics was art directing and fine tuning the final art files.