WAY FINDING MASTER PLAN FOR CALTECH
Architecture and urban design firm Cooper, Robertson & Partners (CRP) was retained by Caltech to develop a series of Master Planning recommendations for the campus that included landscape, systemic sustainability, campus lighting, and graphics and way-finding. Rebeca Méndez Design (RMD) was commissioned to design and develop the way-finding and signage master plan.

The work performed by RMD included a site analysis, user identification, a design concepts proposal including signage typology and a cohesive way-finding system, and guidelines for third-party implementation of the signage and way-finding system.

The scope of work was presented in three books. In August 2005 RMD presented its way-finding research findings in the report Book 1: Serenity, Lost and Found to CRP, in October 2005. RMD presented to the Board of Trustees at Caltech Book 2: Caltech Way-Finding Design Concepts Proposal, which was both a summary of the research phase and a presentation of design solutions. In April 2006 Book 3: Caltech Way-Finding and Signage Guidelines was completed and delivered to CRP. The images that follow are selected pages from book 3—a 110 page document.

Research was conducted in collaboration with strategist Benjamin H. Bratton of The Culture Industry and students from UCLA, Design | Media Arts.