Signage at The CREW Center: Community, Recreation, Education, and Wellness

Small Town Wellness Center Lives Large With Sculptural Exterior Signage

When you think of a small-town community center, you may think of a large empty banquet room or dated gym with clanking folding chairs that serves as meeting space and also hosts Saturday morning youth basketball games. That is certainly not the case in Woodbine, Iowa.

Woodbine, home to approximately 1,500 residents, recently opened The CREW Center, a multi-level wellness center with aquatics, cardio equipment, weight-lifting space as well as daycare space, classrooms, and community meeting space.

“A facility like this is a game changer for a small town,” says Erin Carey, Nebraska and Western Iowa Sign Expert. This dynamic wellness center will host everything from youth sports and birthday parties to private events.

The project was a labor of love for NuStyle Developments, with offices in Omaha and Woodbine. “Harrison County needed a rural community center and facility for youth,” says Greg Rothermel, Director of Development with NuStyle Development. “The project was first discussed in 2009, and this was truly a community effort to make it a reality.”

NuStyle partnered with Alley Poyner Macchietto Architects, designer Bethany Bauman, and our sign team to make this playful space a reality.

Sculptural & Architectural Exterior Signage

Outside the CREW Center are large sculptural letters that spell out CREW. The metal letters are set within the landscaping, and they were custom built with the idea that kids would climb and play on them. “I was impressed with the signage team’s ability to custom build our ‘crawl on’ lawn signage as we could not find another solution that fit our vision,” Rothermel commented.

Above the entrance to the CREW Center and Building Blocks, the daycare center for children, are oversized fabricated metal letters welded into a channel. This vibrant custom solution makes the entrances stand out.

Flexible Interior Signage

Within the building, wayfinding and room identifiers follow branding standards developed by designer Bethany Bauman. “The NuStyle team had a beautiful vision for how they wanted everything to look,” Carey says. “We were honored to be able to bring their vision to life.”

Turquoise dimensional acrylic letters greet guests at the front desk, and a vinyl logo wraps the office window, setting the tone for the CREW Center’s playful, high-energy space.

One key feature needed on the room signs was to have easy-to-change panels so that meeting rooms could be updated with party names or other important information. The solution was an acrylic sign with the CREW Center logo on top, permanent room name and braille at the bottom, with a clear panel in the center to hold a piece of paper. This easy solution reinforces brand standards while also allowing for flexibility within rented spaces.

Looking for a smart team to partner with on sculptural signage, or great interior solutions? Find your expert here.