carl owens | portfolio

Grand Opening Event: Wall Murals

THE NEED
College of the Mainland’s (COM) new Industrial Careers Building was slated to have a grand opening event in October 2022. The marketing team had collaborated to identify multiple creative assets needed. In addition to community invitations, digital campus ads, printed ads, banners and more, the building itself had stark white interior walls which was not much to look at. It needed large-scale designed murals to bring three floors of long hallways to life. I had less than one month to pull them off from concept to installed completion.

MY APPROACH
I developed a design strategy based on a system of bold and symbolic abstract imagery, incorporating a motivational sense while complimenting architectural cues. Careful considerations were also taken to extend life into each design with timeless elements. With barren walls throughout the three story 90,624 square foot building, I analyzed each floor level and identified the need for 14 large wall murals, 3 elevator treatments and 5 vinyl window treatments. Walls selected for treatment ranged from 16ft to 46ft in length and up to 28ft in height. These would be approached using a combination of paint and vinyl applications. With the new building housing HVAC, PTEC and Electrical programs, the main center-focused entry wall design would strive to collectively represent these 3 areas of study with bold simplicity. Analyzing these program areas to conceptualize a representational design revealed each program shared an abstract underlying use of lines: whether it be chemicals sent through pipes that could be represented by lines (PTEC - Process Technology), air sent through ducts conveyed as lines (HVAC - Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning) or electrical currents sent through wires. However, a challenge existed with a mounted TV display centered on the main wall with unsymmetrical wall widths on the left and right sides. To counter this offset wall issue and design around a symmetrical TV mount, an asymmetrical approach was strategically established. A series of white lines with a red center stripe over a dark gray background represented the underlying meaning of the programs. A symbolic flow appeared to come out of the ceiling, curve around and continue across the next wall before flowing into the floor. The mural’s lined design complimented the horizontal aesthetic found in the building’s architectural steel exterior entrance. The final entry wall design is seen externally looking in through the main entrance doors.

THE RESULT
The building’s murals (6 of 14 shown above) received rave reviews creating a new modern and engaging atmosphere while establishing wayfinding cues through association for students. The bold murals also set the visual stage on a large scale for the building’s grand opening event in October 2022.

Image copyright 2024 and courtesy of NCMPR Awards

The murals went on to win the bronze award in the Interior Signage/Displays category in the 2023 NCMPR Medallion Marketing Awards spanning all of Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.

MY ROLE
Research, executive collaboration, wall placement and design strategy, conceptual illustrations, typography, branding, graphic design, project management, vendor management