Windset Farms Environmental and Wayfinding Design

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Windset Farms office interior and wayfinding signage design

Project included wayfinding signage for their greenhouse facility.

Visitors using the stairs to the second floor approach the 18 foot by 10 foot tall hero wall and tryptych from the right side.

Creative Direction: Tugboat Group
Art Direction/Design: Chris Young
Production/Assembly: Southpaw Signs, Colorific Imaging, Fine Art Framing

Windset Farms is one of North America’s premier greenhouse growers. They recently finished phase 2 of a new 3-million square foot greenhouse facility in Santa Maria, California. Tugboat Group was asked to design feature wall treatments for the new multimillion dollar facility to greet buyers from large-scale grocers including Costco, Walmart, and Loblaws/President’s Choice with an impressive environment. The project scope has since grown into a full environmental and office interior design project.

Building on my experience designing presentation/sales centres for real estate developers, I created a high-level concept for the interior design of the foyer and reception area which will elevate their office environment to that of a modern corporate head office. From the original request, I wanted to ensure that the vision for the office design stay on brand with Windset – keeping the design clean and bright with the focus on their core business of growing premium greenhouse produce. This project spanned several phases including interior wayfinding and wayfinding, interior design of key areas of the main office such as the foyer and reception area, and also applying graphics to key walls. The scope of this job is very large, and thus is still being built in phases. Below is a mix of both final photos and concept illustrations.

I was able to visit and tour the Santa Maria facility first-hand a few weeks ago, and it was really rewarding to see the finished project in person. It’s a very impressive greenhouse to visit — Windset has continued to expand their greenhouse square footage immensely since I started seeing the original photos that I worked from.

You can learn more about the Windset Farms Interior and Environmental Office Design on my portfolio website here.

Environmental and Interior Design

Entering the building, the elevator is the first thing visitors see. You’ll pass the lenticular image of the tomato ripening (the lenticular image transitions the tomato from green to a ripe red color) as you walk past the 4′ x 6′ backlit LED panel. Windset's "Welcome Friends in Freshness" message is extruded nylon lettering, suspended off the wall on pins.

Visitors using the elevator approach the hero wall from the left side.

Reception area desk with the matching high gloss red and white panels, and 5 LED panels highlight Windset’s produce.

Windset’s freshness message is proudly displayed to the right of the reception desk. The word ‘freshness’ is extruded vinyl that pops off that wall giving more dimension.

Close up photo of three of the five custom made 30″ LED panels that sit behind the reception desk area on the matching high-gloss white panel walls.

The logo wall (opposite the above hero wall) is the last thing that visitors will see before they leave via the stairs or elevator. The high-gloss red panels match the reception desk off in the distance.

Exterior signage and wayfinding

From top left: Monument sign welcomes visitors at the main gate; the greenhouse goes on as far as the eye can see; Visitors parking sign at the main office; as you leave, the welcome sign thanks you for visiting Windset Farms.

Thermal formed monument signs sit at both entrances, lit up at night they’re quite dramatic.

Large signage can’t be missed as visitors and truckers make their way around Windset’s expansive site.

Wayfinding signage on the ground directs visitors and truckers throughout the entire site.

Interior signage and wayfinding

The interior signage covers all aspects of their operation, with the important safety and contamination control signs front and centre near the greenhouses.