Campus Wayfinding Project
Since its inception, the University’s Waterloo campus has undergone significant change and development, evolving into what is today a large network of buildings and destinations connected by a variety of conduits. While the campus increased rapidly in size, density and complexity, wayfinding and navigation-related tools did not keep pace. The Campus Wayfinding Project (CWP) was designed to provide a system to create a positive campus arrival and navigation experience by helping people reach their destinations quickly and confidently through a consistent, coordinated and scalable system.
Implementation of the CWP has been underway since 2018, and the first three phases of the project are now complete. Exterior signage is now installed across the University of Waterloo campus including entrances, pedestrian pathways, parking lots, and campus buildings. Additionally, initial designs for an interior campus wayfinding system have been developed and piloted in specific spaces on the Waterloo campus.
Moving forward, an additional phase of work (Phase 4) has been approved to address the following:
- Enhancements to existing exterior wayfinding (e.g., additional signage types)
- Exterior wayfinding for campuses in Cambridge, Kitchener and Stratford
- Interior wayfinding system finalization and documentation
The program will continue to build on Waterloo’s unique strengths and utilize key university data, the campus masterplan, brand guidelines and existing wayfinding information and analysis, in addition to ongoing consultation with community stakeholders.
A Steering Committee leads the project in conjunction with a Campus Wayfinding Advisory Group (CWAG), made up of representatives from faculties, key user groups, alumni and students.
To assist with the project, the University partnered with Entro Communications, a firm with global experience in wayfinding design. Their clients include The ROM, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MOMA, London’s Canary Wharf and the Toronto PATH, as well as University of Calgary, Ryerson, and OCAD.