（图A）
It’s Wednesday morning,you hang up your coat, fill your mug and sit down at your design station where you begin to review a new design request you received the day before. It’s a monument sign request for a new church in town but this one’s got a unique twist to it. This project will give you the opportunity to be not only visually creative, but mechanically creative as well.
周三的清晨，你披上外套，拿着装满水的水杯来到你的办公室，开始翻阅前一天收到的新的标识设计要求。你需要为镇上新建的一所教堂制作一个精神堡垒，这是一次非常好的机会。顺利完成这个项目能够有机会使你的作品兼顾视觉和美学上的创造性。
What’s unique about this job is that right now they cannot afford the sign they really need, at least not for a few years. They want and need an option for adding additional structural elements at a later date without it looking like an afterthought. Perhaps there is a way to plan for this sign’s expansion ahead of time? You have four hours to come up with a plan.
这项工作与其他工作的区别在于，在目前几年内，教堂方面的资金无法负担起他们真正需要的标识的价格。因此他们希望并且需要一个方案，使他们能够在日后增加额外的结构元素而又不用重新对修建好的精神堡垒进行改造。也许有方法可以为这个标识制作一个提前的扩展计划，你有四个小时可以为此构思方案。
So where do you start? First off, let’s review the scope of the project
那么你会从哪里开始？首先，让我们回顾一下项目的基本数据
Monument sign: Single face sign design
精神堡垒：单面标识设计
Height: 24’
高度：24英尺
Width: 16’ – 20’ (TBD)
宽度：16~20英尺（待定）
Top cabinet: Internally illuminated, aluminum face with routed and backed acrylic graphics.
顶部灯箱：作为内部照明，表面由切割的铝材制成，背衬为亚克力图形。
Base: Complimentary with an option for an EMC to be added at a later date.
精神堡垒的底座：随时准备提供EMC（电子信息中心）方案以备日后随时添加。
External illumination: Flood light at base of sign for added dramatic effect.
外部照明：标识底部的泛光灯能更好的增强吸引力。
Building construction: Dark red brick with white trim, white columns, white bell tower.
建筑施工：白色装饰的深红色砖瓦，白色的柱子以及白色的钟楼。
Start with the top cabinet
从顶部灯箱说起
Looking at the church’s logo, I would start at the top of the sign with the face cabinet. By starting here, you can build the shape of the face in such a way as to compliment the layout of the logo. In this case, the logo takes up a horizontal visible opening, so let’s make the face fit the logo shape.
仔细观察这个教堂的徽标，我将首先关注标识顶部灯箱的表面。从此时开始，你可以通过对徽标布局进行完善的方式来构建灯箱的表面形状。在这种情况下，徽标占据了一个视野最开阔的地位，所以我们要做的就是使灯箱表面的形状适合徽标形状。
Next, I would look at the base or body cabinet of the sign. For the future, there needs to be a place to house a large EMC in the base of this 24’ tall x 20’ wide sign, but you don’t want the monument to have a huge empty cabinet sitting directly under the top cabinet.
接下来，我会关注标识的底座和中部灯箱。在未来，我们需要在这个24英尺高×20英尺宽的标识底座上放置一个大型的EMC（电子信息中心），但是你不会希望该座精神堡垒有一个巨大的空置灯箱位于顶部灯箱的正下方。
You decide to create two options for this project. One option will allow for the big sign cabinet to be fabricated as a shorter monument sign that’s only 15’ tall. (Image A) The second option is to build the sign full size, as if the EMC was in place. To avoid the large bare area below the top cabinet, you create an option that features back-lit flex face panels that can be decorated with a translucent digital print and swapped out as the seasons and events change. (Image B) It would provide the church some options for advertising until the funds are raised for the EMC.
于是，你决定为该项目准备两个方案。第一种方案是将大型标识灯箱组装成只有15英尺高的矮型精神堡垒（如图A）。第二种方案是将两个标识灯箱一起安装好，提前将EMC（电子信息中心）安装到位。为了避免顶部灯箱下方出现大面积的空白区域，你可以建立一个方案，即在下方灯箱表面安装一个背光柔性面板，使用半透明数字印花进行装饰，并在相应的季节和事件发生变化时进行随时更换（如图B）。在为建立EMC（电子信息中心）筹集资金完成之前，它可以为教堂播放一些简单的广告宣传。
（图B）
Remembering how you planned—you realize that this is where the internal structure and foundation supports of this monument sign must be designed to hold up the sign when it’s completed and the EMC is in place. So, the question is, how is this done?
记住你的计划——你已经意识到在EMC（电子信息中心）到位之前，要想支撑起这个精神堡垒，内部结构和底座支撑必须纳入考虑范围之内。所以，现在的问题在于如何完成这个标识？
Planning for the future
为未来打好基础
Regardless of which option is chosen, the foundation work and the support pipe would be designed and engineered in exactly the same way to accommodate both sign options.
无论选择哪种方案，基础支撑管道都将按照完全相同的方式进行设计和投入建设，以适应两种精神堡垒的设计方案。
With this design, the same footing, pipe and construction is created and the support pipe is left at its full length of 24’ above grade. (Image C)
通过这种设计，可以创建相同尺寸的地基、管道和建筑结构，并且管道支撑的建筑结构的高度在24英尺以上。（如图C）
（图C）
In this option, the sign is designed and engineered with the same pipe and foundation as the 24’ tall option, except that the pipe is cut short for now, and added-to later when the EMC is installed.
在此项方案中，标识的设计与建造都是使用相同24英尺规格的管道和底座，只是目前将管道切割短，在安装EMC（电子信息中心）后再增加其长度。
A common dilemma to avoid
避免常见的两难问题
You recall the many times you have been given a design request for extending the height of an old existing pylon or monument sign. Of course, you know this is a big no-no as there is no documentation on what is below the surface. How deep does the pipe and caisson go? How big is the caisson? How much wind load will it sustain? None of this information is available, and consequently, the existing structure cannot be used. You realize that this could pose a similar problem if certain steps are not taken in advance, to let everybody know what steps have been taken for this future expansion.
你也许有过很多这样的经历：你所收到的设计请求里，需要你将已经建成的旧的塔或是精神堡垒的高度延长。当然，你知道这很难办到，因为缺少底座数据记录的文档。管道和沉箱有多深？沉箱有多大？它能够承受多少风荷载？这些信息都是缺失的，这直接导致现有的结构无法很好的利用。因此你意识到，如果事先采取一些措施将数据记录下来，那么这类问题也能及时避免，并且能让其他人在未来对标识进行相关的扩建时做好准备。
What to document and how
如何进行有效的数据记录
What about the internal framework would need to be documented and with whom? Let’s face it, it could be years before the church decides to add in its EMC. Things change, and options that were once mandatory can become nothing more than an idea that may no longer be necessary or desired. So, what exactly do you plan for? In this case, I would first design the sign with the EMC in place, as if it was the “phase two” part of the sign’s expansion. You will use this full-size design to create the engineering files for this “phase one” sign. So, even though the sign may only be 12’ tall, the foundation caissons, the pipe and the construction of the internal structure of the sign will all be designed, engineered and built as if it were the 24’ finished sign.
标识的内部框架结构及其负责人是否需要被记录下来，这是个值得思考的问题。教会决定添加EMC（电子信息中心）可能需要几年的时间。随着时间的流逝，曾经必要的方案可能会变得无关紧要。因此，你有准备好别的方案吗？在这种情况下，我会首先设计带有EMC（电子信息中心）的部分，尽管它是标识扩展的“第二阶段”工程，但是当你的标识安装工程在进行“第一阶段”的时候，你就会将所有的尺寸问题都考虑到设计思路中去，所以，尽管精神堡垒可能只有12英尺高，但标识沉箱、管道和标识内部结构的构造都将以24英尺的为标准来设计和制造。
Document the foundation for future verification
为未来留存数据资料
Remember one thing, you may not be with the company 10 years from now. The sales person, the fabricator and the installers may not be there either. There may be nobody left at the company who remembers that this sign has a “special” foundation and internal structure. Or, the files might all be accidentally lost due to disk failures, viruses or file corruptions. As we all know, once the pipe and concrete are in the ground and 10 years go by, without documentation it could be anyone’s guess as to what exists below the surface.
值得注意的是，在未来的10年内，你不一定会一直在这家公司工作，同理，销售人员、制造商和安装人员也不一定会一直在这个公司工作。到那时，公司里可能没有人记得这个标识专门的底座和内部结构的数据。或者，由于磁盘故障、病毒、文件损坏等原因，这些文件可能会全部意外丢失。众所周知，一旦管道和混凝土一起被埋在地下，而没有保留相关的记录文件，10年过去，对于地下存在东西会有无数种猜测。
To make it obvious means making it known to everyone, on every document within the packet. It means listing on every drawing a note about the foundation and where the information can be found. Here are a couple of ways to make this information known for anyone who might need it in the future.
因此让每个人都清楚地了解文件记录数据就非常重要了，这意味着在每张图纸上列出标识材料的基本信息和相关的注释。以下有两种方法可以为将来可能需要此信息的人员提供参考。
（图D）
• Attach a large metal sign to the pipe, somewhere inside of the main cabinet or the base. A sign that’s bright, bold and noticeable. It should illustrate and detail the fabrication information about the foundation, the pipe and the cabinet construction. It should also list the name and contact information for the engineer, the firm and the license that the engineering firm used to create the calculations. (Image D)
• 在主柜或底座内的某处安装一个明亮、清晰并且明显的大型金属标牌。标牌上应该对精神堡垒的制作材料、管道和灯箱结构的制造信息有一个详细的说明和介绍。它还应该列出工程公司投入标识制作的工程师、公司以及相关许可证的名称和联系方式。（如图D）
• Make multiple copies of all of this, including photos of the little sign attached to the center pole, and give it to the customer for their safe keeping also. Explain the importance of keeping the info somewhere safe from fire or water damage, yet noticeable enough not to get lost. Provide this information to them in a bright, florescent yellow or green file folder so that it is recognizable and doesn’t get misfiled somewhere.
• 制作一份精神堡垒相关数据信息的复印件，包括中心支撑上的小型标识，并将其交给客户以保证资料的安全。在文件中应该清楚地标明标识的哪些部分要远离水、火的侵害。使用荧光黄或是绿色这些颜色鲜明的文件夹来将信息提供给客户，以便客户可以快速辨认而不会将其与别的文件弄混。
Why is this so important
数据记录的重要性
Without this information, the old foundation would have to be removed or abandoned, and a completely new foundation and support pipe would need to be installed. It would defeat the whole purpose of the project.This can surely lead to an additional sale down the road. By documenting what was done, both on the paperwork and on the sign pole itself, you will have smooth sailing once the client is ready to add in that EMC.
没有这些记录信息，旧的基材将不得不被移除或损毁，并且需要为标识安装全新的基础设施和支撑管道。这将使整个标识项目从头开始做起，无疑会导致成本的增加。通过将标识制作的相关信息记录在文件和标识主体上，一旦客户准备增加EMC（电子信息中心），你就可以顺利地对标识进行相关的改造，以满足客户的需求。
