Interior wayfinding and directory packages for New York buildings
For general contractors, architects, property managers, and office fit-outs.
Interior wayfinding is how people pick a route and find a door: lobby directories, floor and elevator markers, corridor signs, room names, and accessible-route signs. Directional signs generally use visual characters. A sign that identifies a permanent room or space may need raised characters and Grade 2 Braille. Arc starts from the plans, a survey, and a message schedule, then coordinates review, fabrication, and installation through Arc's licensed partners.
The package is one system for the building. People can find a tenant, a floor, a room, and the accessible route from the same message schedule.
Lobby directory signs
Building and tenant directories at the lobby, sized to the wall and to how the list will change after move-in.
Floor, elevator, and stair IDs
Elevator jamb designations with tactile floor identifiers on both jambs, including a star at the main entry. Stair doors get the floor-identification sign the Building Code sizes and places, plus a separate tactile floor sign. These are not the lobby directory.
Corridor decision points
Corridor signs where the path splits, at elevator lobbies, and along the accessible route.
Room ID signs
Room names and numbers for offices, suites, and service rooms. Permanent room signs are planned apart from the directional signs.
Restrooms and exits
Restroom signs that identify a permanent room are tactile. Stair doors get the floor-identification sign the Building Code sizes and places, plus a separate tactile floor sign. Illuminated exit signs follow the egress rules for letter size and emergency power. They are not the tactile room sign.
Phased openings
Directory inserts, temporary directions, and later message updates when floors or tenants open in phases.
Navigation is not the same as room identification. Directional and informational signs generally use visual characters. Signs that identify a permanent room or space can require tactile characters and Grade 2 Braille. A directory is not automatically a tactile sign. The architect or code professional decides which signs need Braille, sign by sign.
How the system is planned
Arc starts at the lobby, each elevator bank, the corridor intersections, and the room. The sign schedule lists every message, location, and sign type, so a multi-floor job stays one package instead of a pile of one-off orders.
The shop drawings show finishes, insert systems, and mounting for the architect and GC to review before fabrication.
Illustrative image of interior directional signage, not a photo of an Arc Signage Co project.
Room identification
ADA and tactile room IDs
Directional signs and tactile room identification signs follow different rules. Arc keeps them distinct on the schedule and does not treat a whole wayfinding set as tactile.
Permanent room signs may need raised characters and Grade 2 Braille; corridor and directory signs usually stay visual only. Restroom signs that identify a permanent room are tactile. Stair doors get the floor-identification sign the Building Code sizes and places, plus a separate tactile floor sign. Illuminated exit signs follow the egress rules for letter size and emergency power. They are not the tactile room sign.
Code references
Under the 2010 ADA Standards, §216.2 covers signs that identify permanent rooms and spaces. §216.3 covers directional and informational signs, using visual characters. §§703.2 and 703.3 describe raised characters and contracted Grade 2 Braille, where those rules apply. §703.4 covers mounting, including the latch side and clear floor space.
BC 1111 covers the dynamic accessibility symbol and the directional signs to accessible elements. Tactile room signs are a separate decision under the ADA Standards and ICC A117.1. Elevator jamb designations are tactile characters on both jambs, including a tactile star at the main entry, and they are not the lobby directory.
Latch-side planning sketch. The architect or code professional confirms height, location, and clear floor space.
Process
Planning and process
Plans and a survey come first. Then Arc names the routes and rooms, builds the message schedule and shop drawings, and sends them to the architect and GC. Fabrication, installation, and the punch list come after that, through Arc's licensed partners.
01
Survey
Plans plus a look at doors, latch-side wall space, sightlines, and elevator entrances.
02
Naming
Routes and room names, checked against how people walk the floor.
03
Drawings
Message schedule and shop drawings for architect and GC review.
04
Fabricate
Directories, floor IDs, corridor signs, and room signs through licensed partners, including tactile signs the drawings call for.
05
Install
Installation through licensed partners and punch list, including updates when a floor opens later.
Fabrication and installation are through Arc's licensed partners. Arc does not file permits or stamp drawings. Exterior sign filings are covered on sign permits and shop drawings.
Quote
What to send for a quote
Lobby and corridor photosRequired
Rough measurements from plans or field notesRequired
Street address of the projectRequired
Plans, or a room and tenant listIf you have it
Sign or message scheduleIf you have it
Finish or specification sectionIf you have it
Phases, if the building opens in stagesIf you have it
DeadlineIf you have it
What to send for pricing
Floor plansIf you have it
Number of floors and tenantsIf you have it
Move-in dateIf you have it
Any existing sign scheduleIf you have it
Send it to Arc
Email jc@arcsignco.com with the project address in the subject line. Put URGENT in the subject for active jobsites.
No. The 2010 ADA Standards cover permanent room and space identification in §216.2. §216.3 covers directional and informational signs, and those use visual characters. A lobby directory or a corridor sign is not automatically a tactile sign.
Which signs usually need tactile text and Grade 2 Braille?
Permanent room and space identification can require raised characters duplicated in contracted Grade 2 Braille. Directional signs are not automatically tactile, and they are not automatically set in Braille. The standards treat building directories, occupant names, and company names and logos differently from permanent room signs.
Where should a tactile room sign be mounted?
Section 703.4 covers latch-side location, mounting height, and clear floor space beyond the door swing. The project architect or code professional should confirm each door, including doors with no wall space on the latch side.
Does NYC have additional accessibility signage rules?
BC 1111 covers the dynamic accessibility symbol and the directional signs to accessible elements. Tactile room signs are a separate decision under the ADA Standards and ICC A117.1. Elevator jamb designations are tactile characters on both jambs, including a tactile star at the main entry, and they are not the lobby directory.
Can Arc coordinate a multi-floor package?
Yes. Arc reviews the plans, surveys the site, prepares a message schedule and shop drawings, and coordinates fabrication and installation through Arc's licensed partners across floors, including phased openings.
What should I send for a quote?
Send plans, a room or tenant list, the sign schedule if you have one, the finish or specification section, lobby and corridor photos, any opening phases, the deadline, and the street address. Email jc@arcsignco.com or arc@arcsignco.com with the project address in the subject line, or call or text (347) 450-2110. Arc's 24-hour quote target starts once Arc has photos with measurements (or drawings, if you have them) and the project street address.
Email jc@arcsignco.com or arc@arcsignco.com with plans or a sign schedule and the project address in the subject line. No files yet? Use the quote form and Arc will tell you what's needed.
