Historic preservation is alive and well in Nashville, TN! Community efforts are popping up throughout the growing city and surrounding areas to preserve both residential homes and commercial properties. We were recently hired to fabricate and install custom signage for a newly renovated warehouse in the 100 Oaks area. The industrial signs add to the beauty and character of this unique, historic building! [caption id="attachment_1552" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The historic Oak Barrel building in Nashville, TN was recently converted to a beautiful, multi-tenant office and retail space. Photo Credit: Pfeffer Torode Architecture[/caption] Pfeffer Torode Architecture hired us to design and fabricate custom signage for the recently restored Oak Barrel Building at 2934 Sidco Drive. The 40,000 SF, multi-tenant building was originally built in 1959. After the building was fully renovated, we worked with Pfeffer Torode to create the new custom signage to identify the address and logos for a couple of the new tenants. The architect at Pfeffer Torode requested an industrial material for the signs that would work well with the character of the building. Our designer suggested weathering steel (also called corten steel) for the custom signs. Corten is a copper chromium alloy steel which is corrosion resistant. It develops a rust-like patina on the outside when left uncoated.  The patina protects the steel from additional corrosion. It is often used for the construction of bridges, since it corrodes at a very slow rate. For this project, we fabricated and installed three custom signs. To create the address sign, we individually cut the numbers and letters from ¼” thick flat corten steel using a water jet cutter. The 16” numbers and 12” SIDCO letters were stud-mounted onto the brick walls. [caption id="attachment_1555" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The weathered steel custom signs were the perfect compliment to the building’s aged brick exterior.[/caption] We also fabricated and installed custom signs for Kenny & Company and Facility Planners, Inc (FPI.) To create the Kenny & Company sign, we cut the company logo out of a 4’ x 3′ sheet of corten steel that was ¼” thick. We also fabricated a 4′ x 8″ address number sign to install below Kenny & Company’s logo. [caption id="attachment_1556" align="aligncenter" width="450"] We love this look! The unfinished, corten steel will look even more rusty and weathered as time goes by.[/caption] For FPI, we cut the words “facility planners” using a water jet out of a 4’ x 3’ sheet of corten steel that was ¼” thick. We cut out the letters “fpi” to float in a cutout area on the left side of the sign. We also fabricated another address number sign to go below FPI’s logo. We installed all the signs on the brick using standoffs. [caption id="attachment_1557" align="aligncenter" width="450"] The letters, numbers, and shapes in these industrial signs were cut using a water jet.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1558" align="aligncenter" width="450"] The floating “fpi” adds a nice touch against the aging brick![/caption] The corten steel signs add a nice, weathered touch to the historic warehouse. As time passes by, the signs will take on an even more rusty look … which is exactly what the architect at Pfeffer Torode was hoping to achieve with this beautiful building! Does your company need custom signage with an industrial look? You’ve come to the right place! We design, fabricate and install beautiful custom signage using a variety of materials. We specialize in interior and exterior signs, lobby & logo signs, wall murals, custom projects, architectural displays, vehicle wraps, and more! We’re located in Franklin, but we serve all of Middle Tennessee, including Brentwood, Spring Hill, Hendersonville, Nashville, Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, and Murfreesboro. Give us a call at (615) 595-6564 to get your next project started!