LAWA has engaged Webcor–Gensler to deliver design-build wayfinding upgrades across LAX’s 3.8-million-square-foot campus in preparation for the 2028 Olympics. The scope includes enhancements to both static and digital signage, implemented in phases across all terminals, parking garages, APM stations, and the airfield. The Wayfinding Enhancement Program also encompasses a comprehensive update to LAWA’s Wayfinding Standards, aligned with a full terminal and gate renumbering initiative to establish consistent, airport-wide naming and numbering in support of a world-class passenger experience.

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According to Webcor Sr. Design Manager Aileen Santos-Redman, the signage at LAX has relied on a hodgepodge collection of Helvetica – including some "fake" versions that have crept into the system over the years – for decades. While Helvetica is a workhorse of the design world, it lacks a certain soul. As part of a broader effort to bring "LA" back into LAX, the project team realized that a world-class gateway deserves its own distinct voice.

The Problem with the Status Quo

It’s easy to think a font is just a decorative choice. In a high-stress environment like an international airport, wayfinding is a critical utility. The fact is, the old signage wasn't cutting it.

“The goal was to create something that felt authentically Los Angeles while solving some major legibility issues,” says April Chang, project manager who was on the team when the initiative first took flight.

The team partnered with Dalton Maag, a renowned typeface design studio in London, to develop a unique LAX wayfinding font.

Historical DNA and Modern Legibility

How do you distill the essence of Los Angeles into a set of characters? You look at history. The designers drew inspiration from iconic local landmarks, including the Beverly Hills Hotel's typography.

Consider the following:

• Benchmark Design: The team selected the "Interface" font as the initial benchmark.
• Inclusivity: A primary goal was to help vision-impaired travelers. The new design ensures that "1s," lowercase "ls," and uppercase "Is" are clearly differentiated – a common failure in standard sans-serif fonts.
• Cultural Integration: Elements from historical LA fonts were integrated into the new typeface to give it a sense of place.
• Purpose-Built: Unlike commercial or advertising fonts, this typeface is designed specifically for wayfinding, where clarity is the only KPI that matters.

The font design has been more than just a design exercise; it's a call for better functional aesthetics in our public infrastructure.

The fonts will also apply to maps, which will be tested for the effectiveness of elements such as “You are here,” doors and gates, route lines, and more.

“The whole experience has been enlightening,” Aileen says. “As a traveler, I know signage is something I count on, and I have been critical of wayfinding systems that don’t work well. But getting involved with this was eye-opening in terms of the many elements of font design that I’ve never even thought of.” That includes the colors – which have to work well with the font in both light and dark modes – and associated pictograms (those symbols you see that designate restrooms, taxi stands, bars, and other amenities). Colors must also work well for passengers and employees with color vision impairments.

From Blueprint to Terminal

Aileen is now focused on the practical application of this new tool. While the official name of the font remains under wraps, it is a specialized derivative of the benchmark Interface font, designed for the unique distances and lighting requirements of an airport terminal.

The rollout is a massive undertaking. “We are not just talking about a few signs,” Aileen says. “We’re talking about a systemic update to maps, digital displays, terminal and gate signage, and other physical wayfinding across the entire LAX campus.” This requires ongoing dialogue between builders and design teams to ensure the physical structures accommodate the new visual language.

For example, comprehension studies were conducted among LAX travelers and employees to assess the effectiveness of the proposed pictograms.

The Bottom Line

The wayfinding project reminds us that every detail matters in the employee and traveler experience. Webcor is helping to build more than just walls and gates; we are building the first impression millions of people have when they land in California.

The move from "off-the-shelf" Helvetica to a bespoke LAX font is a significant shift in how the airport communicates with its passengers and staff. It turns a functional necessity into a branded experience that tells people exactly where they are—Los Angeles—while also tying the LAX campus together as a whole.

by Ava Brasch, Marketing Coordinator

When it comes to sustainability at Webcor, the work goes well beyond recycling bins and green walls. Led by Sr. Sustainability Director Sarah Rege and Sustainability Manager Kavita Karmarkar, the Sustainability department embeds sustainable practices into daily workflows, from pursuit and preconstruction through project closeout.

• This project-by-project effort helps us meet client expectations, adapt to changing regulations, and drive innovation in low-carbon construction – ultimately delivering buildings that serve clients, communities, and the planet long-term with minimal environmental impact.

But what does this look like at the project level? Behind the acronyms and rating systems, the Sustainability group helps project teams evaluate materials, track and reduce carbon emissions, and find new ways to eliminate waste.

"Almost every job we touch has a different sustainability scope," Kavita explains. "Our job is to meet teams where they are and help them move forward."

Setting the Foundation Early

Project teams often first engage with Sustainability during pursuit and preconstruction:

Pursuits

• Shape proposal narratives
• Review scorecards and describe process to meet requirements
• Suggest ways to exceed project requirements, e.g. introducing advanced strategies like Total Resource Use & Efficiency (TRUE) Zero Waste certification to continue to position Webcor as a leader in sustainable building and design.

Preconstruction

• Reviewing specifications
• Evaluating client goals
• Providing guidance and exhibits for compliance with green building codes like CalGreen and green building certifications like LEED
• Working with estimating teams to assess sustainability costs and feasibility. By setting up internal systems early – checklists, exhibits, and preloaded templates – they give project teams a head start.

They also introduce conversations about embodied carbon, lifecycle costs, carbon emissions during construction and California's evolving building codes early, so owners can make informed decisions. This proactive support helps clients see sustainability as an opportunity, not just an added cost.

Handoff, Kickoff, and Construction

Once a project is awarded, the team establishes frameworks for success through sustainability kickoff meetings, designated sustainability champions (often project engineers (PE) or senior (SPE), and Green Team initiatives. Webcor provides funding to support on-site sustainability initiatives like plant walls, reusable bottle drives, composting, and TerraCycle programs.

Kavita works with project teams throughout construction, offering biweekly or monthly check-ins with customized tracking spreadsheets and ready-made templates. "One thing at a time," Kavita says. "That's how we keep teams from feeling overwhelmed."

Those touchpoints cover everything from waste hauling contracts to material submittals (e.g. ensuring they include environmental product declarations and recycled content data)—avoiding the last-minute scramble that could occur at closeout.

Concrete, Carbon, and Innovation

One of the team's most important focus areas is embodied carbon—the emissions associated with building materials.

In new construction, primary structure is the largest contributor with concrete most often the major contributor. With this in mind, concrete is a major target for reductions. The Webcor Concrete Group is deeply experienced in lowering embodied carbon in concrete. They experiment with low-carbon mixes and pilot new technologies with the potential to replace traditional cement in concrete mix design. Sustainability works with the concrete team to integrate these efforts into each projects holistic sustainability goals. The sustainability team translates to clients and design teams how the focus on concrete can be a needle-mover in embodied carbon reductions.

Using tools like EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator, which Webcor had a hand in developing), they analyze options and guide smarter choices, positioning us as a leader in greener construction practices.

Delivering Results

As projects near completion, Kavita and Sarah finalize all documentation for certification submission, ensuring teams don't miss critical steps. The team's support is reflected in the results:

• Genesis Marina: First construction project in the world to achieve TRUE Certification for Zero Waste (Gold), diverting 98 percent of waste from landfill
• SFO Harvey Milk T1 Boarding Area B: First airport in the world to achieve LEED Platinum v4/v4.1 and WELL Platinum
• California Academy of Sciences: Achieved Double Platinum (New Construction & Existing Buildings)
• UCSB San Benito Housing: Piloted innovations in low-carbon concrete in a smaller market contributing to the projects 20% embodied carbon reduction goal
  

"Projects like these show what's possible when sustainability isn't just a checklist," Kavita shared. “Sustainability becomes part of the project’s identity.”

Looking Ahead

Sustainability at Webcor continues to evolve. Last year, we earned a Bronze rating from EcoVadis, and we published our inaugural Sustainability Report in September.

• The team is expanding into Scope 3 tracking—measuring the impact of deliveries, worker commutes, and purchased goods—while building infrastructure to meet Webcor's goal of reducing carbon emissions 46 percent by 2030.

Their biggest goal remains clear: ensuring every Webcor team understands how, when, and why to involve Sustainability early.

"The sooner we're looped in, the more value we can bring,” Sarah says.

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Last month, 300+ high school students from Oakland Unified School District’s (OUSD’s) Career Technical Education (CTE) Building & Construction Trades program packed Cypress Mandela Training Center for the district’s Skilled Trades Day.

• Typically held twice a year, the day-long event immerses CTE students in hands-on learning opportunities guided by skilled craft professionals who volunteer their time as mentors.
  

For many students, it’s their first exposure to the world of skilled labor—a career path that’s often dismissed or flat-out ignored by high school teachers, counselors, and curricula.

“Interacting with our future workforce and exposing them to our industry is not only an amazing experience, but a crucial responsibility,” says Outreach and Partnerships Manager Sharla Sullivan. “We need these students to join our workforce and eventually lead our industry!”

That day, Webcor Carpentry Foremen Pablo Contreras and Nermin Masic joined Sharla at the world-class training center to connect with students and introduce them to carpentry basics. After listening to Nermin and Pablo give a safety talk and explain how to approach their assigned tasks, the students went to work on a small piece of poplar wood—routing the edges, sanding edges with sanding paper, and drilling holes into the material so they could apply small button plugs into the holes.

• “It was great to see the students so interested in the trades, as well as to see so many trades in one place,” Nermin says. “I really enjoyed the entire experience.”

Afterward, Sharla dove into the many career paths available in the construction trades. She emphasized Cypress Mandela’s California Building and Construction Trades Council-approved multi-craft curriculum (MC3) pre-apprenticeship program in the students’ own backyard—the perfect place for local youth to launch long-term careers in the building trades.

“Thank you to Webcor Carpentry for supporting these important workforce development efforts,” Sharla says. “And thank you to our partners at OUSD for continuing to embody Construction Inclusion Week’s 2025 theme of opening doors to expand opportunities in our industry!”

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