Standing for nearly a century, Sherman Elementary School in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow-Marina district has been a longtime advocate of equitable access for students of all backgrounds and learning styles. The Bay Area facility serves grades K-5, aiming to foster an inclusive environment where all students, including those with neurodiverse needs, feel encouraged and accepted.
Before this year, the building’s central staircase did not reflect the mission. Drab white and greige walls with no accent except a simple wood molding offered kids zero inspo between classes. However, those walls would later make the perfect blank canvas for bold new visuals.
This spring, Roland DGA tapped local graphics firm VIVAS Inc. to print and install a 2,900-square-foot wallcovering for the three-story stairwell, incorporating tactile elements for children to discover along the way.
Led by Luis Vivas, Founder and Owner of his namesake 14-year-old graphics firm, the mixed-media project married digitally printed graphics, 3D details and multilingual messaging to produce a multisensory and inclusive centerpiece for the elementary school. Textured features, interactive components, activity panels and bubble walls provide overstimulated students with a soothing break.
The vibrant, colorful wallcoverings were printed on Avery Dennison MPI 2105 vinyl with DOL 2080 matte overlaminate using a Roland TrueVIS AP-640 resin/latex printer at Vivas’ shop. Meanwhile, the standout details were produced with Roland’s UV flatbed and DIMENSE textural printers. Vivas says using a matte finish in the area with large windows reduces the glare from the natural sun and electrical lights, allowing the graphics to be viewed from every angle.
“Our goal was to redesign the space to reflect students’ imaginations and better suit children’s varied learning preferences by introducing a mix of textured, sensory-friendly elements and academically enriching details into the high-traffic learning environment,” Vivas said in an article for the Education Market Association. “Students traverse the stairwell on their way to their classrooms, to lunch, to gym, to recess—making this transition space the perfect opportunity to add creativity, energy and inspiration to a student’s day.”
To make sure designers understood the assignment, Sherman students had a direct say in the themes of their new stairwell. Roland DGA worked with local neurodiversity specialists to thoughtfully blend sensory and educational design principles.
Students’ step-by-step journey begins under the sea with the school’s mascot, the Sherman Shark. Swimming past fish and a greeting in six languages—all of which are spoken by students on site—the shark signifies the establishment’s values: Be Safe, Helpful, Accountable, Respectful and Kind. Ascending the stairs, hot air balloons float past math problems. A rocket ship blasting off in the corner foreshadows the top floor’s outer space backdrop, where kids can learn about the planets and navigate a maze to get to the moon.
Strict school schedules meant the mural had a to be completed in an ultra-short timeframe. “We had to get this large project done in two weeks,” Vivas recalls. His team also needed to create a digital template, as old building blueprints weren’t available. And because of the interactivity aspect, all the items in the artwork had to be in perfect alignment. “Coordinating with designers, the school, Roland, renting scaffolding, printing [and producing] color proofs was very important,” Vivas adds.
The job called for five professional installers. “We hired a scaffolding company [Lane Displays] because there were three areas over 20-feet on the staircase,” Vivas explains. The historic walls had some texture, and the old handrail had concrete attached. “But the material allowed us to work with heat and get perfect alignment and overlap panels,” Vivas says. He notes the most difficult part was covering the wood molding that divides the wall horizontally; however, expert wrapping and the flexibility of the material resulted in a look that’s on par with painted murals.
This spring-break install had to be finished in seven days while school was closed, including installation and removal of the scaffolding. “There was no room for mistakes,” Vivas says. “Having a professional team on site was very important to be able to connect all the stairs’ graphics without any issues. After the wall graphics were done, we installed 3D elements, including acrylic, PVC, foam and DIMENSE,” he adds. His team used back screws and double-sided tape to secure the dimensional pieces.
Truly a labor of love, Roland and VIVAS completed the massive installation at no cost to the school or Bay Area Community Resources. “This project involved not only big brands like Roland, Avery or VIVAS, but big hearts to get this done for the kids,” Vivas says. “Right after this was done, I could see the kids’ smiles. We are all in the right business.”
