If you've ever been to (or have heard about) Hadrian's Wall, then you know that you are not technically allowed to take a piece of it home… technically. And the same is true for buildings at the U of A - Facilities and Operations would appreciate it if we just let the buildings on campus be - we can look, we can even touch, but we shouldn't take - until now! (Sort of.) Graphic Designer Trevor Horbachewsky has come up with a way for us to keep a small physical piece of the U of A with us wherever we may go. His solution - calendars! Each calendar features a piece of U of A history: a Tyndall stone base recycled from the steps of Corbett Hall, or a chalkboard recycled from a classroom in the Dentistry/Pharmacy Building.
As Trevor explains…
I needed material that didn't have enough value to be used elsewhere so that it wouldn't add to the cost of printing. What would have no value and be valuable at the same time? A piece of the university that was slated for the landfill, but had the potential to become something that someone who works at the university, is a student or alumnus, or who just has a connection to the U of A could use beyond the dates within the printed portion of the calendar. If the university was a travel destination, this would be the ultimate souvenir - I thought of it this way to put myself in the shoes of an alumnus, international student or someone who might be retiring since they may want a reminder of their time here.
The buildings were chosen because they were being reno'd, mostly. I wanted the items to have some historical tie to the beginnings of the university - we're more engaged when talking about the early days of the university's story. People want to start at the beginning; stories don't start with 'In the middle…' Corbett Hall and Dent/Pharm are some of the original buildings and they show the U of A's history and reflect the period when the university began.
The Tyndall stone was offered to us by F&O. They recycle pieces of the stone when there are repairs needed on various buildings that use the stone - F&O have these stored for smaller repairs. I contacted a local stone cutter and drew up the dimensions that were agreed on and had them cut to my specifications. I was able to find the chalkboard in Dent/Pharm with a gracious guide (Terry Higgs). The chalkboard was one of many items that was recycled out of the top few floors. The chalkboard was pried off the classroom walls. Terry met me at Dent/Pharm along with two others from the F&O team. They used crowbars to peel them out of the frames. We all helped bring the boards down and they went to the wood shop to be painted, cut to size and drilled for the stand hardware. (And to be honest, there's more in there that I'd like to get my hands on!) The stamps that authenticate the materials were applied by me.
If you'd like to see the calendars in person, head over to The Bookstore.
Trevor Horbachewsky - graphic designer, Marketing & Communications, University Relations
Trevor joined the U of A's graphic design team in January 2012 to support university relations marketing and communications initiatives. Trevor's technical skill set is surpassed only by a seemingly unending creativity that brings to life the university's print collateral and spills over into his home life where he is an accomplished baker, gardener and furniture maker. His heritage ensures that he has an answer for everything and, at least in his mind, is never wrong. Ask his wife.