Building a new brand identity for agrowing architecture practice
Brand Identity for Holly Street Studio Architects
Positioning a leading architecture firm for future growth.
IndustryArchitectureClientHolly Street Studio ArchitectsEngagementStrategy, Brand Identity, Print Design, Workshop+Lab
Overview
Holly Street Studio (HSS) is a leading architectural design practice in the Southwest dedicated to creating public spaces and places informed by civic discourse and community engagement.
We’ve known our friends at HSS for years — ten of them spent in neighboring studios. HSS tripled in size in that time and collected numerous accolades and honors for its work, including AIA’s Firm of the Year Award in 2017. They had outgrown their brand and realized the need for a new brand identity that could grow with them. So when they approached us with the opportunity to rethink their brand, we were excited to take up the charge.
phD has both the experience and insight to create identities for clients that not only capture who they are, but where they hope to go. Working with Paul, we received an extraordinary visual identity package, along with a renewed sense of vision + purpose moving forward. Holly Street Studio benefitted from both product and process, the measure of all truly good design efforts. —
Diane Reicher-Jacobs | Founding Partner, Holly Street Studio
Outcome
We went through a collaborative process grounded in stakeholder interviews and interactive exercises designed to get at the heart of what they do and why they do it. Together we explored numerous concepts and iterations.
The final logo combines plan and elevation views to create an abstracted lower case h, resulting in a bold symbol for the studio that represents the studio’s three practice specialties: architecture, planning, and interiors.
In plan view, the logo evokes the organization of interior spaces (clearly defined and delineated areas) and urban space (city blocks and intersecting streets and roads). In elevation view, resulting shapes represent the varied scale of architecture projects the firm undertakes.
Approach
In developing the studio’s external touch points, we elected to create materials that were engaging and well-organized. We designed the business cards to transform from a flat piece of information into a playful structural element representative of the studio’s creative thinking and output.
We approached internal touch points, such as business forms process documents and presentation documents with clarity, flexibility, and usability in mind.
The result is a comprehensive, easy-to-use system that projects a unique design ethos internally and externally and effectively positions Holly Street Studio for growth in a fast growing market.
Outgrown your brand?