To mark the 25th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s tragic death, the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust (SLCT) embarked upon an exciting new venture; transforming its centre in Deptford into a creative co-working hub.
Our brand design studio was briefed to create a wayfinding and environmental graphics solution that was sympathetic to the centre’s legacy, whilst embracing its future – creating a motivating setting which fosters networking, development and collaboration among emerging architects, designers and creatives.
We wanted our solution to honour Stephen’s own architectural ambitions. Given the pro bono nature of the project, we had to work within very tight budget constraints – but were equally given a lot of freedom to be creative.
Rather than going down the instructive route, as wayfinding often can, our team wanted to create a language that was restrained, conversant, inspiring and fun. To entice people to the various different spaces and create a sense of familiarity, various surfaces such as the concrete floors and glazed partitions have been enlivened and embellished with laminate vinyl ciphers of their corresponding architectural and technical drawing symbols – speaking to the building’s users in a language they appreciate and understand.
It's humorous for anyone who sees these environmental graphics and architectural elevations because they’re out of scale and out of context, which adds an element of playfulness and works well with the character of the interior. The project has helped us, as designers, to think inventively about the way we approach buildings and the way they speak to their users.
To see more amazing entries from this year’s WIN Awards please click here.