Before anything else, we like to pin down a name. A name acts as a compass, guiding the rest of the brand towards its destination. But getting to the name is a journey in itself.

So, really, it starts with a story; the story of the development. And it’s up to us to decide, what’s the key message we’re trying to tell? What makes these homes different?

Although we often find inspiration in the history of our sites, the design of our Tollington Park houses was what immediately stood out. A trio of modern homes, unique to their surroundings, with vast glazing and intricate brick detailing. Therefore, it was here where we chose to focus our naming strategy.

We presented us with around 50 initial name options and we immediately felt an affinity with one in particular: Loam. This stage of the branding process can often take weeks of back and forth, so we were very happy to find something that felt right. The name came from the brick we’d chosen to build with – Vandersanden’s Platina. Made from 100% natural resources, the brick’s most important base material is called löss, a loam of Aeolian origin, dating back to the Ice Age. Loam, by definition, is ‘a soil with roughly equal proportions of sand, silt and clay.’ Being a small collection of just 3 houses, it felt fitting to have 3 key materials also forming the basis of our bricks.

Look and feel.

After choosing a name, we moved onto the look and feel. At this stage we wanted to understand: How can we present the information within a brochure, in a way that aligns with the architecture and interior design?

NotOnSunday brought us two approaches and again, we found ourselves drawn to one of them straight away. The chosen logo felt angular, contemporary and bold, just like the design of the houses.

Next we moved onto the colour scheme and it only felt right to continue with the theme of loam – clay, silt and sand. Therefore, NotOnSunday presented us with a colour palette based on these three materials. We were keen for the tonal story to feel natural and warm, reflecting the materials we’re using within the houses as well as their verdant location – just a short walk from Wray Crescent Open Space, the Parkland Walk and Finsbury Park itself.

NotOnSunday wanted to use a modular, playful grid system throughout the brochure to echo Scenesmith’s interior design details. Across each page, the grid highlights each piece of distinctive information, using space well like the carefully-considered houses.

After deciding on the look and feel, it was time for NotOnSunday to collate everything together within the brochure. This included illustrations, photography, the specification and local area. Alongside completing the branding, we’re also very close to completing the build itself. If you’d like to take a look at the final available house, Sand, please click here and get in touch with The Modern House. And finally, please enjoy this collection of beautiful imagery of the brochure by Thomas Rohde.

Scope
Brand Identity
Art Direction
Packaging
Naming

Credits
Photography: Mike Willows
Web Build: StudioB