Design to Transcend
Diamond Schmitt Architects
Design to Transcend
Diamond Schmitt Architects
Design to Transcend
Diamond Schmitt Architects
Since the ’70s, Diamond Schmitt's Architecture has balanced pragmatic need with a strong social mandate. But in designing peerless technical performance for global landmarks like David Geffen Hall and Mariinsky II, the firm's work goes beyond the pragmatic to the goal of transcending the boundaries of architecture to create spaces that inspire more connected ways of being. Frontier helped uncover that DNA to create a new strategic story for the firm and then a new identity and website using light as its visual expression.
Brand Positioning, Visual Identity, Web Design, Video & Photography, Content Development
Since the ’70s, Diamond Schmitt's Architecture has balanced pragmatic need with a strong social mandate. But in designing peerless technical performance for global landmarks like David Geffen Hall and Mariinsky II, the firm's work goes beyond the pragmatic to the goal of transcending the boundaries of architecture to create spaces that inspire more connected ways of being. Frontier helped uncover that DNA to create a new strategic story for the firm and then a new identity and website using light as its visual expression.
Brand Positioning, Visual Identity, Web Design, Video & Photography, Content Development
In collaboration with the firm’s principals, and inspired by a formative essay written by the studio’s founders, we developed a strategic position based on the vision that great architecture transcends the basic functional aspects of a building. Our research consisted of visiting some of DSA’s buildings, several in-depth discussions with the firm’s leadership, and a strategic workshop to dissect and elaborate on the core principles that inform their work.
In collaboration with the firm’s principals, and inspired by a formative essay written by the studio’s founders, we developed a strategic position based on the vision that great architecture transcends the basic functional aspects of a building. Our research consisted of visiting some of DSA’s buildings, several in-depth discussions with the firm’s leadership, and a strategic workshop to dissect and elaborate on the core principles that inform their work.
Our challenge, then, was to visualize the idea of transcendance in relation to architecture to create a visual language to help inform the brand. Inspired by the photography of László Moholy-Nagy, we experimented with light projection and refraction to create hundreds of graphic images, one of which would eventually become the logo.
Our challenge, then, was to visualize the idea of transcendance in relation to architecture to create a visual language to help inform the brand. Inspired by the photography of László Moholy-Nagy, we experimented with light projection and refraction to create hundreds of graphic images, one of which would eventually become the logo.
A photograph of refracted light that became the new logo for Diamond Schmitt Architects. Previous: other light experiments.
“Frontier helped us create a unifying voice that expresses what we believe architecture should do: enrich cities, communities, and lives through sublimely transformative buildings.”
Donald Schmitt, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects
“Frontier helped us create a unifying voice that expresses what we believe architecture should do: enrich cities, communities, and lives through sublimely transformative buildings.”
Donald Schmitt, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects
“Frontier helped us create a unifying voice that expresses what we believe architecture should do: enrich cities, communities, and lives through sublimely transformative buildings.”
Donald Schmitt, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects
The full system is dictated by photography and simple, editorial-style compositions. Graphik is the single brand font, and bespoke black-and-white gradients reference the organization’s commitment to architecture’s greater purpose. The website follows suit, dialling up in complexity for showstopper moments while maintaining a strict adherance to the underlying structure.
The full system is dictated by photography and simple, editorial-style compositions. Graphik is the single brand font, and bespoke black-and-white gradients reference the organization’s commitment to architecture’s greater purpose. The website follows suit, dialling up in complexity for showstopper moments while maintaining a strict adherance to the underlying structure.
We retook team-member portraits, placing each person within the city in which they work. We also directed and shot video for the firm’s recently-completed Lazaridis Hall project at Wilfrid Laurier University.
We retook team-member portraits, placing each person within the city in which they work. We also directed and shot video for the firm’s recently-completed Lazaridis Hall project at Wilfrid Laurier University.
