THE BIG PICTURE
Back in 2017, when we were in the midst of the design, construction, and logistics of moving our office to the completely renovated Essex Building, we also took on a brand “refresh”. We did this in order to realign our brand presence to match our established firm reputation and vision for our future as a design firm that offered expanded, integrated design services (site planning, landscape architecture, graphic design, branding, interior design) to better serve our client’s project needs. It was an incredible opportunity and undertaking for us as a company.
Our BIG MOVE was the chance to build a life sized, demonstrational architectural model of what we can do as architects, graphic designers, interior designers, landscape architects, sustainable developers, community investors, preservationists, contractors, etc., etc. All of what we do for our clients, we wanted to do for ourselves and showcase a prevalent theme of our work; branding via design. So we did just that, Branded “VIA design” (see what I did there?) We strive to brand every project that we work on for our clients, using that brand as our inspiration throughout its design and implementation, which then translates to an elevated appreciation for why that design matters through the resulting impactful landscape or architectural space. In one BIG MOVE, we did this for ourselves: completely transforming and refreshing our physical image, while simultaneously launching a new brand image; fully designed and integrated into our renovation and new office. The result has been truly spectacular and we’ve received incredible positive feedback and reactions from our clients, colleagues, and community!
What we couldn’t do during that same time, being human with only so much physical and mental fortitude, was realign our website to match our brand refresh. Naturally, this was the next step. By having a Graphic Designer/Web Developer in house, we could take this on and truly develop a digital presence that matches our new physical presence, and showcase additional design services that we can do for our clients. The relaunched website focuses on our work and what makes working with VIA special; finding that “magic moment” (as Marshall puts it) and branding that moment into the project. We’re excited to showcase our client’s work and excited to share more about all that we do, all that we’re passionate about, and all that we strive for in our future!
– Scott Campbell, AIA | Principal
The new viadesignarchitects.com
When I was first looking at becoming a part of VIA, I did what anyone does nowadays and looked on their website. I was looking to learn a bit about them. To see if there was a set style. A set type of sector of work. A set anything. But there wasn’t. There didn’t seem to be anything that tied all the amazing projects together. This intrigued me and is part of the reason I joined VIA. I soon learned that there was a common thread. That each project has a magic moment. A moment when the site visits, the building analysis, the sketching, or the work sessions reveals what ends up being the guide for the rest of the project. That moment and the process of getting there is the purpose of this new website and one we are going to continue building on in the future.
Through our deep dives on select projects we will be taking visitors into our process to showcase who we are, how we work, and how we work with you to find those magic moments. We know they are there. We take it as our job to work with you to find those moments, then make them reality. There are currently six case studies on the website which show different paths that our projects have taken to get to that magic moment. We will continue to add new case studies over the coming months to showcase different paths and different stories to show further insights into how we work.
One of our other main goals for this new website is to develop a platform for us to share insights, provide tools, and showcase the passions of our talented staff. VIA+ is the start of that platform and this is page one. We are preparing a batch of articles to come out in the coming weeks and have more planned. We look forward to having you back to see how VIA+ grows.
– Marshall Dreiling | Branding Director