Haywood Street Community Development
Guided by their mission — Dignity through dwellings, connection through community — Haywood Street Community Development aims to develop affordable, accessible, and dignified housing in Asheville, North Carolina through:
A genuine focus on vulnerable citizens, collaboration with local partners, strategic location for optimal accessibility, and thoughtful design.
Conceptualized by the existing and well-established Haywood St. Congregation, HSCD needed a visual identity that allowed them to stand confidently on its own while honoring its connection to the church in a way that respectfully separates it from religious ideologies.
CONCEPT
In many cultures, the Sparrow is seen as a sign of creativity, self-worth and empowerment, inclusion, teamwork, and awakening or overcoming long-suffering.
As a species, most birds function as communities — foraging, traveling, building, and living together. They are highly selective in the locations they choose for their nests, resourceful in gathering materials, and remain strategic throughout the design and construction process.
The Haywood St. Community Development brand marks employ the sparrow as a symbolic representation of freedom, triumph over adversity, and collaboration.
DESIGN OBJECTIVES
The Haywood St. Community Development primary brand mark and supporting assets accomplish the following:
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Communicate ideas of community, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and self-worth.
Stand confidently as a unique identity while honoring its connection with Haywood St. Congregation in a way that respectfully separates HSCD from religious ideology.
Communicate a sense of place without literal depictions of housing or real estate.
Can be effectively displayed at various scales, in various colorways, and across a variety of marketing and advertising vehicles.
DESIGN STRATEGY
A flock of sparrows work together to build a nest providing each of them a sense of purpose and belonging.
The birds’ various colors, sizes, and orientations represent diversities such as culture, identity, and personal journeys.
A total of seven birds represent seven elements of a healthy community: Economical, Social, Cultural, Emotional, Mental, Physical, Environmental
COLOR PALETTE
TYPE PALETTE
HAYWOOD ST. CONGREGATION LOGO (for reference)
SECONDARY MARKS
A NOTE FROM THE CLIENT
“With such a demand in the branding space, especially in Asheville, designers can charge a premium and rush to the next project. From the beginning, you, instead, slowed down to intuit our theology, honor our existing (congregation) mark, and craft a new logo with discerned lines.
Thank you for leveraging your giftedness for the cause. Just as HSCD plans to build with dignified materials, communicating a message of sacred worth through thoughtful finishes and polished appliances, we want to extend our very best visually as a new developer of deeply affordable housing. You helped us exceed the task and more.”
— REV. BRIAN COMBS
