At their office in Austin, TX, Perkins&Will’s branded environments team has mastered the art of incorporating brand messaging within a space to elicit wellness responses that are highly sought after—and crucial in the post-pandemic era. Kimberly Richter, associate principal, branded environments, Austin, recently explained her work and shared strategies for shaping spaces that not only tell a brand story, but enrich us.
Photo courtesy of Perkins&Will
“We work with all different market sectors and clients to bring their brand into their space. We go through a process of distilling the essence of who they are, and then translating that into an environment or an experience for them, which takes many different forms,” Richter said. The branded environments team uses a variety of elements from lighting to greenery as tools for branding. Yet, we are looking beyond traditional methods of using graphics, color, or signage to convey the essence of a brand.
“The messaging is much more of a dialogue than a static conversation, or something that is being pushed to its users. We’ve been leaning in this conversational direction, where for instance, what was a graphic solution before might become a different sort of solution, in order to make sure it has the ability to continue to change,” Richter explained.
The Outdoors as an Extension of the Workplace
Before the pandemic, people wanted to bring select natural elements indoors, but now everyone is looking at spaces more holistically, and how the outdoors plays an important role. “We’re embracing interactivity with the outdoors. We’re pushing it much further now, rather than just having a relationship with daylight or using outdoor spaces for work. Companies once had more insular identities, and when employees were indoors, they went straight to their desks. And now, it’s all about extending that public space and shifting the perspective outside. We’re extending the landscape to connect with districts or surrounding areas. Having more of a community plan and relationship to the outdoors is important,” Richter said.
Flexible, Unique Spaces
Branding is being used not just to decorate interiors with logos or corporate signage, but as a means of fostering connections. “Companies are looking at branding not just from a competitive standpoint, but as a tool to connect or reconnect people in an authentic, emotive way,” noted Richter. She said that her job involves helping companies have flexibility, without having to sacrifice key attributes of their DNA and how they work. Spaces have to accommodate changing users over time. “A brand has to appeal to a very specific group of people and still evolve. Different generations will respond to different things. There’s a one-year model, but there’s also a five-year model where you see a new group of people with different associations and priorities,” Richter added.
Businesses are willing to take more risks, even in more conservative industries, in order to create a meaningful experience. For a recent healthcare project, the client used art to communicate the brand message in a unique way. “This client wanted to ensure that at every major touchpoint there was a relationship to their brand, and everyone knew where they were. And typically, that would be using an informational sign or logo. There were a few schemes we had in mind, but we decided to develop large-scale public art in big impact zones. When you are at these multiple touchpoints you can see it. We incorporated their brand colors in an expressive, art-based way,” Richter said.
Image courtesy of Perkins&Will.
Richter said that it was an unexpected move from a healthcare provider, but the end result is a positive, uplifting setting for patients and their families. “The healthcare workers really provide that sense of hope. As we worked on the project it was more about the art versus any sort of messaging on the walls. They wanted their brand to be associated with inspiring joy. For this particular sector it was a bold, new way of expression.”
Richter also noted that developers are following their lead, ready to think outside-the-box to stand out from the competition. “Developers are much more comfortable with higher risk in terms of amenities versus occupiable square footage. They’re shifting their metrics in a way that we weren’t seeing before because they feel that it is what will differentiate them, and what is going to speak to their prospective tenants.
Light and color are known to boost moods, and they can also help tell a brand’s story when used strategically. “We’re playing a lot with light and color, and thinking about how both can activate a space and change it. People are more comfortable with color, and I think that’s because it dials up the happiness quotient. The application of color can vary. It’s okay if color changes over time, has reflectivity, and looks different during the day and at night. There is more of a dialogue between color and light,” Richter said.
Lighting and color complement each other, and Richter explained that lighting does more than illuminate an interior. “We’re integrating light in different ways. In one of our projects, we have a huge custom sign that doubles as seating. A person can sit within each letter. You can see those letters lit from the outside, and there’s also a layering effect. It’s a gradient of color that comes through this perforated material. It’s a solution that’s useful and integrated, completing the brand expression.”
Richter noted that clients want lighting that’s adjustable and more personalized. “In a lobby in Dallas, we used a digital scrim that covers the entire ceiling. The patterning can change, from a landscape to clouds. It’s more of an expressive light solution. People want the light to change, they want it to feel dynamic,” Richter added.