POST's ultramarine identity for Cuozzo Fleming is fuelled by the carbon fibre wing of an F1 car

The East London-based architecture practice of Alessio Cuozzo and Jenny Fleming, initially named JAA but now renamed to Cuozzo Fleming, was established in 2015 with the mission to leave their city better than they found it. Short term trends and an in-house style aren’t for them, as they design and construct each project to endure over a long period, with practicality and an appreciation for craft at the heart of their practice. Having developed a respected reputation working throughout London’s boroughs, the south-east and Northern Ireland since their inception, Cuozzo Fleming sought a new visual identity for their renamed practice from London-based design studio POST.

The resulting solution thrives in its simplicity, with the choices of CoType Foundry’s Aeonik Pro and ultramarine blue enabling it a bold and bright confidence. “The primary brand colour was a real gift,” POST Creative Director Ric Bell explains, “one of the directors owns a carbon fibre wing of a Formula 1 car and on it are two bright colours: a neon orange and an ultramarine blue.” After many a discussion on which colour to move forward with, the latter came out on top due to its ability to be recreated with Arjowiggins’ Adiron Blue paper, as well as sitting in direct contrast with the previous identity’s bright yellow.

“Through discussions with the architects about their design sensibilities, it became obvious that the logo was always going to be a modernist grotesk,” Bell explains. From there they presented a selection of five typefaces, tested on real-life applications, before settling on Aeonik Pro. “Truth be told, the type specimen booklet from CoType really sold it to the client too, which stayed on their display shelf for a few weeks at the start of the project,” Bell reveals. POST’s selection of Aeonik Pro shines across print and digital applications, particularly in uppercase, to offer a characterful presence uncommon within architectural identities.

The most playful application of the brand is found within the first edition of the Cuozzo Fleming newspaper, which showcases in-depth and behind the scenes content, such as unrealised concepts and plans, and insights into the design and construction process. Driven by staggered typographic arrangements and sleek photography, the newspaper introduces the new identity to potential and existing clients, and also provides a transparent and collaborative method for new business.

As arguably the most crucial element of Cuozzo Fleming’s brand, their portfolio website needed to be equally beautiful and functional. Working to a brief of, ‘we would like a beautiful slideshow’, POST devised a simple experience that focuses on images, emphasising the practice’s work and in doing so, intelligently leaving the typographic play to the printed materials.

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Cuozzo Fleming