New branding and web design for the centenary of architecture practice Mountford Pigott

One of the great things about being a designer is that very specific deadlines are fairly rare. The result of that is not prevarication or delay, quite the reverse – we all want to get our work done, make clients happy and to see it out in the world. But at the same time, in general, creative work requires time and consideration. It’s done when it’s done. So, efficiency is welcomed but ‘design emergencies’ are scarce. However, we’ve had a set of projects recently where both creativity and a finish line has been part of the brief. The most recent of these has been the branding and web design project for Mountford Pigott, an architecture practice celebrating their centenary in 2021. In this case, the calendar couldn’t be dodged. As we began work in September, we all knew a new look had to be out in the world at the turn of the year. There was no way around it: the clock was ticking.

A blueprint for success

Let me introduce Mountford Pigott to the unfamiliar. An architectural practice based in New Malden, Surrey, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve driven past a sizeable number of their buildings. You might have your belongings stored in one of their Big Yellow Storage units, seen a movie in one of their cinemas or bought a car from one of the extraordinary showrooms they’ve been involved with. You might even live in one of the apartments within their masterplanning schemes across the UK.

The firm was established in 1921, devising then the sort of ambitious builds they still work on today. At that time their work involved commissions such as mansion blocks in South Kensington or the large-scale planning of areas of Wandsworth. That was then, this is now: the firm has gone from strength to strength, today employing a team of dozens. As the firm approached 2021, the partners knew that with this centenary year, a key moment of renewal had to be marked. With an old website in need of a revamp, there was a very obvious place to start.

We started discussing how to tackle the project in late August. Before considering the site, we suggested that a refresh of their identity could be a good idea and within certain specific perameters, this was agreed. We agreed to update the typography then consider its application once the creative work behind the website was complete. With a new coalesced design agenda up and running, a overall future brand direction could be established. In fact since the site has been completed, to get that ball rolling, we completed a few conceptual ideas for the stationery, one of which is below.

Excellent foundations

Our design scheme for the Mountford Pigott project involved the creation of a subtle structure, a backbone to the pages which holds its contents. The concept behind this was to make the pages feel technical and specific, taking inspiration from an architect’s work. As we continued, the manner of these lines combined with a refined colour palette crystallised a top-down visual approach to the entire project. This and a new approach to typography form the basis to everything we’ve designed for Mountford Pigott.

Fundamental to the success of the project was showcasing Mountford Pigott’s portfolio in the best possible light. Many architects’ sites tend to focus solely on showcase, usually completed set-piece images, but these aren’t always ideal, often having a focus on interior design or real estate. With this in mind, we were keen to include many more sketches, plans and renderings within the project pages. Rather than a jump to the finished product, we were keen to include an essence of the process and in so doing demonstrate the skill of the team.

The vast proportion of the site is portfolio pages, each of which contain a large amount of granular information. In particular, the presentation of masterplan architectural projects is much like their build – they need to involve and credit many different partners. Consultants, engineers, quantity surveyors, contractors, (as well as the budget)… the list is substantial. Having included all this detail, the end result is that alongside ‘finished article’ and close-up shots, we present data and plans, a blend of ingredients which make for a set of strong, elegant pages.

Ensuring everything went to plan

Central to the project was delivering a full and completed website at the turn of 2021. As we gridded out our timetable in September, it was clear that meant the branding, web design, coding, content upload and checking (both of content and code) had to be wrapped up well ahead of the Christmas break, with the completion date of Friday 18th December. This was sensible and achievable but the whole thing had to rattle along. Every phase of the work was planned in hurdles that had to be vaulted then submitted to the partnership of Mountford Pigott to agree and sign off.

Additionally, with all their project work divided into six different categories, the logistics of compiling and formatting titles, details, text and images (in order, for over 80 contemporary projects) as well as a complete history of the business and the first phase of an archive, was monumental. This can only be achieved with teamwork. With a deeply invested client and total transparency of our process, meaning incremental progress was visible to all concerned, we were able to deliver the work on time.

While such a process is vital, projects of this kind are never just logistics. Seeing the full extent of their decades of work was revelatory. As we added a vast range of incredible photography, Mountford Pigott’s deep back catalogue and its enormous variety of locations gradually sharpened into focus. There are many aspects to the project which I’m proud of but, for all of us, a custom ‘live’ map showing buildings old and new spread across the UK which linked directly to pages showcasing the background to each project is particularly satisfying.

I believe this project truly demonstrates the combination of creative, practical and technically sophisticated methods required in the branding and web design of an architecture practice. The end result is the best possible way for Mountford Pigott to mark their centenary – and for us to begin work in 2021.

Should your architecture practice consider new branding and web design?

For clients commercial and private considering recommendations for a great architect, their first stop will be reviewing your website. There’s no alternative: it has to be great. We can help you consider ways to achieve that, ensuring the best presentation of your practice and its work. We can work to and challenge your brief, delivering a new site on budget and on time.

Call us on 020 7351 4083 or email us direct.

Find out more

Visit the Mountford Pigott website and our portfolio page about the project to discover more about this project:

Our Mountford Pigott portfolio page

Visit the Mountford Pigott website