studio sc

Washington State University’s Olympia Avenue student housing...

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:53:20 -0700

Washington State University’s Olympia Avenue student housing project—for which we did the wayfinding, identity, and educational graphics—just won an award for best campus housing project at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) in San Francisco in June. The awards, called Gold Nuggets, recognize builders, developers, architects, and land planners with projects in the 14 western states and all international countries.

Read more about the work we did on the Olympia Avenue project and check out some photos here.

Millions of people have soccer fever this summer—each match is...

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:31:19 -0700

Netherlands

England

Italy; Crepello

Uruguay; Crepello

Ivory Coast; Olembe

Spain; Unity

Argentina; Unity

Millions of people have soccer fever this summer—each match is projected to have up to 125 million viewers worldwide, with the championship game expected to surpass the 2006 numbers (715 million) and draw the biggest audience of any sporting final in history.

Here at Studio SC, we’ve been talking a lot about how not only the designs of the jerseys are important, but also the typography. When these jerseys are seen by millions of people across the globe, you want to be sure they’re a good representation of your country.

Around the office, the Nike jerseys, specifically, Netherlands and England (whose kits were created by Umbro, a recently-acquired subsidiary of Nike) are favorites. The typeface used for the players’ names appears similar for all the Nike teams, but the different number sets for each seem to be good representations of their countries and their teams. (We can’t seem to find any information about the name of the typefaces used, so if anyone can, we’d love to know!)

Take the Netherlands, for example. Their bright orange jerseys really stand out against the green turf. You can see them move as a unit, how in tune they are with each other. The orange is aggressive and in your face—you either love it or you hate it. The typeface is sort of the same: blocky, stocky, and mechanical—which is pretty similar to the playing style of the Dutch team (these guys are nicknamed Clockwork Orange for their precision passing). The typeface reminds us of the Dutch De Stijl style, with its blend of simplicity, primary colors, and cubism.

By contrast, the typography on the English kits is far more of a humanist style. The clean lines and openness of the text and are quintessentially English: formal, tailored, and refined. The all-white uniforms hearken back to the kits of 1966. On Umbro’s blog, kit designer David Blanch says he loved that design because it embodied the team: “it’s not about branding, it’s about team identity.”

Paul Barnes designed two fonts for Puma kits: Olembe and Crepello. He describes the Crepello, which is used by Italy, Switzerland, and Uruguay, as a “no-nonsense technical form.” It resembles an italic font and has very classic numbers with sharp edges. Italy and Switzerland use all lowercase letters, while Uruguay uses both lower and uppercase. The Olembe, which is used by Ivory Coast, Ghana, and several other African nations, is on the other end of the spectrum. Barnes wanted it to look organic, so he created letters and numbers with visible brushstrokes, so they appear hand-painted or drawn.

Brazillian designer Yomar Augusto crafted a font for Adidas called Unity, which appears on the Argentinean and Spanish shirts, among others. Augusto drew his inspiration from the rounded triangles of the official World Cup soccer balls, and the typeface is featured on all Adidas 2010 World Cup products and advertising. Unity is all rounded—both the numbers and the letters—no blunt edges here.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite World Cup typeface, or one you can’t stand? Which kit best represents its home country? And can you believe Brazil lost today?

AIGA Seattle’s annual membership bash happened this past Friday...

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:07:47 -0700

AIGA Seattle’s annual membership bash happened this past Friday evening at BoConcept, and it was a blast. Seattle Chapter President Jeff Barlow and AIGA National President Debbie Millman were both there, cheering on current members and recruiting new ones. The space looked great with plenty of stylish furniture to lounge on and fabulous environmental graphics by Studio SC. A taste of the action is captured above.

Thanks again to AIGA Seattle and event volunteers and sponsors for making this party a fantastic success.

Round Up: Our Favorite Banksy Work The pseudonymous Banksy is...

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:00:00 -0700

Round Up: Our Favorite Banksy Work

The pseudonymous Banksy is synonymous with street art. We recently rediscovered Banksy’s 2006 book, Wall and Piece. In a world that seems to promote near-constant visibility, he reminds us that “invisibility is still a superpower”.

LA, 2010

Banksy’s most recent pieces have been popping up all over Los Angeles with the premier of his new film. We love his nod to Koons’ balloon dog, above.

Village Pet Shop & Charcoal Grill, 2008

A departure from his traditional work, Banksy began experimenting with robotics for his first show in New York City. The Village Pet Shop & Charcoal Grill opened to the public as a pop-up “shop” in 2008. Devoid of graffiti or paintings, the show featured bizarre interpretations of household pets, from swimming fish sticks to security cameras nurturing their imaginary young. In the words of Banksy, “I wanted to make art that questioned our relationship with animals and the ethics and sustainability of factory farming, but it ended up as chicken nuggets singing.”

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2005

In an ongoing effort to explore the boundaries of public art, Banksy installed modified canvases of his own work in museums around the world. At the Met, his piece hung for two hours before being removed. At other museums, some work lasted as long as three weeks. “I thought some of [the paintings] were quite good. That’s why I thought, you know, put them in a gallery. Otherwise, they would just sit at home and no one would see them.”

Israel, 2005 & 2007

Banksy created nine paintings on the Palestinian side of Israel’s controversial West Bank barrier in 2005 and again in 2007. Our favorite, above, depicts children digging a hole to paradise. Banksy describes the wall as the “ultimate activity holiday destination for graffiti artists.”

Needless to say, we’re excited to see Exit Through The Gift Shop, Banksy’s new street art manifesto-slash-documentary tracking his practices and pranks.

In Toronto, potholes are turning cyclists into superheroes. The...

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:57:00 -0700

In Toronto, potholes are turning cyclists into superheroes. The local street art collective Urban Repair Squad is responsible for the onomatopoeic stencils, which draw attention to imperfections in the road that are potential hazards to bikers.

The Urban Repair Squad has completed a number of projects around the city, including one raising awareness around Toronto’s indigenous underground rivers (similar to the Ravenna Creek project we blogged about here).

Visit Torontoist to see more photos of the project.

Studio SC took a field trip to King Street Station yesterday....

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:58:04 -0700

An early postcard of the station

Ceilings, past and present

Original plaster work

Looking out from the concealed balcony

Clock mechanisms

One of the two restored clocks

Climbing to the roof

A view of Seattle from the tower

Studio SC took a field trip to King Street Station yesterday. The tour, hosted by the Seattle Architecture Foundation (SAF), focused on the major renovation project currently underway at the station. Since our offices are located mere blocks from King Street, we jumped at the opportunity to explore such a historic landmark in our own neighborhood. SAF volunteers, including architects from ZGF, the firm working on the project, guided us around the site and up the 245-foot clock tower.

We had the chance to see the soon-to-be restored original ceiling, as well as some long-forgotten escalators (an attempt to compete with modern air travel in the 60’s). King Street Station’s ornate plaster ceiling was replaced with suspended acoustic tiles over 40 years ago.

The highlight of the tour was climbing the clock tower, modeled after Campanile di San Marco in Venice. So far, the majority of the project has focused on the tower, the tallest beacon in the neighborhood next to the Smith Tower. The views from the King Street’s clock tower were stunning. It was amazing to be able to trek behind the scenes of one of our city’s most historic buildings.

Thanks to SAF, SDOT and ZGF for this opportunity!

Mark Brest van Kempen is calling attention to the creek running...

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:25:02 -0700

Ravenna Creek in 1909

Revealing the creek below the pavement

Cleaning System (2000)

Mark Brest van Kempen is calling attention to the creek running underneath our feet.

Working with the Seattle Parks department from 2000-2007, Brest van Kempen designed a multi-component public art project tracing the historical and present-day path of Ravenna Creek under the city streets.

For decades, Ravenna Creek was diverted into the city’s sewer system. Community efforts eventually motivated funding to restore the creek to its natural path in 2006. Through the use of signage, viewing stations and conceptual pieces, Brest van Kempen draws focus to the revitalized creek, now largely underground.

For more of Mark Brest van Kempen’s work, visit his site.

We just received some fresh photos of our sustainable wayfinding...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:37:00 -0800

cougar graphic

geothermal pipe installation

visualizing LEED concepts in action

We just received some fresh photos of our sustainable wayfinding graphics for Washington State University’s Olympia Avenue Student Housing project, including a few shots of the geothermal pipe installation! Read more about the project here.

Thanks to Quinn Ianniciello for taking these shots.

Mary Temple creates light with latex paint and wood...

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:27:42 -0800

Mary Temple creates light with latex paint and wood stain.

Gently calling attention to often ignored interior spaces, the trompe l’oeil paintings cast shadows of wild greenery creeping in front of phantom windows and skylights. At first encounter, Temple’s work is nearly invisible:

What I hope for is that the viewer moves through several stages of understanding the piece. In the beginning there is belief that the paint is light, but as they walk through the piece, perhaps they notice that their body doesn’t interfere with what they’ve perceived as light. (They are unable to cast a shadow.) At that moment the viewer does not know what is going on, and that’s what I’m interested in. In those few minutes that they are finding an architectural solution to what they are viewing, they create a new architectural space in their imagination.

Temple’s treatment of light both grounds and delights the viewer, twisting our perception of the built environment.

View more of Temple’s work here.

(via The Jealous Curator)

What do the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Michael Jackson, Glenda...

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:21:27 -0800

What do the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Michael Jackson, Glenda the Good Witch, Hitler, and Santa Claus all have in common? They’ll each be riding the elevator with you at The Standard hotel.

Marco Brambilla’s video installation, Civilization, takes elevator occupants on a journey from heaven to hell and back again, all triggered by the direction of an elevator cab. Working closely with Crush, a video production company, Brambilla sewed together a 3D visual landscape from hundreds of individual film clips. The mural scrolls from hell upward to heaven with brief visits to purgatory along the way, creating and endless loop of surreal planes culled from our collective pop culture consciousness.

A recent trip to The Standard found us captive witnesses to Brambilla’s work. The traditional awkward elevator ride was suddenly transformed into a wild guessing game of what figures would appear next. This is a modern Inferno we can get behind.

Civilization is on permanent view at The Standard in New York.

See the video mural online and read about the process behind it here.

Located in the heart of Anchorage’s energy and technology...

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:12:20 -0800

Located in the heart of Anchorage’s energy and technology district, 188 Northern Lights Boulevard is a modern mixed-use office and retail complex. We worked closely with the developer and architects to create a holistic graphic identity for the project. Environmental graphics expand on the building’s double-eight identity and the Northern Lights street address. The double-eight pattern used throughout the program is reminiscent of innovative technology, energizing the project and reflecting the business of building occupants.

A graphic lightbox above the lobby surrounds the retail podium of the project, utilizing pattern, light and shadow to add impact both day and night. Bringing an element of warmth to contrast the Alaskan winter climate, glass panels with integral graphics wrap the core of the structure, creating a glowing orange beacon that draws occupants and visitors into the building. Integrated architectural graphics, from wayfinding and identity components to public space amenities and finishes, have transformed this project into a landmark building.

Dubai, Out Of Time Martin Becka utilizes photogravure processing...

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:57:59 -0800

Dubai, Out Of Time

Martin Becka utilizes photogravure processing techniques to develop haunting prints of modern structures made historic. Becka’s work focuses on Dubai as an architectural center, showcasing the city’s modern luxury environments as being built long ago. His photo of Burj Khalifa, above, renders the tallest structure in the world as half archival document and half science fiction novel.

We’re not sure what this says about trends in architectural photography, but it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “history in the making.”

(via Kottke)

Budapest-based illustrator Lehel Kovács utilizes the all-seeing...

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:31:00 -0800

Budapest-based illustrator Lehel Kovács utilizes the all-seeing powers of Google Street View to draw scenes from around the world.

While sketches by Moleskin devotees are nothing new, Kovács reinvents the travel journal, illustrating places he may never see in person.

Click the above photo to view Kovács’s progress as he moves through the alphabet by location. We’re hoping S stands for Seattle.

See more of Kovács’ work here.

(via Cool Hunting)

Martin Sobey is creating art in unexpected places. A New...

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:00:00 -0800

Martin Sobey is creating art in unexpected places. A New York-based street artist with a background in photography, Sobey heals concrete imperfections with abstract photo collages. The temporary, site-specific pieces focus on sidewalk cracks, construction sites & drain pipes, bringing new life to otherwise forgotten details of Sobey’s daily environments.

The majority of our favorite pieces, above, reveal hidden worlds rising up from the pavement. We can almost imagine hopping off that curb, anticipating heat from the lava beneath us.

To see more of Sobey’s work, visit his photo blog.

(via The Wooster Collective)

Built in 1916 as a cornerstone of the historic Liberal Arts...

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:28:00 -0800

Savery Hall

Built in 1916 as a cornerstone of the historic Liberal Arts Quadrangle, the University of Washington’s Savery Hall was in need of modern improvements. The renovation and restoration project focused on upgrades to building systems and classroom design while maintaining the building’s classic Gothic façade.

Studio SC developed an identity and wayfinding program that reflects the industrial character of the newly exposed interior structure and celebrates Savery Hall’s unique place in the University’s history. Our signage program pairs modern typography with historic industrial elements revealed by the renovation, creating a synergy of past and present.

Photos by Lara Swimmer & Studio SC

Brazilian artist Néle Azevedo creates temporary street art....

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:24:00 -0800

Brazilian artist Néle Azevedo creates temporary street art. Modeled after human figures, Azevedo’s miniature ice sculptures are delicately installed in large urban settings, lasting for less than an hour before melting into the landscape.

Reactions to the work vary, but most who encounter the tiny sculptures are moved to pause and engage with them. Azevedo writes:

The reactions are similar, but the intensity varies. In Tokyo, an old lady at Ueno’s food market was very anguished to see the sculptures melting and asked me to take them away, she then placed them on a tray and took them.

For one recent installation, Azevedo partnered with the World Wildlife Fund, using thousands of melting figures to symbolize the effects of global warming.

For more photos of Azevedo’s work, visit his portfolio here.

(via GOOD)

Happy holidays from all of us at Studio SC. We’ve been...

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:42:00 -0800

Happy holidays from all of us at Studio SC. We’ve been trying our hands at a little origami lately. Fold your own snowflake using our DIY instructions here.

If you’re ambitious enough to master the fold, send us your snowflake photos & we’ll post them on the blog!

Architecture of the Unbuilt Cheng+Snyder’s Phantom City...

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:00:00 -0800

Architecture of the Unbuilt

Cheng+Snyder’s Phantom City iPhone application allows users to experience a skyline that never was. From a mile-high dome covering Midtown Manhattan to an airport at Battery Park, the Museum of the Phantom City features projects from New York’s past that were either abandoned or simply designed never to be built (case in point: Continuous Monument, a 1969 concept design in which the entire city would be enclosed in glass). Through interactive features that alert users to the presence of phantom buildings around them, the application serves as a walking tour of public art that never was.

Interactive historical mapping exists to a degree with user-generated Google maps, but Phantom City turns the iPhone into a sort of dousing rod, uncovering invisible histories as users move around the city and alerting them to sites with particularly compelling pasts. It’s easy to imagine a whole slew of applications like this, transforming daily commutes to Wikipedia in real time.

Our favorite? Alfred Beach’s abandoned pneumatic subway tube circa 1870.

(Phantom City via NYT)

We recently completed an identity, wayfinding and educational...

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:04:00 -0800

Olympia Avenue

Level identification

Reclaimed wood

Bike storage

Storm water retention

We recently completed an identity, wayfinding and educational graphic program for Washington State University’s Olympia Avenue student housing project. Olympia Avenue is the first new student housing development on the Pullman campus since 1972.

The project reflects WSU’s growing commitment to sustainability, featuring geothermal heating and cooling, natural day lighting, and reclaimed building materials along with other sustainable elements. Studio SC created a graphic system that highlights the building’s sustainable efforts at the site of each LEED feature.

Through integrated signage and graphics, Studio SC illustrated LEED concepts that often go unnoticed in the daily operations of public environments. Graphics at the site of each sustainable feature allow residents & visitors to engage with these important components and reveal the inner workings of the building. Our goal was to engage and educate the WSU community by visualizing how sustainable efforts positively effect their lives & the environments they occupy.

Check out EyeWriter, a custom eye tracking software that allows...

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Check out EyeWriter, a custom eye tracking software that allows graffiti writers and artists with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) to draw using only their eyes. The above video centers around Tony Quan (AKA Temp One), a street artist who continues to produce work using the EyeWriter device despite his paralysis. In addition to gallery shows, Quan’s new works are projected onto buildings and other outdoor spaces, creating temporary large scale public art.

Quan’s tags. his work with the EyeWriter is shown at right.

The EyeWriter site offers step by step instructions on how to inexpensively make your own.

To see more of Quan’s work & read his words, go here.

(via GOOD)