Unlocked Potential

Housing Unlocked highlighted many of the issues contributing to a lack of housing in Ireland, such as how current planning restrictions are limiting potential for creative solutions. The initial concept was launched from here, with a colour scheme reflecting the ‘form filling’ procedural process that is part of the planning application system.

The identity was designed to be functional and accessible. To give the logo personality we paired a serif with a sans serif and made a simple adjustment to the ‘o’ in the Housing Unlocked word marque. This was combined with hand-drawn icons to counter the austerity of the subject.

The website transitioned from a submission hub with information about the competition to house more detailed content about the exhibition. The website functions as an information resource and hosts multiple media types. It was important for the content to be accessible and engaging for everyone who visited the site.

The exhibition showcased the winning eight proposals and sought to address Irish policymakers and the public. We placed a series of questions on plywood panels throughout the exhibition to engage the audience and to knit the diverse exhibits together.

We got the word out for the IAF, calling on architect-led teams to submit proposals through an engaging Instagram campaign. The initial campaign focused on thought-provoking questions which inspired people to consider ways of tackling the housing crisis. As the exhibition developed we used social media to encourage the public to attend and engage with the programme.

The book seeks to capture the breadth of activity and discussions that took place over the project’s lifespan. We worked closely with the IAF team to develop the sequencing for the book, ensuring the mix of text and imagery would keep a diverse audience engaged. We also worked closely with PlusPrint to establish a cost-effective specification which didn’t compromise on quality.

We have worked closely with the IAF for over 15 years and were asked to be involved in the early discussions about this project. We influenced the project’s name and worked closely with the IAF Director, exhibition curator and project coordinator to explore what was needed for the initial competition, exhibition, and subsequent publication. We led the overall design, web development, wayfinding in the exhibition, social media, print management, and installation, and were able to assure high quality and consistency across all deliverables.

The initial website enabled over 50 architect-led teams to submit proposals to the competition. The social media campaign led to 17,962 unique engagements across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and there were 24,560 visitors to the exhibition.