Established in 1988 by architects Con Zahos and Michael Loucas, Loucas Zahos Architects (LZA) is an award-winning architectural practice with offices in Adelaide and Brisbane. SquareBox was commissioned to run a brand workshop, which lead to the development of a new visual identity, reflecting LZA’s commitment to delivering design solutions that forge an emotional connection, celebrate detail, and connect people with place.

We were tasked with re-imagining their brand to better communicate their skills and hands-on approach to producing beautiful buildings and places. Our response was to develop a new brand vision for the studio, as well as a compass consisting of four key principles to help guide them into the future.

This new brand story lead to a brandmark based on the emotive quality of architecture, and the artistry of their craft. The identity’s focal point stems from the joining of the two directors, and is inspired by the organic, fluid, and vibrant qualities of the artist’s signature. The new logo is totally new direction from the existing geometric design previously used. This new direction is made of a simple brush stoke, ‘the final flourish at the bottom of the canvas’, and embodies the studio’s individualised approach, with each design a unique expression of the client’s vision.

A geometric san-serif that has character without being too neutral has been chosen to lead the new branding language. Paired with a generous amount of white space and a clear grid system, LZA’s visual identity is distinctly minimalist to remain timeless whilst ensuring that the studio’s work always takes centre stage. This concept lay the foundation for the layout of all printed and digital communication.