Cambridge Community Housing

The high cost of housing in Cambridge has restricted opportunities for low- and middle-income families to live there. Yet asset portfolios like Cambridge Community Housing are designed to make it possible. HRI preserves and creates affordable housing throughout the city, including this scattered site portfolio with over 700 units across 65 buildings around the Cambridge area.

An office renovation and consolidation project for the management firm at Wingate Companies became an opportunity to reposition the portfolio holistically. The primary objectives for the brand identity were to enhance the outward presence of Cambridge Community Housing, align it with the quality of services offered, and to communicate with clarity and consistency to residents and regulatory agencies alike.

Through in-depth conversations with the management firm’s leadership, we discovered the unique qualities of the community that were important to highlight through the brand . The brand's personality —empathetic, dependable, inclusive, pragmatic, and dynamic—were infused into all visual communications. The primary vehicle for the identity is the logo, composed of individual elements, representative of the individual sites coming together to form one, unique icon. A blue color palette conveys a sense of dependability. On the office interior, brand touchpoints create a warm reception and add consistency to a visitor’s experience.

The new brand successfully conveys professionalism, adds confidence to residents and regulatory agencies, and fosters a stronger sense of trust. The unified brand enhances the perception of Cambridge Community Housing, from an overlooked segment of the portfolio, to a sustainable, inclusive, and intentional portfolio asset that proudly reflects the community.

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Services: brand identity, experiential design, interior design.