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self-initiated
type design
illustration
motion
2023
brief
A project focused on the relationship between architecture & typography led to the creation of Kubus, my first typeface. Inspired by Piet Blom’s Cube Houses in Rotterdam (Kubuswoningen), it looks at how a building’s concept, structure, and history can be translated into letterforms.
The aim was to create a complete type family that captured both the geometry and the playful character of the Cube Houses, whilst developing a narrative and supporting print and digital touchpoints to present Kubus as if released by a type foundry.
concept
The Cube Houses were built in the 1970s during the Dutch Structuralist movement, when architects were looking at ways to bring a more communal, village-like way of living into cities. Conceived as a “mini society”, the complex places particular importance on shared spaces and the relationship between interior and exterior.
These ideas helped shape the typeface. Wide letterforms contrast with narrow features to emphasise the spaces in between, whilst the angles of the buildings were used to construct the glyphs. Across four styles, these ideas take different forms, with Kubus Open pushing the communal idea further by opening sections of each letterform.
The concept he ideas behind the Cube Houses also influenced how Kubus was presented beyond the letterforms. The typeface was paired with playful illustrations and characters, helping convey the playfulness and interactivity of the building complex that inspired it.
brief
A project focused on the relationship between architecture & typography led to the creation of Kubus, my first typeface. Inspired by Piet Blom’s Cube Houses in Rotterdam (Kubuswoningen), it looks at how a building’s concept, structure, and history can be translated into letterforms.
The aim was to create a complete type family that captured both the geometry and the playful character of the Cube Houses, whilst developing a narrative and supporting print and digital touchpoints to present Kubus as if released by a type foundry.
2023
type design
illustration
motion
self-initiated
outcome
Kubus was developed into a four-style type family and presented through a series of print and digital touchpoints. These included a technical poster, a foldable zine and a foundry-style webpage, designed to showcase the typeface and its features. A set of illustrated characters was also created and later animated to interact with the letterforms, building a playful narrative across the digital touchpoints.
exhibition
the modernist
Manchester
Metropolitan
University
2023
event
identity
Kubus was later featured in Architype x Archive-X at the modernist in Manchester, a collaborative exhibition showcasing student work around graphic design, archive, and architecture. Alongside presenting the typeface, I developed the visual identity for the show and worked with two colleagues on the curation.
A series of different arch forms became the basis of this brief, mini-identity, connecting architecture and archive through a simple shared symbol. The variations also helped represent the individuality of the students involved, extending across the exhibition graphics and promotional materials.
event
identity
Kubus was later featured in Architype x Archive-X at the modernist in Manchester, a collaborative exhibition showcasing student work around graphic design, archive, and architecture. Alongside presenting the typeface, I developed the visual identity for the show and worked with two colleagues on the curation.
A series of different arch forms became the basis of this brief, mini-identity, connecting architecture and archive through a simple shared symbol. The variations also helped represent the individuality of the students involved, extending across the exhibition graphics and promotional materials.
2023
the modernist
Manchester
Metropolitan
University
exhibition
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