Spending the dayat the park
Client:Capital Enterprise Centres
Project:Identity system
Role:Design, fabrication and installation, national
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Since when did a business park ever make you want to go to work?
Why can't they be more like parks and less like business?
Instead of the familiar acres of concrete enclosed by chain link security fencing, and an array of pathetic looking shrubs bordered with brown bark chippings, one might have a genuinely stately scene.
Like an estate there could be familiar features, slightly random trees, sweeping drives fringed with grass and views of something other than sheds and parked vans. The buildings would be there, but shouldn't dominate the setting.
NES created, for CEC's business parks, something a bit like an old country estate, a small degree of uniformity with the context of a park. Every estate creates a sense of identity across its properties. It could be subtle, like the particular tone of paint, a style of fencing, or more assertive, a typeface, a small crest or even a bit of statuary.
For CEC's parks, NES created a whole identity system to enable it to establish its ownership of a new, more attractive style of business accommodation. Careful selection of colours and typefaces ensure that the look is achieved. Simple design of the hardware means that maintenance and changes to sign details can be done locally with ease.
The system is clearly designed to ensure that you not only know where you are, you know where you're going.
It's a particularly pleasing identity; there are non-intrusive but clear and effective signs which help you find everything.
The only downside to business park life that I can see is that where in the past one might have stopped at a bacon sandwich kiosk on the pretext of asking directions, but secretly fulfilling an irresistible urge for fried food, you now have no excuse.
It's a good system.
The parks aren't bad either.