Marlon Tate

Dove Rooms is a small multi-purpose community space. Developed for the residents of Dover Court Estate, the aim was to create new homes on council-owned land. Dove Rooms were designed and built as part of the London Borough of Islington’s estate-wide regeneration programme.

The main idea behind Dove Rooms is that residents can self-manage their space. The freedom of non-direct involvement from the council, would allow different uses and activities in the space to emerge. We developed a modern and engaging overarching brand identity and signage system inspired by this idea. Our response was to develop a flexible identity to accommodate the multi-purpose nature of Dove Rooms. Central to the identity is a custom alphabet that draws upon the aesthetic of DIY lettering often associated with self-governed, autonomous spaces. By combining the letters ‘D’ and ‘R’, we created an accompanying monogram. Further developing this into an abstract pattern, employing it for manifestations and complimentary visual signs.