Counterspace is a Johannesburg-based collaborative studio of young architects dedicated to research-based projects, which take the form of exhibition design, competition work, urban insurgency and public events.
We were approached to design and develop a new website for their studio, with the brief that the website had to break away from the expected mould of digital portfolios. In their own words, Counterspace views their process as one of “deconstruction and reconstruction,” so we thought it fitting to assimilate a deconstructed design aesthetic. With this direction in mind, we adopted the wireframes that we developed for their website as the primary design solution. To provide some contrast and energy to the stark deconstructed wireframes, we added a background that ebbs and flows through a spectrum of neon colours to reflect the fun that Counterspace injects into their work.
To complement the new site, we also developed a word mark for Counterspace. The wordmark is a play on typographical counters, which is the area of a letter that is entirely or partially enclosed by a letter form or a symbol; for example the negative space found within an O. Further to this, the letterforms are presented as outlines only, picking up on the “wireframe” aesthetic of the website. The cut-out areas of the strokes act as entry and exit points, hinting at letterforms which could be architectural.
Visit the website: www.counterspace-studio.com
