Keel Houses was conceived as more than a student accommodation development. The ambition was to create a connected living experience that felt approachable, sociable and emotionally familiar,  supporting not only how students navigate the building, but how they identify with it over time.

Our role spanned brand identity, wayfinding and placemaking ensuring every touchpoint across the physical and digital environment worked together as part of a single connected experience system. Rather than treating branding, signage and communication as separate layers, the project explored how identity could support orientation, belonging and behavioural ease throughout everyday student life.

The visual identity was intentionally clean, warm and accessible, using a restrained palette of soft neutrals and muted reds to create recognisable moments of clarity and energy without overwhelming the environment. The distinctive “kh” monogram became a recurring spatial device throughout the building appearing across environmental graphics, signage, glazing manifestations, digital interfaces and branded touchpoints to create continuity between physical and digital experiences.

Wayfinding was designed around intuitive movement and everyday usability, helping students move comfortably between private, social and shared amenity spaces. Signage hierarchies, floor identifiers and environmental graphics were carefully integrated into the architecture using natural materials, softer forms and hospitality-led detailing to reduce visual noise and create a calmer residential atmosphere.

Alongside the physical environment, the experience extended into digital touchpoints including merchandise, resident communications and app concepts designed to support access, events, bookings and community interaction. This created a more connected experience loop between identity, environment and everyday use reinforcing familiarity and encouraging ongoing engagement with the building beyond simple functional navigation.

The result is a cohesive brand and placemaking system that helps Keel Houses feel legible, lived-in and behaviourally intuitive from day one. The project demonstrates how PBSA environments can move beyond static branding and amenity checklists toward more connected, experience-led student living ecosystems shaped around belonging, continuity and everyday use.