The Foundry is comprised of 38 light-industrial units designed to cater for an emerging market: small businesses that need a commercial space with all the benefits of a large industrial warehouse – concrete construction, high ceilings, roller door access – without the size and associated cost.

Typically, light commercial is aimed at storage or trade businesses. Our strategy with The Foundry was to reframe the perception of these basic concrete units and open up sale to different types of companies e.g. online retailers, boutique manufacturers and niche services by demonstrating their versatility and presenting the units as adaptable modern workspaces.

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Our goal for the brand was to communicate opportunity and possibility. We conveyed this graphically by creating a modern twist on elements associated with commercial and industrial sectors. The humble roller door is ubiquitous and emblematic of light-industrial warehouse units – we took the opportunity to use this as a key symbol of our message – that what lies behind the roller door is a myriad of possibilities and it’s not so much about the space, but what the space enables.To support our narrative, we designed a set of 3D renders – choosing a variety of businesses using the units in unique ways, styling each one to convey a distinct personality.

Without altering the base architecture, we also designed environmental solutions, using cost-effective methods to transform an otherwise uninspiring concrete construction into a striking exterior that creates a sense of place.

The Foundry proved to be attractive to its target audience and sold down 80% within a week of launch under Covid-19 Level 2 conditions.