Culdesac:
Brand Refresh
Culdesac isn’t just building car-free neighborhoods—it’s redefining how people connect. When they approached us for a brand refresh, we saw an opportunity to go beyond aesthetics. Their identity needed to be discovered, not invented—rooted in real places, real people, and real experiences.
Approach
We traveled across the country, studying intentional communities like Serenbe and Seville to understand how physical spaces foster social connection. We ran workshops with Culdesac’s team to distill their internal culture. We interviewed residents to explore what “community” meant to them. And we examined how to balance emergent vs. deliberate strategy—ensuring organic connections could thrive within a structured framework.
The outcome wasn’t just a refreshed brand—it was a cultural blueprint.
Solution
We created the Culdesac Codex, a foundational document that informs every brand decision, from wayfinding and storytelling to visual identity and resident experience. This codex shaped:
Place & Identity – Naming, wayfinding, and public spaces designed for organic interaction
Visual & Experiential Design – Photography, illustrations, and micro-retail strategies that feel natural and human
Brand Voice & Culture – A tone that is neighborly, magnetic, and aspirational
Resident Experience – A storytelling approach that makes Culdesac feel like home before move-in
Impact
The first artifact of this transformation is now live: Culdesac’s new website, designed to bring this deeper story to life and invite the world into its vision for the future of urban living.
Culdesac is no longer just a real estate developer—it’s a comunity.
