The Forge On Broadway
Branding, environmental design, & complete wayfinding signage system designed for mixed-use development in Buffalo, NY
The Forge on Broadway is a new housing & retail development from SAA|EVI on the East Side of Buffalo. OtherWisz Creative worked closely with the developer and the architect to create a full brand package for their new affordable housing complex, built on the site of the former Buffalo Forge.
OtherWisz was tasked with infusing the history of Buffalo Forge into the aesthetics of this new development. The process to fully realize the visual identity of the building began with extensive research on the history of the former Buffalo Forge, which was the original industrial manufacturer of forges, fans, and air handling equipment.
Using original diagrams, schematics, photos, handwritten notes, and formulas sourced from our research, we developed several concepts for murals and wall graphics that would add a historic quality to the new building.
Services: Environmental Design, Illustration, Logo/Identity Design, Website Design
Our main focus was to create a visual language for the new Forge on Broadway, making connections between the old brand materials and the contemporary identity. After several months worth of work digitizing images from our source material, we designed 79 murals – hallway graphics and feature walls – totaling 3,095 square feet of wall graphics. Larger murals are positioned in key spaces.
The wall graphics that appear throughout the hallways of the building are a useful, yet visually appealing, wayfinding tool that makes it easier to navigate throughout the complex. We devised a system to correlate the murals with different areas — each of the four floors is assigned one part of the color palette, and various types of imagery are used to indicate the five wings of the building.
OtherWisz designed and managed the production of 353 interior signs to support the Forge on Broadway brand. The signs were designed to be easily read, and include raised characters and ample space left for braille translations as specified by ADA Compliance standards for residential buildings.
Large-scale exterior signs were also installed on the building, defining the space as the Forge on Broadway. 20” illuminated aluminum letters hang on the canopies above the entryways of the building in 3 locations.
Pleased with our overall vision for the project, SAA|EVI hired our team to source and install furniture for the building’s common spaces. The selected items were vetted for quality of materials, and selected to furnish all shared spaces with respect to color and functionality.
OtherWisz also designed the Forge on Broadway website to market the apartments to prospective renters. The web content is descriptive and tailored to a regional understanding of the City of Buffalo, including locations of interest in the East Side and the list of amenities offered at the apartments.
