SHAC

SHAC, previously know as Schreiber Hamilton Architecture (SHA), are one of Newcastle’s most progressive architectural firms. They believe the process of design should impact positively on people’s lives, by working to build community and touching those that engage with their work on a daily basis.

They have been established for 17 years, providing design solutions across the globe from North Africa and the Middle East, to sites in Australia - particularly Newcastle, their head office location, but also as far afield as the Northern Territory.

They are a small team of architects and support staff who have a passion for design and work in an open, collaborative space using the full range of techniques. You can often see pen and paper being used to develop concept sketches as a planning communication tool, and their in-house laser cutter developing models and mock-ups nearby for client presentations.

Justin Hamilton is SHAC’s Managing Director and his fresh approach and style can be seen throughout each of the projects he helps lead. In 2015, SHAC engaged Headjam to collaborate with them on their rebrand, transitioning from their original name ‘Schreiber Hamilton Architecture’ (SHA) to their new tongue in cheek name, SHAC. This bold move was an exciting new chapter in the firm’s history and one we were proud to collaborate with them on.

The key objective for this project was to relaunch SHAC to the world, re-articulating the work they do and the sectors that they are passionate about (Education, Health, Industrial, Residential, Cultural, Aviation and Commercial) and to ensure their clients, past, present and future knew that they were stronger than ever.

Property developers that are design conscious, government agencies with style, schools that are looking for progressive buildings to aid in the development of their students and local home owners that want the flair only SHAC can provide.

Dedicated to people and process.

When thinking about what we want people to say about SHAC, it’s all about progression and process. SHAC are one of the most progressive architectural firms within the region, they are able to produce an extraordinary solution that meets their client’s needs in a pragmatic fashion; each time, every time. Our consumer response was therefore defined as:

‘SHAC are the region’s most progressive architectural firm and were able to produce an extraordinary solution that met my needs in a pragmatic fashion’.

The inspiration behind the rebranding of SHA to SHAC, developed from both the natural and human worlds. From the structure of geometric forms and planning, to the earthy textures and colours that come from nature.

The logotype aimed to hold a legacy to the past Brand solutions that the firm had designed. We looked at shapes within some of these previous iconic projects, whilst holding an air of originality and excitement for future ones too, hinted at in the negative spaces of the redesigned logotype.

Each letter was designed to feel like a building, a space to be explored. You could imagine ten-metre-high letters being installed in a park and walking around the letters, experiencing each corner and turn.

We drew inspiration from print and the illuminated manuscript with dramatic letters and spacing. This carried through to the digital solution and was particularly interesting in the website. We wanted the digital experience to mirror that of a magazine editorial.

The printed touch points and signage materials were chosen for their boldness and their ability to evolve. The journey of a copper mirrors the journey of the company, changing and adapting to the current circumstances.

Headjam’s collaboration with SHAC is one of our favourite collaborations of all time. Working alongside fellow design perfectionists allowed us to challenge the status quo and push our design to another level, as well as being allowed the additional expense of things like special copper foils, which is an absolute treat for a designer.

Since the launch of the new website, SHAC receive up to 100 unique hits a day, with the quality of leads having significantly increased. They are receiving less non-serious client enquiries, with the majority coming from clients who are driven by quality and service and who are not looking to drive down fees at the expense of service, skill and experience to manage their development risk.

SHAC have reported a resurgence in Residential projects since their new Brand launched, with Government, Christian and other independent schools remaining the strongest part of their business. Aviation, Health and Industrial/Infrastructure have stayed steady and strong, giving SHAC great market diversity.

SHAC are now consistently highly sought out by young talented graduates who specifically want to be part of the SHAC career experience, with their message of empowerment and collaboration being the key to this phenomenon.