The purpose of this book is to provide a clear and enticing presentation of works to current and prospective clients of Studio Pacific.
The challenge behind designing the document was to make such a vast amount of information digestible, complementing a largely image driven document and enticing the reader with good pace and flow.
The concept behind my document relates back to my earlier interpretation of Studio Pacific; in 5 words,
elegant, timeless, clean and international.
As the studio’s directors have all worked in Europe and draw heavily on that inspiration in their work, as did I in using type and layout styling reminiscent of a European style, but with a New Zealand twist in the typeface I used. I chose a fairly sporadic, yet grounded in a 12 column grid layout. Allowing plenty of white space I aimed to give the eye rest and provide for visual flow. Using varied sized images with pull quotes, I aimed for the reader to get snapshots of projects without delving deep into body copy.
The choice of Calibre (2011) typeface by Klim Type Foundry gives my document a New Zealand flavour, using only 3 weights, Regular, Medium and Semibold. Calibre is very readable, with notes of Helvetica, Akzidenz and Apercu. I like how it doesn’t have too much personality, yet enough to be distinctive, which in many ways represents Studio Pacifics work. My body copy, Miller (1997) by Matthew Carter, gives a fresh feel and is very readable with generous x-height and weighting. I chose Miller over others such as Bembo, Georgia and Caslon as I feel it looks younger and a bit less traditional. The typefaces chosen reflect my concept drivers; elegant, and timeless.
Drawing heavily on the Kumutoto precinct and the Meridian Building, I established keywords behind the concept for my cover. Layering, exposed and sustainable. Many of Studio Pacifics buildings have a very stripped back feel to them, expose the materials for what they are worth. In addition to this, the use of recycled brown card echoes the reused materials for the meridian building, using readily available, lower cost materials that are on hand in a non-pretentious fashion. I chose to coptic bind my separate sections as the technique is very traditional and like Studio does, was an ode to heritage and the way things used to be.
Set to the task of presenting Studio Pacifics Selected works in the best way possible, this document represents not only the studio but their work.
Recycled card combined with exposed coptic binding, represents the transparent, sustainable, heritage-acknowledging aspects of the studio. Using New Zealand and British designed typefaces a distinctive international / New Zealand flavour is produced.
