Wayfinding system for Setl properties
Setl Group, founded in 1994 as the finance and construction company Peterburgskaya Nedvizhimost, turned 27 in 2021. Over the company's history it has built 10 million square metres of real estate, and today more than 384 thousand people are happy new homeowners.
In order to take the amenities of Setl Group's residential complexes to a new level and increase the penetration of the company's brand, it was decided to develop a unified wayfinding system for orientation on the grounds and inside the company's projects, using the Solnechny Gorod complex, one of the largest residential complexes, as the example.
Our team needed to conduct an on-site audit of the property, select references, develop a unifying idea for the wayfinding system, design mock-ups of wayfinding objects for the interiors and exteriors of the residential complexes, select materials for implementation, and develop a concept book.
All elements of the wayfinding system had, firstly, to share a unified brand direction in colour, typography and style; secondly, to become additional image-building elements of the residential complexes and the Setl Group brand; and thirdly, to suit any of the company's residential projects, regardless of its class.
That is why a thorough development of ideas required not only analysing the existing materials and conducting an on-site audit, but also selecting stylistically coherent references from Russian and international projects.
The research phase resulted in the "Setl Style" concept, which not only logically continues the developer's brand line but also introduces additional semantic accents. Setl Group projects are always a harmony between urban precision and the naturalness of the world around us.
Life in Setl projects is as rational as it is natural. People encounter no obstacles in the form of cars on their way and stroll through specially created gardens and parks. That is why wayfinding by Setl is a straight, intense, laconic red thread.
The concept embodies the graphic basis of the Setl Group logo in the space of the residential complex. The recognisable frame is both a window onto the horizon, framing the perspective that opens up before the resident, and a structure that brings order to life and instils confidence: "everything is in its place".
The outward strictness of the wayfinding becomes a solid functional foundation for the carefree, emotional image of Solnechny Gorod. In this reading, the developed idea and wayfinding system can also be implemented in other residential complexes with minimal variation, becoming a universal standard and a recognisable attribute of the Setl Group corporate brand.
Setl Group is an architect of living space. Every infrastructure object is a kind of social cell, a clearly defined space in human life. The entrance stele is not so much a set of signposts as an ode to organisation.
Strictness and clarity do not mean predictability. Arches set in different directions intertwine into a whimsical art object, performing not only a wayfinding but also an aesthetic function.
The frame itself becomes a person's most important wayfinding aid. The arch guides people in the right direction, which is especially important at night and in difficult weather conditions, when the edges of the path blur before one's eyes.
Forms that seem strict at first glance can, in certain zones, unfold into a light and playful image, as happens in the children's playground. The idea used in the exterior wayfinding continues indoors. Clarity and simplicity are what will help residents find their way around the space easily and unambiguously.
