brand toolkit

OUR ELEVATOR PITCH

building our brand

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are brands. It’s a process in which our staff and trusted consultants play a vital role. We are all stewards of the High Plains Architects brand, and it is up to us to use it consistently, consciously, and with conviction. Our brand is something in which we all must immerse ourselves. We can’t just blindly follow a set of rules on paper. We need to full embrace the High Plains Architects brand spirit, understand our origin story, and adopt the language that our leadership has established. That’s how we’ll satisfy our clientele and continue to grow the business.

WHY THE HAWK?

The high plains region is the forgotten landscape that Eastern Montana is known for. The land is the seemingly flat prairies that crash into the mountains to the west, the rolling hills that showcase incredible long-range views, amazing canyons and buttes, and the big, beautiful sky that defines our state.

Millions of bison once dominated the high plains. The bison, a “high plains drifter”, was our original choice for a mascot. That thought quickly dissolved however, after we took a deep dive into what makes our firm and our staff unique.

In simple terms, we don’t follow the herd. Never have. Never will. We look at our projects from a different perspective and scale. Our founders constantly remind us that we are saving the world, one building at a time. In order to do that, we must rise above the herd, keep our focus on our big picture goals, and maintain our ability to key in on the details that are often overlooked.

The hawk was introduced to us as a philosophical representation of the origin story that the designer heard. The rest, as they say, is history...

Our mission: to serve and inspire our clients, community, heritage and environment by designing innovative, cost-effective, high-performance buildings that people love.

Our VISion: a HEALTHY AND EQUITABLE WORLD FOR ALL.

our brand colorS

The High Plains Architects color palette is communicated by the dominance of a bold orange and earthy highlight colors. The natural simplicity of this color palette distinguishes us from our competitors and sends a message that High Plains Architects is friendly, cheerful, and confident. Orange is usually seen as healthy and energizing and it fits our finished product well. Color specifications are provided; do not substitute different colors or add additional colors to the palette.

HPA SUNRISE

PMS 7580 C

HPA SMOKE

PMS 7540 C

HPA CLOUD

PMS 422 C

HPA SAND

PMS 7527 C

PRIMARY COLORS (SUNRISE & SMOKE)

HIGHLIGHT COLORS (CLOUD & SAND)

““When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight, nor for present use alone; let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for...””

— John Ruskin

the CREED

our brand TYPOGRAPHY

High Plains Architects needs to have consistency throughout everything we create. Our typography is no different. Moving forward, the fonts we use will be limited to the fonts shown below. Montserrat is our primary sans-serif family and the workhorse for our communications. Franklin Gothic (Medium and Book) will continue to be used in a complimentary role AND will take over as our main font in CAD/Revit. We won’t be abandoning Architxt entirely though. Its use will be limited to design development drawings when we need a hand-lettering typeface (i.e. labeling on a sketch drawing presentation.) Lastly, we will continue to use the High Spirited script font in a very limited capacity… specialty graphics and highlights for marketing purposes only.

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Server: M:\a--HPA Internal\HPA_Fonts

Sizing Examples:

our brand logos

The High Plains Architects logo and icon is our most important visual asset. However, for our logo to retain its value, it must used correctly and consistently. The preferred version of the logo is shown below. Alternate configurations are also illustrated here as a variation may be more appropriate for some applications depending on production techniques, size requirements, background colors, etc. The logo/icon must be present on all communications and must not be modified or re-created; use only approved digital files for reproduction. The icon can be separate from the wordmark but the wordmark should never be without the icon.

Always choose the version of the logo that best fits the proportions of the application. For example, use the preferred version of the logo for most applications, and the stacked version as an alternative for extreme vertical applications or applications when you need to utilize more real estate. Below, you will find examples of our logo and the general guidelines for color, clear space and size. If you have any questions about how to use the High Plains Architects logo, please contact our Marketing and Media Relations Team.

Note: For one-color applications, the hawk must be either white or dark (black/smoke). When the hawk is white, the entire logo must be white. When the hawk is dark, the entire logo must be dark. Black, smoke, and white are the only approved one-color applications.

Preferred:

Stacked:

Note: The stacked variation is used primarily when the icon needs to be bigger.

One Color:

Integrated:

Icon:

Note: When shown with additional text information (i.e., an address), make sure the text aligns with the wordmark.

Note: The logo is typically meant to be a three-color application (including the background). The hawk and the “HIGH PLAINS” lettering must always be the same color and the box and the “ARCHITECTS” lettering must always be the same color.

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Server: M:\a--HPA Internal\HPA_Logos

secondary elements

We often have to get creative to illustrate or present crucial information. Due to that necessity, we have numerous “helper graphics” to assist in our communications. These helpers include words, graphics, colors, etc. They aren’t used frequently but sometimes we have to dig deep into the High Plains Architects toolkit to make our work shine or emphasize a key design decision. Sometimes we use these tools to highlight a project for a client to personalize it. The secondary elements below are examples of marketing assets that we’ve used in the past. Again, consistency is key so if there are questions, please see the Marketing and Media Relations team.

Graphics:

Diagram Colors (Still being finalized):

Note: The diagram colors can be muted (reduced opacity) if a more subtle look is desired. If they are muted, please ensure the opacity percentage is the same for all of the colors that are used.