Building Anacostia

Utilizing building block motifs, the mark’s frame of reference can slip from architectural to social. Much like the community museum itself, the ACM brick mark marries the ideas of place, people, time & history, simultaneously looking to the past while firmly placed in the present and future.

The conceptual foundation for the ACM Brick Mark lies in the idea of “social masonry.”ACM’s Brick forms can simultaneously get at the idea of history, through architectural reference of the site, and community; a social building, constructed not as a whole, but of many individual, varying parts.

A Vibrant Palette

Revisiting our original inspiration of Kente cloth patterns, we wanted to create an energetic and vibrant palette that lifted up the ACM community. We wanted to speak to the various ways the community could engage with ACM – inside the museum, outdoors in the community, and online through its robust archive.

Typography

We chose Redaction (by Titus Kaphar and Reginald Dwayne Betts) as the primary typeface for ACM, for its foundation in history, the legal system and social justice. Redacation and it’s unique typographic forms are influenced by historical materials and the distortion and degradation of materials over time. As a museum rooted in community history, we felt it was a perfect match for the brand. Paired with Inter, the type system felt refined yet powerful in its tone of voice. We also included a custom feature of underlining for emphasis, in places where we may want to highlight or call out a certain detail.