CO. HOUSE
In New Haven, a pair of entrepreneurial sisters, discovered a beautiful century-old Victorian mansion with a rich history, first as an elegant single-family home and later as a landmark institute for Korean studies, helmed by Dr. Hesung Chun Koh, one of the first Asian-American professors at Yale. The two sisters dreamed of transforming the building into a unique, welcoming hospitality experience for short-term stays.
Co. House, named both for Dr. Koh and for the sense of community and company found within. The slogan, “Stay in Good Company,” elicits a feeling of warm welcome. The branding pays intentional homage to the building’s historic past by utilizing Hangul, the Korean alphabet, as inspiration for the iconography. Each room’s color palette and name were inspired by famous local New Haven topography. Each icon was designed using the Korean character that best represented each chosen geographical feature. Every slope, curve, or line of the original character can be found within each of the final icons. Elegant and austere, the brand’s custom typography feels rich, elevated, and elegant.
Design: Marie Corriveau, Atelier Cho Thompson
Architecture: Mary Kate Arnold, Atelier Cho Thompson
Photography: Jared Kuzia
✿ Silver, Integrated Branding, CT Art Directors Club Awards
✿ Project Feature, AN Interior
✿ Best of Design - Adaptive Reuse, The Architect’s Newspaper
The main logo mark was developed using the shapes found within the Hangul word for “house,” and intentionally appears as a window.
A custom typeface was designed to create a feeling of elevation and elegance while paying homage to the site’s historic past.
Similar to the main logo mark, the room iconography utilized Korean characters to shape the final icons and patterns.
The color palette was inspired by famous New Haven topography and influenced each room’s paint, tile, and furniture choices.
