Span was commissioned by Nurture Architects to rebrand the long-running historic preservation firm HPZS with a new name and visual identity. Founded in 1976, HPZS built a 47-year legacy for successfully preserving historic spaces. President April Hughes saw an opportunity to redefine the firm's identity — as a woman-owned, woman-led, and JUST-certified architecture studio that creates positive environmental impacts to consciously sustain communities and culture.

The rebranding process unfolded during an intensive week-long workshop led by Span partner John Pobojewski, Hughes, practice leaders, and a few trusted professional partners. As they brainstormed potential names, "nurture" emerged as the perfect conceptual anchor. The word captured the firm's multifaceted mission—caring for the environment, revitalizing historic spaces, and cultivating the next generation of architects. Moreover, it stood out in a field typically dominated by acronymic surnames of white male founders.

The resulting visual identity deliberately subverts expectations, challenging the soft connotations of "nurture" with a bold design language. The wordmark features heavy, extended sans-serif letterforms that demand attention, often deployed as a large framing element for project portfolios. A natural color palette of blue, green, and gold softens the mark's assertive character, introducing sophistication and environmental resonance.

Accompanying the rebrand, Span developed a new website using Craft CMS that reflects the firm's evolving narrative. The site offers an immersive experience, showcasing Nurture's deep historic preservation portfolio while highlighting its emerging focus on cutting-edge sustainable design. Thoughtfully designed features include easily navigable project case studies, elegantly organized talent profiles, and service descriptions. Span also proactively addressed potential search engine optimization challenges, implementing strategic 301 redirects and intelligent markup to ensure a seamless digital transition.

View website