ECHO

Having worked with C.Street previously, the Seesaw creative team understood the need to craft a branded system that would work across touchpoints, locations and projects.

The initial stage of the project involved rigorous discussion and investigation into the Passivhaus building standards. Together with the client, Seesaw defined a clear brief:
— the brand must communicate the carbon neutral vision
— the brand must invite curiosity, encourage learning and thought
— the brand had to balance purpose, place and profit
— the brand must evolve across future projects
— the brand must be simple, precise, dynamic and confident

The focus was on authentic storytelling and the creation of a strong narrative that would extend and evolve seamlessly across all platforms. This process began with the naming system.

The name ECHO reflects:
E - Environment — Engage with community to deliver homes that are energy efficient and benefit the environment
C - Carbon Neutral — Contemporary living developed to be carbon neutral
H - Home — Homes that value the health of their occupants without compromising quality
O - Opportunity — Opportunity to create a sustainable future

ECHO. A name that reflects the needs of residents. That echoes the community. That makes choices that will reverberate for generations to come.

The brand made use of repetitive elements to visually reflect a sense reverberation while reflecting the community. Keeping with the established brief, each element of the visual brand was dynamic yet simple, maintaining a sense of intrigue and curiosity.

The first application of the brand was seen in the marketing of their Hawthorn development (building to be completed by the end of August 2024). ECHO represents responsible choices. For us, that began by rethinking the standard property brochure as an environmentally sustainable, custom envelope to house floorplans and a fold-out poster. However it was in the physical experience that the brand truly came to life.

Property marketing often tends to fall into a sea of sameness—all style, no substance. ECHO is a unique project within the Melbourne property space. When launching the ECHO series to market, the brand needed to echo the product itself—projects focused on architectural excellence, sustainable practices, and community impact. The marketing also had to reflect the suburb in which each project was located.

The first ECHO project - ECHO.1 was located in Hawthorn. Launched to market in the depths of Melbourne’s COVID-19 lockdowns, the strategy had to literally think outside the box.

In a time where people could not be in close proximity, a traditional display suite was not an option. The traditional on-site hoarding and sales suite was reimagined. The result was a comprehensive customer experience that bridged print, spatial and digital platforms.

An interactive, open-air exhibition designed on-site led prospective buyers through a series of circular walls that housed education and window panels that revealed the technology. Digital tools were incorporated to generate leads while educating buyers on the project’s key features and benefits.

This allowed locals to walk through the space without COVID-19 spatial restrictions. Behind the exhibition, the sustainability focus was further reinforced with the planting of a field of hay—the material that would be used in the homes’ insulation.

The brand delivers a refreshingly intelligent and straightforward approach that guides the audience on a journey through the technology, science and benefits of passive housing.

Every aspect of the project reflected responsible choices. The most innovative aspect of the project was the re-thinking of a traditional display experience. A community exhibition focused on education and innovation. A place to explore. A place to connect. A place to learn.

Since launching the Hawthorn ECHO.1 development, the brand has extended to the recent ECHO.2 Abbotsford project (launching August 2024). An urban experience with different site requirements, the result is once again an example of intelligence, curiosity and purpose.

Every aspect of this project challenged traditional project marketing, building and architecture practices.

A truly collaborative project, this is an example of design impact in practice. A project that showcases how you can build differently, how you can design differently and how you can inspire a new way of thinking.

The result? A new benchmark in Melbourne property. An iconic Passivhaus development focused on purpose rather than profit.

Echo is about sound decisions that will reverberate for generations to come. This name was developed to reflect the brand pillars of Energy Efficiency, Carbon Neutrality and Homes of Opportunity.

Echo represents responsible choices. For us, that began by rethinking the standard printed property collateral. Printed material was kept to a minimum, with all marketing designed to push the audience online to learn about sustainability and the benefits of passive housing.

The launch project’s traditional hoarding was reimagined as a physical example of circular design - a series of rounded shapes with detailed information panels led the visitor throughout while educating the audience on the project’s key features and benefits. Window panels revealed the technology and engineering behind the architecture, while also showcasing the field of field of hay planted at the rear of the installation — the actual material that would be used in the homes’ insulation.